Overcoming Procrastination

Perhaps the biggest obstacle we all face when it comes to getting organized is procrastination.  It's very easy to put something off that you dread doing.  How do we stop procrastinating?  The answer is not as easy as "just do it".  Unfortunately, procrastination is often inherent in most of us.  The best thing you can do is take baby steps.  Trust me, I was not always an organized person.  Ask my mother about my closets as a child!  

When it comes to organization, procrastination is the number 1 reason people who want to be organized, aren't.  I suggest you begin by operating under a simple manufacturing process called FIFO (First In First Out).  The idea of operating under FIFO is that you take things on as they come and not wait until a later time.  

Take your mail for example.  Many people get the mail, sort through what they want or don't want and then leave it on the table or in a basket.  Instead of doing this, tackle your mail as you get it.  File the bills away (although I highly recommend tracking your bills paperlessly), discard unwanted junk mail immediately and handle mail of an urgent matter on the spot.  What takes a few minutes each day will save you hours of wondering where that piece of mail you are looking for went and eliminates the possibility of it being discarded with the junk mail.  

Another example of the FIFO system in action, is laundry.  When undressing, discard your dirty clothes in the hamper, not the floor.  This saves you time when it comes to doing the laundry, from having to gather everything up.  One step further would be to have 2 hampers (1 for colors and 1 for whites).  This takes away your pre-laundry sort time.  After finishing each load, put your clothes away, vs. leaving them in the dryer or piling them up in your "clean pile".  This eliminates the need for extra ironing thus saving you time when getting ready.  

While some people find these things to be "no brainers", not everyone operates under the same principles.  An organized life is honestly a less stressed life.  If you don't know where to start or you just need help in getting things organized, hiring a professional organizing service can save you time, energy, and teach you valuable lessons to keep you organized.  The best way to overcome procrastination is through habit.  Once you get that "organized high" you won't want to come down and it will motivate you to continue an organized life.

Until next time, keep organizing!

5 Benefits of Organization

1.  Reduces your stress level.

2.  Allows more time to be spent doing things you want to do and with whom you want to do them with.

3.  Find things faster.

4.  Increases productivity.

5.  Saves you money.

For more information about organization, visit www.areaorganization.com

5 Tips to Green Organization

Green is in.  Green is good.  Unfortunately everyone does not see the need or benefits to participate in the green movement.  Here are a few simple ideas to reduce your carbon foot print while getting organized.

1.  Go paperless.

-Start by setting up automatic payments with your bill providers.  Many of them give you the option to stop receiving paper statements.  This not only reduces the clutter that mail brings into your home, but also saves you time.  You no longer have to take an afternoon out of your busy schedule to sit down and pay bills.  You also save money on checks and stamps!  

2.  Go wireless.

-The less cords you have running around makes your area look clean and organized  and at the same time, when used wirelessly, you are using less power to operate small home electronics.  

3.  Move to the digital age.  

-Paper planners are helpful and I am not recommending that you give up on them. I too use a paper planner.  Lists should never be underestimated!  You can however downsize that 500 page Franklin Covey by using your computer's address book to maintain your contacts and your computer's calendar application to keep track of things.  If you own a Smartphone (Blackberry, iPhone, etc.) you can sync these things to your phone and have them with you at all times.  

4.  Upgrade your lighting to energy efficient bulbs.

-This is probably the most obvious way to help reduce your energy bill, but it also helps you stay on task in a home office environment.  Proper lighting affects your attentiveness and ability to stay on task.  Energy efficient bulbs come in many different light patterns and are more efficient the longer you keep them on which makes them perfect when used in a home office.  

5.  Organize your recycling.  

-The most obvious thing you can do to help the environment is recycle.  However, there are a few things you can purchase to keep your recycled goods organized while the items are awaiting pick up or re-use.  For example, plastic bags (if you must have them) can be reused as lunch bags, small garbage can liners and to collect trash in  your car.  Purchase an under the counter bag organizer (The Container Store has them) to hold the bags until they are used.  Glass, Plastic, Paper and other recyclable goods can be kept neatly in recycling bins.  Many home systems are available that fit neatly in your kitchen and can be hidden away in cabinets.

Organization has many benefits.  Thankfully, you can get organized while also keeping our planet beautiful for many generations to come.

5 Steps to an Organized Closet

If you are like me, which you probably aren't, you are a die hard neat freak!  Although my clothes closet stays consistently organized, I often find myself completely revamping the layout every few months.

area recommends a simple 5 step process to ensure your closet stays in tip top organized shape! 

1.  Take everything out of the closet and start with a clean slate.  This process will also help you determine what things you don't need and you can donate the extra clothing to the charity of your choice.

2.  Start by placing items of likeness together back into the closet.  For example, place all of your work shirts together, work pants, t-shirts, etc.  For me, I do not use a dresser and hang all of my t-shirts up.  I go the extra step and organize my shirts by color.  

3.  Once your clothing is put into your closet, use a shoe organizer to place your shoes in.  I purchased 2 cheap shoe organizers that hang on the clothes bar and holds 10 pairs of shoes each.  This opens up floor space and ads a streamlined look to your closet.  

4.  Purchase a large hanging organizing unit ($6.99 at IKEA) to place your socks, under shirts and under garments in.   For an even more clean look, purchase the extra baskets that fit into the oversized slots to conceal the items.  You can find these items on IKEA's website using the keyword SKUBB.

5.  If you have extra items that you keep in the closet, you now have shelving and floor space free to use.  I highly recommend placing the items in some kind of container and mark the outside of the container so you know what contents are inside.  Ideally, your clothes closet is only for clothes!

With your organized closet, you save time finding your next outfit and make room for the new season's fashions and the best part?  If you have none of the items used in this blog, you can buy everything for under $30.  Plus, this may eliminate the need for a dresser, thus freeing up extra space in your bedroom.  

Check out http://www.areaorganization.com for more information on how to get organized in your home or office.

Blogging with area.

Welcome to area's first blog!  Thank you for joining us on our blogging adventure.  Through this blog, area aims to provide you with organizing ideas to help you increase your green awareness and be on top of today's trends in organization.  2009 is the year to get organized.  

Check back every Sunday for a new blog!