Ready, Set … GO! Get Organized

January marks Get Organized MonthSM. Now that you’re settling back into your routine after the busy holiday season and are kicking off the new year, there’s no better time to get your home and office back in order. This is also a great opportunity to start off on the right foot in staying organized throughout the year.

So, where do you begin?

Start with one room, one space, or one project at a time to keep the reorganization process manageable. Whether it’s getting a mound of photos organized in an album, cleaning out a junk drawer or reconfiguring your home office, the process of purging unwanted items, de-cluttering, and organizing is never ending, which is why doing a little every week makes a big difference over time. Besides, what better time to delve into those dreaded “rainy day” projects than in the heart of winter?

The following are some tips to organizing areas of your home, office and life:

Put a Hook on Winter Garments
Is that bulky winter clothing crowding your entrance ways to your home? Don’t let these items be a tripping hazard. Keep those heavy coats and other winter accessories organized and ready to use. Write each family member's name on a wooden clothespin with permanent ink and clip it to boots and mittens. To avoid a mountain of wet coats on your sofa or table, use a coat tree or wall peg in the garage or laundry room for each family member. Hang up the coat, clip the mittens to the lapel, and clip boots together under the coat in a place where everything can dry out. Another option to keep your children’s mittens organized is to sew the end of a long piece of yarn to each mitten and string the yarn through each coat arm. That way, the mittens are always with the coat and are ready to slip on your hands.

Maintain a Neat Desk
In honor of Clean Off Your Desk Day on January 9, it’s time to tend to your desk and all of its contents. While many people clean up the kitchen after preparing a meal, it’s ironic how many people don’t clean up their desk after a day’s work. The philosophy for keeping an organized desk should be the same as it is for the kitchen: start with a “clean” slate the next time you use it. The best way to stay on top of things in your office is to plan on shutting off your computer and stopping work about 10 minutes before you have to leave for the day. Use those 10 minutes to organize your desk and files and update your task list for the following day. You’ll be able to start your day with a fresh start and clear mind, which will ultimately help you be more productive and efficient.

Keep Organization Close at Hand
Palm Pilots™ and other handheld electronic organizers are not just for business professionals. They are invaluable tools for everyday life and are a great solution to keeping you focused, organized and on schedule. I have found them to be especially helpful for individuals with ADHD.

Put an end to the written reminder notes remain scattered about your purse, wallet, refrigerator or bulletin board and consolidate everything into this electronic organization tool. In addition to being your address book, handhelds are handy in a variety of ways and can help keep you organized in the palm of your hand. Consider storing the following:

Handheld organizers are portable and easy to use. Whenever you need hard copies of information, just upload the data and synchronize it to your personal computer. From there, just print out anything you need. For this reasonable investment of about $100, you will be guaranteed to have organization at your fingertips while keeping peace of mind.

Manage Your Time
Whether it is getting distracted or not allowing enough time to perform a certain task, there are many reasons for tardiness. The trick is to learn how to effectively manage your time. According to the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization, the following are some tips for making a schedule and sticking to it: