Tag Archive for: baby steps

Making Organizing Manageable

chunking organizing

How do you eat an elephant?   …….One bite at a time!

 

Making organizing manageable is all about breaking the tasks into manageable pieces.  When we see a big project it’s often overwhelming.  We think about organizing our entire home, storage or an office and it seems to be an impossible tasks.  There are several ways to chunk down the project and create a manageable plan.

 

Work in time increments

I am a huge fan of using a timer to work on any project.  Even just 15 minutes on any project will help you reach your goal.  But I also like the idea of percolation time and working an hour at a time.  Other ways to use time increments include two or three hour segments with an alarm set for 30 minutes before the end of the time. If you are unsure about how long the project will take, using time increments helps you get started and work in measured units.

 

Use Quadrants

Think about dividing the space you are working in into quadrants of work.  It could be floor space, left wall, center wall, and right wall.   It could be dividing the space into 4 quadrants entirely. Creating a physical delineation of what areas you are working on helps you see change.   There’s hoola hoop organizing.  Drop a hoola hoop on the floor and work on that area to eliminate and organize.  As more space evolves,  you are feeling more capable and less overwhelmed.

 

Use Numbers

Flylady refers to her 27 fling bogie.   Flylady suggests eliminating 27 items a day.   White House Black Shutters recommends 40 bags in 40 days.  Use numbers to help you break through your feeling of being overwhelmed.  You can choose your own number, no matter how large or small.  Whatever your numbers, use these wisely to make your project easy to accomplish.

 

 Work with a team

It’s much easier to work together to achieve more. Make organizing manageable by adding a partner or triad of workers. Not only does having many hands help, you have lots of ideas to get your organizing done.

 

Whatever strategy you use, make organizing manageable in a way that fits your strengths and style. Choose one of these ideas in order to get started and complete a project.

 

 

 

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Change Happens!

Working with my clients, I know that change happens!  Here is how I know!

  • I recently recieved the first card of the holiday season from a former client. Of course her goal was to be the first card in my mailbox!
  • A client, on her own, decluttered her closet and took the items to Goodwill.  She started and completed the job!
  • My client says it now takes her 15 minutes to pay her bills and file her statements.
  • A student writes in his planner each and every day, checks it regularly and makes the grades he deserves.
  • A client realized she had all her things in too many places.  Now she is consolidating them, at home and at the office.

How do you know when change happens in your life? Accomplishing goals makes you not only feel successful! You also create confidence, build new habits and routines, and make a difference in your life. 

Entering a new year, reflect on your goals and what will be most important to you.  How does change happen for you?