Organizing Basics

Organizing guru, Julie Morenstern, describes steps to get organized, using the acronym, SPACE.

1. Sort – Set up labeled containers (or designated floor space for large projects):

• Toss – anything broken, outdated, unusable
• Donate – any item that is not used
• To Do – projects that haven't been completed. Be honest with yourself. If you don't have the time or knowledge, hire someone to complete the project or abandon the project and donate the supplies.
• Keep in this area
• Belongs elsewhere

Sort items from "keep" into specific categories to meet your needs: "winter decorations, spring decorations, _Name's_ _ off season clothing, pool supplies, outside toys."

2. Purge – This is getting rid of duplicates, items missing parts, and items you don't have a need for. Now that you've sorted you see you have more beach toys than your children ever play with. Now is the time to get rid of what is not used.

3. Assign a home – Determine where each item will go in the space. Put it as close to where it will be used as possible.

4. Containerize & Label – Use containers to hold small items. You've sorted & assigned a home. Now chose containers that are the appropriate size for the category as well as fit in the area selected as "home". Label the containers and shelves, so everyone will know where items belong.

5. Equalize – Make maintaining the order a part of your routine. Put things back when done to keep the space organized.

Adapted from "Organizing from the Inside Out," by Julie Morgenstern

January is “GO” Month (Get Organized)

Becoming more organized is a top New Year's resolution. Just like dieting, results are less painful and more lasting if done in small increments. Don't put yourself through the torture of spending an entire weekend in the basement organizing your storage area. (To me this sounds like fun, but I'm a bit unusual in that way.)

Follow these steps for lasting change:

1. Set a goal. "I'd like my storage area organized by this summer, so I can locate and retrieve any belonging from the area."
2. Break the goal into small pieces. Assign yourself one manageable goal each week. "This weekend, I'll sort belongings to categories for 30 minutes." (see Organizing Basics) Or "On Monday, I will drop any donations at the collection center."
   
3. Have an accountability partner. Check in with your partner. Let him/her know your goal for the week, the progress you've made, and the challenges you've encountered.
   
4. Stay motivated. Focus on your big goal, picture your finished project, imagine your satisfaction, reward yourself, and continue on.
   

Quick & Simple Projects

Becoming more organized is one of the top three New Year's resolutions. Here are some small project ideas. These can be completed in a relatively short time. They will increase the organization and efficiency of your home, leaving you more time for life, which of course, is the primary goal of getting organized.

Kitchen - Keep a grocery list on the refrigerator or inside a cabinet door and add items as you notice the supply is low.

Pantry – Have a tray stocked with items routinely used at meals: salt & pepper, napkins, butter knives. At meal time, simply transfer the tray to the table.

Corner Cabinets – Add a lazy susan so items in the back can be turned to the front for easy access.

Bathroom - Toss all the lotions, perfumes, makeup and samples that you haven't used in 6 months.

Linen Closet – Move sheets to the bedroom where they are used. Two sets of sheets per bed per season are plenty – donate extras. Determine how many towels you really need and donate the rest.

Laundry Room – Add a container for socks that are missing their mates and a container for items that have been left in pockets.

Clothing Closets – Donate any clothing/shoes that haven't been worn in the past year.

Living Room – Add a footstool with storage or a storage basket for newspapers & magazines. Routinely recycle publications. Cancel subscriptions that you don't consistently read.

Home Office – Sign up to receive paperless bills. Pay bills online or arrange automatic payments.

Tell me about the small organizing projects that have made a big difference in your home.

