Want your holidays to be more organized and therefore more serene? Get organized! The best way to organize your holiday shopping is making a budget and then a working list. Remember when I was a little girl, my mom kept a mini spiral notebook in her purse at Christmas time with gift ideas and then she would cross out what she had purchased. This was a great method because she could keep it in her purse and therefore check her list while she was out shopping. I recommend that we do something similar now. Smart phones can update the process some while the spiral still works well for those who prefer to do things the old-fashioned way. Here is how you do it. Make your list of gift recipients and indicate those that are "maybes". A maybe would be the person who should receive a gift if you see them but if you don't, you are in the clear. Standby gifts such as bottles of wine, candles, and Itunes gift cards are perfect for these gifts. If you buy more than one gift for someone, indicate how many you should purchase.
Many times as I am around town at networking meetings, I am asked what I need in my business. My answer is typically one of two things…complainers and people who are chronically late. Complainers complain about many things and although I am unable to help them with their neighbor's lawn or the thoughtlessness of a coworker, I can help them with so many other things…like how to make the most of traffic, how to organize their day around what matters most and primarily how to stop complaining and start making things happen. I am by no means a miracle-worker yet when you have an unemotional and objective perspective on your woes, it seems to make them easier to digest. Now for those that are chronically late, this is the easy one. There are many time management tools that can be utilized to help us arrive on time. One of the most significant is to only schedule 50% of our day. By practicing the 50% rule, it frees up a large portion of your day to accommodate appointments that run long or unexpected issues like sick children and flat tires. If we are lucky enough to stay on time all day, use the extra time to catch up on nagging tasks that would otherwise be put off. Having such items off your "to do" list will eliminate far more stress than you would think.
When paper becomes overwhelming the most logical thing to do is go "paperless". But what exactly is "paperless"? So many people think that they can just scan everything into the computer and get rid of the papers. That is true on a very basic level, but there is much more to being efficiently paperless. Paperless files should mirror your existing paper filing system. If there is no true system in which to mirror, the electronic files will become equally as cluttered. They may be all in one place but still impossible to find. Think of it as a filing cabinet without files and all of the important papers are stacked flat amidst not-so-important papers. Start by creating a folder for each person in the family in which you will retain files and one for Family Management. If you work from home, you will want a separate file for work. Click and drag all of the documents pertaining to each person into their appropriate folder. At this point, the sorting should be very general: mom/wife, husband/dad, son, daughter, pets, home, and work. Some items may seem a little vague but make a decision based on where you would think to look for them. For example, charitable donations could either go in the folder of the family member passionate about the cause or in Home Management.
Have you ever given any consideration to how much your clutter is costing you, in terms of time, emotional and mental energy as well as cold hard cash? Many people tell me that they would work on their clutter but there are so many more interesting things to do. This could not be truer, even for someone like me. I would rather go to the park with my family than tidy up. However, when I return from my family outing to a cluttered house, I have a different opinion. Sound familiar? The truth of the matter is if we were to take a short period of time each day to pick up and put away clutter, we would be putting a stick in the spoke of that cycle. According to the National Soap and Detergent Association (yes, there is one at www.cleaninginstitute.org), getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40% of housework in the average home.
The US Department of Energy reported in 2010 that one-quarter of Americans with a two-car garage have so much stuff stored in it there is no room left for vehicles. How much room is in your garage? Why do we have so much stuff? The why's aren't nearly as important as the question of what to do with it all. This is a classic situation of filling up an empty space. When we have a large cavernous space that rarely sees a houseguest, when an item is without a clearly defined home, it goes to the garage to be out of sight. By determining homes for our belongings we are better able keep our garage in check and therefore place our vehicles inside. A simple answer includes shelving, plastic tubs, and purging. Place the shelving along the walls then place small items in the tubs. Eliminate items on the floor by utilizing ceiling hooks and top spaces.
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