Time to Purge?
Interior Designer Jeanette Knudsen has invited me to create blog posts around her beautiful graphics, which will feature a series of organizing tips over the next few months. Visit her website at www.designforalife.yourmarketingcoachonline.com for more tips and great design ideas from this amazing designer. Her company, Design for a Life Span specializes in redesigning and remodeling projects to help the senior population “age in place.” Call 480-695-1360 for more information.
Clearing clutter is such a visual experience that I use Before & After photos when I give presentations and teach workshops. One of the things I share with new clients is the almost instant gratification that comes from clearing space and creating order. I get a great response when I say, “It’s like going on a diet and losing 10 lbs. the first day.”
Here are 5-Tips that you can use to create visual reminders for yourself:
1. Create a “launch pad” near the door you enter and exit from
a. Place items here that need to leave the house. For example: library books that need to be returned, clothing or shoes that need to be returned, borrowed items that need to be returned, purse, briefcase, backpacks for school, etc
2. Create a DONATE basket or bin
a. Place items in a basket or bin labeled DONATIONS. Once the bin is full, contact the agency for a pick up, or move the bin to the “Launch Pad” area (see #1) and deliver it to the appropriate drop-off location
3. When you are running low on something, like make-up for example, remove the label and place it on your “Launch Pad” so the next time you are out, you can swing by and pick up what you need. The same could apply to office supplies and groceries. This simple tip reduces the “drop-everything-to-go-to-the-store” moments
4. Color coding is a handy technique for assigning importance and differentiating tasks. This can easily be applied to personal and business filing systems, to managing your calendar. Consistency in color is the key. For example: my electronic calendar is color coded so at a quick glance, I know what I have to do. Green = work (money), Red = requires immediate attention, Purple = requires follow-up at some point, Yellow = telephone calls/web meetings, Orange = Fun/Vacation
5. When you are organized and everything has a place, it is easy to see when things are not in place.
If you need help setting up organizational systems that support you, your family, or your business, contact Andrea Brundage, Professional Organizer & Bringer of Calm. Visit www.ProfessionalOrganizerAZ.com for a free gift. Simple Organized Solutions offers virtual and group coaching as well as in-person hands-on organizing. For more information, call (480) 382-1085.