Consumable Gift Ideas

With the current trends of going green and uncluttering our homes, consumable gifts are a great gift option. As you are trying to decide on a gift, think of the person's interests and activities. What does he/she enjoy & appreciate. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Practical gift cards:
  Gas
  Groceries
  Phone
  Auto service
  Car Wash Tokens
  Cleaning service
  
• Entertainment:
  Theater or movie tickets
  Tickets to a sport event, concert, or special event
  Movie rental gift certificates
  Favorite Restaurant gift certificates
  Museum tickets
  Lessons for an area of interest – music, craft, sport
  Gift certificate for a spa: massage, facial, manicure, or pedicure
  Gift card for downloadable music
  Fresh flowers
  
• Wrapable gifts:
  Candy
  Candles – those that are completely disposable
  Gourmet foods/beverages
  Homemade foods
  Stationary/Note Cards & stamps
  Car Care Supplies
  Art Supplies
  School Supplies
  Magazine subscription (purchase one to wrap)
  
• The gift of time – coupons to:
  Babysit
  Run Errands
  Prepare a meal
  Together Time – plan a favorite activity for the recipient
  
• For Children – coupons for fun:
  Parent-child time – the child chooses the activity (within time & budget limits)
  Stay up late
  Dessert before lunch
  Pajamas for the day
  Choose menu for the day
  Extra TV or video game time
  No Chores Day
  
• Donations to a favorite charity in the recipient's name

What are your favorite consumable gifts?

Kitchen/Dining Room Tables

Tables do tend to catch clutter. Here are a few ideas to help you resist the urge to drop and forget:

• Use an attactive table runner, placemats, and/or centerpiece to decorate the table.


• Have a designated mail/bill paying station. If the table is used for these functions, store the supplies close by.


• Create a "launching/landing pad" near the back door for items that will be leaving the home.


• When shopping, allow time for putting away the purchases as soon as arriving home.


• Plan to use the table for eating. Break out the candles and the good dishes often and enjoy the space!

10, 20, & 30 Minute Decluttering Projects

Mark your calendar for Monday, Nov 22^nd. It's National Declutter Day, a day to remove some of the "stuff" from your home. Here are a few organizing project ideas, depending on how much time you have for this venture.

10 Minutes:

Quick decluttering: Walk through your home carrying a large garbage bag. Put in the bag any belongings that you don't use or love. Donate or toss the full bag.

Organize a utensil drawer. Use a drawer organizer to separate utensils by use. Donate gadgets and utensils that aren't used. Store utensils that are used only at the holidays with holiday decorations, leaving more space for what you need.

Decrease your junk mail by removing your name from mailing lists. Include all forms of your name. Within three months, there will be a reduction in junk mail. Write to:

Mail Preference Service
Attn: Preference Service Manager
Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 3079
Grand Central Station, NY

20 Minutes:

Clear out the junk drawer. Get rid of anything that has been sitting there, unused, for more than a year. Put back only what you use in the kitchen. Put away items that belong in other areas of the home.

Eliminate some paper. Recycle catalogs, magazines, newspapers.

30 Minutes:

Select the 2 to 3 most packed shelves in the linen closet. Pull out items, sorting into categories. Determine how many towels & sheet sets you need. Eliminate the excess. Could sheet sets be stored in the bedroom where they are used? Fold and return needed items to the shelves.

Grab a donation bag and head to a clothing closets & dressers. Toss in any clothing/shoes that you haven't worn and you don't feel comfortable in.

Take a little time to do some decluttering then stand back and enjoy the order you've created!

Simplify Holiday Shopping

With the holiday season fast approaching, now is the time to start planning a shopping strategy.

1. Make a list of people you will be buying for. Try using a chart format. (See sample below.) List names across the top. (For a Holiday Shopping List Chart, email pam@simplespacesorg.com.)

2. Decide what you would like to give each person on the list. Using the chart, write the store you will shop at on the far left and the item to purchase under the name and across from the store.

Consider consumable gifts: gift certificates to a favorite restaurant, tickets to a special event, a magazine subscription, and food. Children love coupons. Be creative. Consider what the child would enjoy: an afternoon at the beach, stay in your pajamas until noon, desert before lunch.

