We love to remind professional organizing clients that fall is a terrific time to dive into organizational projects, especially the period between Halloween and Thanksgiving.
With Daylight Savings Time coming to a close and the days getting shorter, everyone can appreciate getting more done in less time with less stress IF you strategize and prioritize, use the right tools and develop first-rate organized habits.
Here are some tips we share all the time, to help eliminate clutter and create a space surrounded only by the things you need and love.
Make a Plan:
Fall is excellent “downtime” season. Use this time to ask these questions: what do I want to get done by year’s end? How will I benefit if I accomplish this project? What are the resources, time and tools I will need?
Start Small:
Break bigger projects into smaller manageable tasks—clean out a junk drawer or the coat closet, free up your desktop, clear out your purse or wallet-- tasks that can be finished in an hour or less. Transfer the “start small” philosophy into larger traditional problem areas like the garage, office, closet or playroom.
Categorize:
Harvest like items with like items in accessible appropriate places. Provide homes in labeled bins and baskets. Donate, repair, recycle, re-sell anything unloved and unwanted.
Value your Time:
Even at home, time is a valuable resource. Use a kitchen timer to set up limits for sorting and reviewing. Prioritize tasks to get the most important elements done first so you won’t get distracted from your primary purpose.
Reward Yourself:
Following completion, a manicure, massage or a trip to the pumpkin patch are sure-fire simple incentives that encourage us to complete mundane tasks.
Fall Into Better Behavior:
Put items away as-you-go. Set time on your calendar to review your new systems (also known as your organizational handiwork) and make changes if necessary. Remember, organization is really about long-lasting adjustments in behavior and not a status realized in one day!
How would you get into an organized and productive mindset this fall? Tweet your thoughts and challenges to @johntrosko or leave a comment below.
The article above originally appeared as our first contribution to FitPerez.
Image of pumpkins and Hollywood courtesy Whatever Brings You Joy
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