Sample Shopping List:

Name Store	Child		Husband		Neighbor	Home
Target	Basketball				Picture frame
Toys R US	Lego car
Best Buy			A new gadget
Dollar Store	Stocking stuffers					Wrapping paper, Ribbon
Make	Coupons				Coupon for babysitting

3. Plan the shopping to prevent multiple trips to the same store. Remember to use your list at the store. Mark off those gifts you purchase and highlight those you didn't find. See if those items may be available at another store on your list.

4. Shop efficiently. Shop stores that are in the same area at the same time and when you have a bigger block of time to shop. Stop at an isolated store when you are in the area for another activity or when you have a short time to shop.

5. Relax and enjoy the holidays!

Goal: Space to Play

This bedroom had accumulated boxes of "stuff" for 5 years. This young lady now has space for her treasures and toys, space to play, and room to hang her original artwork on the walls.

9 Ways to Prepare for Disaster

Are You Prepared? Sept is National Preparedness Month. This campaign began seven years ago, urging Americans to be ready for a variety of disasters. We hate to think of experiencing a crisis and thankfully, the majority of us will not experience a major disaster. Yet, being prepared, in the event that there is a disaster in your area, is so important. Following are 9 ways to be prepared.

1. Have a first aid kit in your home.
2. Have a first aid kit in your vehicle.
3. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Regularly review how to use the extinguisher. Keep it in a location near the exit.
4. Keep a fire extinguisher in the garage.
5. Change smoke detector batteries regularly. (Set specific times of the year, for example, when the time changes in the spring & fall.)
6. Have a Survival Kit: Include items such as: water, food & can opener, battery powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, first aid kit, dust masks, cell phone, blankets, whistle (to alert others), items to meet your specific needs, such as medicines or diapers & formula.
7. Make a Plan – Discuss with everyone living in your home what to do in case of:

• Fire
• Medical Emergency
• Threat of Violence
• Types of emergencies common to your region: tornado, earthquake, flood, wildfire, electrical outage, mudslide, etc

8. Designate an out-of-the-area contact. If you are separated from loved ones in a disaster, you may be able to reach a long sitance contact when local communications are not functioning.

9. Be Informed.

• What is the best/safest way to handle each of these disasters?
• What community resources are available when a disaster occurs?

Taking the time to prepare for the possibility of these disasters is important. Hopefully, you will never need to use the plans that have been made. Don't take the chance.
Go to: http://www.ready.gov/america/npm10/index.html for more information.

Items in Transition

Items that need to be taken elsewhere, fixed, or put away become clutter unless there is a transition spot for them. Do you have a place for…?

• Library books – shelf or basket where you read.
• Dry cleaning – bag in closet or laundry room.
• Items to donate – bin in trunk of car or convenient closet or laundry room.
• Items that need repair – bin in garage or kitchen.
• Purchased items that need to be returned or exchanged – bag in car or "launching pad" - a spot designated for all the items you'll need when you leave the house.
• Borrowed items that need to be returned – bag in car or "launching pad".
• Items that need to be returned to their "homes" in a different area of the house: a spot for items to take downstairs or upstairs, a spot for items to go to the garage, etc. – basket, bag hanging on doorknob, or bin near the transition area.
• Items that your children have left out and need to put away – basket or shelf in living room/family room.
• Clean laundry for family members to put away – shelf in laundry room, laundry basket in child's bedroom.

What transition spot could you not do without?

Professional Organizer’s Closet

I've been asked what my closet looks like. Here it is.

• Top shelves: Off season clothes and seldom used items.
• On the Shelves: commonly worn folded items and shoes. Dress shoes and off season shoes are on the floor at the back of the closet.
• Shelves on right: pajamas.
• Long Hanging: dresses & dress skirts, pants, robe, and clothing I've worn for a short time that can be worn again before washing. Behind are belts and necklaces.
• Top hanging – items worn more often: casual tops & jackets, purses (looped on hangers)
• Lower Hanging – items worn less often: t-shirts, blouses.
• All the clothing is in the closet – no dresser. This way everything can be seen at a glance.
• The wastebasket is for laundry. Because it's full in two days, it's a reminder go throw in a load of laundry.

Suggestions:

• Organize your closet in a way that works for you. The important concept is that you can see and easily reach what you'd like to wear.
• Keep enough space on hanger rods that you can easily hang clothes. The rod is not meant to be packed full.
• Keep a small container for garbage in the closet – for clothing tags and emptying pockets.
• Remove from the home what you do not wear.
• If there is enough space, keep a container for items to donate. When you put on an outfit and think, "I hate the way this looks" or "This is uncomfortable", put the clothing directly in the donation container.

Your clothing closet should contain items that you love and you feel comfortable and confident wearing.

It’s All Too Much

When I take my kids to the library, I always check the organizing books. This week I found It's All Too Much, by Peter Walsh. The book was a quick read, gives some great ideas about developing routines, and is thought provoking. Why do we (Americans) tend to buy so much? What drives us? What are we hoping to gain?

It's All Too Much looks at organizing from a different angle than the majority of organizing books. Many organizing books go through the mechanics of getting a space organizing. Walsh looks at consumerism and our emotional attachments to our belongings. I got these points from the book.

1. We often define ourselves by the things we have. You are not your belongings – maintain a comfortable amount of things and enjoy yourself in your space.
   
2. Shopping is a national pastime. Shopping for the sake of shopping inevitably results in clutter.
   
3. Replace shopping with "experience" activities – outdoor fun, family games, exercise, reading, or any activity that you enjoy. Save what you'd have spent on shopping for a vacation.
   
4. Determine the amount of belongings you have based on the space available. (Typically we overstuff our space, buy a bigger house, rent storage space, and/or complain about lack of space.)
   
5. Use the one in, one out rule. Before making a new purchase, decide if you have the space for it. For each new item brought into the home, remove a similar item. Using this method, you maintain an organized space, preventing the clutter from returning.

This book is really about changing our perceptions about belongings and their significance, thus changing our feelings about what we want to surround ourselves with. Walsh emphasizes that our relationships are what is important, and ultimately, who wouldn't agree with that!

#1 Key to Organization

The #1 Key to getting and staying organized is to simplify. The volume of belongings is directly related to the time involved in keeping those items organized. Consider shoes for example. Keeping 30 pairs of shoes neatly arranged is much easier that keeping 300 pairs of shoes under control. This holds true for all belongings. So the question becomes, how do I simplify?

• Studies show we typically use only 20% of what we own. Seriously take a look at items in your home that are taking up space and are rarely, if ever, being used. Donate those items that you don't use, love, and enjoy.
  
• Ask yourself, how many _______________ do I need? Keep your favorites and give the rest to someone who can use them.
  
• Consider renting large, seldom used items instead of purchasing. Is the rental fee worth the cost of more storage space for other items?
  
• Before purchasing an item, determine where it will be kept. If space is not available, ask (1) Do I really need this item? (2) What can I dispose of to make room for this new item?
  
• When bringing a new item into the home, remove a similar item from the home.
  
• You have permission to remove from the home items that were a great deal, were gifts, and that were expensive. If you aren't using them, they are taking up valuable space. Let them go.
  
• Store holiday serving dishes, linens, and any other items used only at that holiday with the holiday decorations. Store them in an out of the way location, freeing up closet and cabinet space for those items used frequently.

Your belongings are meant to add comfort and joy to your life. When they are falling out of the cabinets or preventing closets from being closed or stopping you from finding the items you want, they are not serving their purpose. Simplify and enjoy the calm.

Garage Sale Purge

I'm not a fan of garage sales. There is a significant time investment with the chance of a small return. We had a neighborhood garage sale last weekend. I hadn't planned to participate. My children thought it would be great fun. They found several toys they could agree to sell, so I consented.

I needed to find some items I could get rid of. I checked closets, drawers, the attic & basement asking these questions:

• When did I last use this?
  
• Do I love it?
  
• How many of these do I have and how many do I need?
  
• Is the item in good condition? (I even threw out a few items that were worn.)

I came up with several items I could add to the sale. It wasn't a huge sale. We didn't make much money. Anything that didn't sell, I loaded up and dropped at a donation station. If I'd decided I didn't need these items anymore, there was no point taking them back into my home. I gained storage space, which made all the time worth it!

Does this mean I'll have more garage sales? No. I don't enjoy it. I will look at the belongings I'm storing with a more critical eye and donate those I don't love and use regularly. Purging belongings by deciding if they had more value in my home or in a garage sale worked well. In fact, yesterday I noticed some cookie cutters that I haven't used since last summer. Time to move those to my donation bin and make more room for the items I do use.

What helps you to purge no longer used items from your home?

From Chaotic Storage to Peaceful Retreat

I've seen many homes where the extra bedroom becomes the "catch-all" room. At first, belongings are neatly stacked along the walls; slowly the piles take over until no one knows what goes where or even what they have stored in the room. Finding an item stored in the room becomes an adventure, usually not an enjoyable one!

This owner had goals. She wanted this room to become a peaceful getaway where she could write and meditate. She was motivated. She was willing to donate many items and make room in the attic and storage shed for other items in order to get the space she dreamed of.

She has a writing space with convenient storage for her writing materials. The closet is neatly organized, so she has access to items in storage. Containers are labeled. Shelves are labeled, so she knows exactly where items belong. She has her sanctuary!

No More Late Fees

According to a Harris Interactive Poll, 23% of adults say they pay bills late (and thus incur fees) because they lose them. Now, more than ever, eliminating those late fees is a must. Paying bills on time not only saves money, it improves your credit score.

Developing a routine for dealing with mail and paying bills is a great way to prevent late fees.

As soon as you get the mail, sort into:

• Recycle - put in recycling immediately.


• Shred - paper with identifying information should be shredded. If it's not convenient to shred immediately, put in a "To Shred" file or container.


• To Read (for leisure) - store near your favorite relaxing & reading spot. Once the items have been read, recycle or pass them along to someone else.


• To File - file immediately or put in a "To File" file and deal with on a weekly basis.


• To Pay/Action Items - place mail that needs attention in a "To Pay/Action" file or basket.

Set a specific day and time to take care of To Pay/Action Items. (For example, every Friday at 5:00 PM.) Allow enough time to complete this task - at least one hour.

• Attend to items in the To Pay/Action Items: pay bills, make phone calls, balance the checkbook, etc., taking care of all the items in this file.


• File items from the "To File".


• Shred mail that has accumulated in the shred container.

Developing a system for handling mail and specifically bills, will prevent late payments, eliminating the late fees and keeping more money in your pocket! What will you do with the money you save?

Painless Unpacking

After a vacation, do the remnants hang around the house for weeks, cluttering up your space? Follow these steps to remove the vacation remnants before they become clutter.

As soon as possible after arriving at home:

1. Unpack the car completely, including the trash.

2. Gather laundry baskets or large containers to use for sorting.

3. Empty all luggage, sorting the contents into containers. Suggested categories:

• Laundry
• Clean clothing
• Toiletries
• Memorabilia

4. Return the items to where they belong.

5. Return luggage to storage area.

Shortly after the vacation:

1. Replenish depleted items from your toiletry bag and store with your luggage.

2. Memorabilia: Process photos in your preferred method. Sort through memorabilia: get rid of duplicates and keep only what has significance for you. Store in a large envelope or small memorabilia box, labeled with the location of the vacation and the date.

Now that you're unpacked, you can enjoy "home sweet home" and the memories of your wonderful vacation!

I Love My Walk In Closet!

This closet already had some organization to it, prior to my visit. Out-of-season bedding was bagged and stored on the top shelf. Some clothing to give away had been sorted, bagged, and was ready to go.

Still, reaching the back rod was difficult due to the items on the floor. Laundry baskets kept in the bedroom were also storing clothing, because their was no room in the closet.

After six hours of sorting and organizing, a van full of items were donated, and the closet, dressers & bedroom were functioning as the client wanted. She was exhausted and thrilled!

Purge Hazardous Waste Properly

Purging unused belongings is a great step in getting organized. Not every household item can be put in the garbage. When getting rid of your clutter, be aware of what items can harm the environment and learn how to dispose of those properly.

Here are just some items that are hazardous:

• Aerosol cans
• Batteries (rechargeable and button)
• Break/transmission fluid and antifreeze
• Car batteries
• Computers, TVs, cell phones
• Fluorescent tubes
• Gasoline and other flammables
• Household cleaners
• Mercury thermometers and switches
• Motor oil and filters (used)
• Needles & syringes - home generated (Seal in hard plastic or metal containers)
• Paint (oil based) and paint thinners – in most areas, latex paints can be put in the garbage after the paint is completely dried. Adding kitty litter to the paint will expedite this.
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Pool chemicals and poisons
• Propane tanks
• Solvents

Many counties have household hazardous waste programs. Two or more times per year the county will collect certain hazardous products. Residents must drop items at a specified location on the collection days. Types of items accepted vary by county. Contact your local town hall or sanitation company for information about hazardous waste collections in your area.

Taking care of household hazardous waste products safely improves the quality of your home environment by getting toxins out of area and leaves more space for the things you use and love!

What's in Your Linen Closet? 7 Ways to Make Space

Why is it that linen closets become the drop spot for items to be tucked away and forgotten forever? I'll be the first to admit, little of what I have in my linen closet is actually linens. There are cleaning supplies, light bulbs, board games, small dumbbells, and a few linens.

After everything that was no longer used or belonged elsewhere was removed from this closet, there was room to space. (Later the vacuum and other cleaning supplies were added to this closet, making more space in the extra bedroom.)

A linen closet is often a convenient spot to store items that will be used in the living areas of the home. Here are some ideas to make the best use of that space.

1. Store sheets in the bedroom where they will be used to free up this prime space.


2. Remove from the home any linens that haven't been used in over a year. If you've gone through a complete change of season without using them, chances are someone else could use them.


3. Store holiday linens in long term storage with the rest of your holiday decorations. When you decorate for the holidays, that will be your reminder to use those linens.


4. Determine what categories of items belong in the closet. These should be items that are used close to this area of the home.


5. Remove items from the closet that belong elsewhere.


6. Assign a specific category to each shelf.


7. Use containers to corral small items of the same category & label the containers.

The linen closet in most homes is a convenient storage space. Make the most of it!

Reduce Housework by 40%

Cleaning professionals say that getting rid of excess clutter reduces housework by 40%. - from www.NAPO.net.

It's that time of year – time to do a thorough cleaning of your home, open up the windows, let the fresh air in, and get rid of the dust. This is also a great time to evaluate your belongings and get rid of any clutter that is weighing you down.

1. Consider the chotskies in your home. They tend to collect dust and add time to housecleaning. Select a few that you absolutely love and get rid of the rest. If there are several you can't bear to part with, store some and rotate them.
   
2. Examine your clothing. The majority of the clothes in our closets are rarely worn. Pick out the clothes that feel comfortable, are flattering, and you love to wear. Donate what remains.
   
3. Dig to the back of the linen closet. Have you used those items in the past year? Get rid of the worn towels, the scratchy or mismatched sheets, and any other unused items.
   
4. Open those kitchen cabinets. Pull out the unused small appliances, excess serving utensils, containers with missing lids, worn dish towels, etc and get rid of them.

Items you aren't using get in the way and take up space. Making space for the items you use and enjoy will cut household chores and make access to those items easier, gaining more time for other activities. And who couldn't use more time!

4 Ways to Use Time Efficiently

Believe that time is going to help you do what you want.
- William Morris Hunt

February is Time Management Month. Here are some ways to make good use of your time.

1. Say no to a task that is not necessary or fulfilling. You have a limited amount of time, so prioritize.


2. Delegate one of your responsibilities. What is one small (or larger) but necessary task that you can hand off to a family member or colleague?
   
3. Set a timer when starting a task that you tend to get very involved in and stop when the timer goes off. This prevents you from getting so wrapped up in a project that time gets away from you.
   
4. Make a list of 5 things you'd like to accomplish this week. Schedule a time for each project. There may be interruptions and you may not complete all. You'll have made progress!

We've got 24 hours each day. Use that time in a way that "helps you do what you want"!

Hoarders Show

I had the incredible opportunity to help on a project for the Hoarders show on A&E. http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/video/ Doug is a single father who adopted two special needs children. He's been overwhelmed with their needs and the home has suffered. He risks losing his children.

You won't see much of me in the show. What you will see is an amazing transformation in the home. Professional organizers from NAPO-WI provided over 100 hours of service. 1800 Got Junk hauled away approximately 10,000 pounds of items removed from the home. A cleaning company made the home shine.

I worked on the little girl's room. When she came home from school after the first day of work, she immediately saw a photo of her birth mom we'd uncovered in her room. I was privileged to witness her jubilation. It was an amazing moment for everyone in the room.

Brenden McDaniel, professional organizer and owner of Action Organizing, lead this project. He continues to work with Doug. Brenden has reported that Doug has done a phenomenal job maintaining the home.

I'm grateful that I could be a part of such a life changing event. Working with the team of professionals was inspiring. I love what I do!

Teaching 2nd Graders Organizing Skills

As you may know, January is GO (Get Organized) Month. To promote awareness of what professional organizers do, I brought NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) in the Schools, an organizing program, to Salem Grade School in Salem, WI. I visited five classrooms and talked with second and third graders about the challenges a student faces when he/she is disorganized. Students were amazingly attentive. They brainstormed ideas on how to get more organized. They recognized that being organized will help school performance and allow more time for play. Smart students!!!

To learn more about the NAPO in the Schools program go to http://www.napo.net/who/involvement/naposchools.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

I enjoyed presenting the program, teachers appreciated the message, and the students seemed to love it. What a fun way to start the year!

Setting Goals for GO Month

January is not only the time to make resolutions; it's also "GO (Get Organized) Month". Both of these events are about setting goals. How can these goals become new habits?

Create SMART Goals:

• Specific: answer who, what, when, where, and why.
  
• Measurable: quantify the goal.
  
• Achievable: Is my goal possible? How much time do I need? Do I need help?
  
• Relevant: I cannot control what the people around me do. Is my goal something within my control?
  
• Time-Bound: note specific dates & times for small steps to be completed.
  

Here's an example of a SMART Goal: "I will organize my linen closet on this Saturday, beginning at 10:00 AM. Upon completion of this project, I will be able to locate belongings in this closet in less than 5 seconds."

Temptation is to jump in and get started on the project. Take the time to clarify your goal. By reminding yourself of your ultimate goal throughout the project, chances are more likely that you will indeed persevere to complete the project and reach your goal!

Three Common Resolutions

Getting More Organized is an extremely popular New Year's resolution. Organizing space, being on time, and using time more efficiently are common New Year's Resolutions.

Organize office/home: People resolve to improve their space so they are able to locate belongings easily when needed.

Be punctual: People whom are often late get frustrated with their habitual tardiness. They resolve to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier in an effort to be punctual.

Improve time management skills: People want to get more out of their day and life. They resolve to spend more time with family, exercise, spend time enjoying a hobby, and excel in their professions.

adapted from http://www.newyearfestival.com