Organize with Ori

Perfection. Or not.

oriparnaby — Mon, 23 May 2011 03:20:17 +0000

I’ve been thinking about the types of people that sometimes struggle the most with getting organized. It might surprise you to hear that perfectionists are often the most disorganized. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they don’t want to get organized unless they can do it exactly right. Because they may not be able to achieve that, they never start the process of getting organized.

This relates to me right now because I’ve avoided writing on this blog for ages and ages. I never wanted to put anything down until it had been edited and rewritten at least a couple of times. Who has time for that?? Not me. So I ended up never blogging which is something I’ve really been wanting to do. So I decided that I needed to get over it. I’m typing directly into the blog site and it will go online without even one edit. Will it be perfect? No way. Could it be improved? Absolutely. Is that ok? You bet. Because here’s what I say to my clients. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

So if you’ve been putting off getting organized because you don’t want to start until you can do it perfectly, read my post again. Smile over the bits that could be improved upon and then go get started. You’ll be ahead of where you are now. And that’s ok.

Finding Perspective

oriparnaby — Fri, 28 May 2010 06:31:15 +0000

I was teaching a workshop recently and at the end, as I always do, I left time for questions. And as they often are, the questions were about stuff. Where do I store my stuff? How do I store my stuff? I need more stuff to organize my other stuff. Granted, I’m a professional organizer and usually what I’m organizing is people’s stuff, so hearing about it is the norm. But what I also hear frequently is, “if I only had a bigger house…” Statistically, American homes are bigger than they ever were and we should have plenty of room to live comfortably with our things. For some reason our stuff is taking over.

I believe a big part of getting organized is finding your perspective. Going through your things and determining what to keep and what to part with is a part of it. Finding a place for your stuff is a part of it. But a big part of getting organized, that often gets neglected, is taking stock of where your stuff rates in your life. Are you spending more time than you want, simply trying to manage your belongings? Do you often find yourself buying new storage bins? Have you either rented, or are you contemplating renting, a storage unit for your overflow? This is an important piece of the organizing puzzle because if your stuff has that much of a hold over you, how can you get any kind of control over it? It becomes too powerful and then an enormous part of your life gets centered around trying to regain control.

We’ve lost perspective about what really matters. Our possessions have become way more important than they should be. Why does it happen? I believe that some of us end up using material items to replace something missing from our lives. Maybe we feel alone; disconnected from family or friends. Maybe we’re not finding joy in our lives. Whatever the reason, the stuff has somehow crept up in importance, and simply managing it leaves less time for the things that truly matter.

So before your next organizing project, or better yet, your next shopping trip, take a few minutes and figure out what’s really important to you. Try to let the stuff be just that. Stuff. Then go hug someone you love.

Too Many Phonebooks?

oriparnaby — Fri, 28 May 2010 06:25:04 +0000

I just learned about a great way to reduce some of the clutter that comes into our homes in the form of phonebooks. In this day of internet accessibility, many people don’t even use phonebooks any more. But they keep on arriving at our doorsteps, often making their way straight into the recycling bin, or gathering dust on the shelf.

Even for those of us who do still use them, we often receive many more than we need from various phone companies.

Here’s a simple way to reduce the influx of phonebooks. Opt out. You can call the phone companies you don’t want to receive books from, and remove your name from their mailing list. Here are their numbers:

AT&T/YellowPages (formerly SBC and Bell South):
1.800.792.2665

Verizon (Idearc):
1.800.888.8448

Dex:
1.877.243.8339

Yellow Book:
1.800.373.2324

For those of you living in Arizona or anyone who receives the Dex phonebook, you can opt out on-line, or decide which ones you want to receive by going to their website.

It is not immediately obvious how to do this on the site, so here are instructions:

Go to www.selectyourdex.com

Enter your zip code.

Enter your information as if you are requesting a phonebook and click on “proceed to receive your dex”.

A page will come up with the options available. Look and decide which, if any, you would like to receive and then click on “proceed to receive your dex” again.

You will need to enter your contact information and then at the bottom you can choose how many directories you want to receive. Zero is one of the options.

Click on submit.

I like getting the Yellow Pages but not the local directory. I also prefer one company over another, so this was a great way to stop three books from being printed and then going straight into the recycling bin.

Some people don’t use phonebooks at all, so if that’s you, you might want to take a couple of minutes and help save some trees!

Why Get Organized?

oriparnaby — Fri, 28 May 2010 06:21:49 +0000

What’s the point of being organized? Getting organized isn’t necessarily about making one’s home or office look a certain way, but that’s often a welcome byproduct. Being organized frees us from stress, anxiety and that awful panicked feeling when we can’t find what we’re looking for. And most of us would welcome having our living and working spaces transform into clutter-free, breathable places in the process.

Getting organized can be time consuming and stressful. Is it worth the time and energy? Should everyone strive to have their clothes arranged by pattern and CDs alphabetized? I think it completely depends on the person. Surprised? I know, I know…from someone who lives for getting organized, you’d think I want everyone to be organized.

Lots of people believe that being organized means being neat, tidy and having color coordinated files. That is true…for some. But there are many people who have piles of paper on their desks, and know exactly where to find the electric bill. Or laundry stacked up in various rooms, but they know just which pile is hiding their favorite red shirt. And if that works for you, then making a change may not be necessary.

However, by talking with many people about organization (yes, it’s my favorite topic), I’ve learned that many of them are unhappy with the way their spaces function. Even if someone knows where to find her favorite red shirt, how does seeing piles of laundry all over the house make her feel? Is she really happy living this way? If the answer is no, it’s time to make a change.

Before taking on that next organizing project, take a few minutes to sit down and examine your motivation. Decide what your goal is and why it is important to you. If you’re happy with your current situation, take a moment to relish that fact. But if you’re finding that your space stresses you out and makes you unhappy, there are plenty of things you can do to get organized, rid your life of clutter and breathe easier.

With this blog, I’ll share ideas and approaches that can help you reach your organizational goals. Bit by bit, tip by tip, you’ll notice piles growing smaller, things will be easier to find, and overall clutter will diminish. As a result, overall relaxation will be more easily achieved…because that is the point, isn’t it?

Ten Tips for Organizing your Home

oriparnaby — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:24:41 +0000

Start Small – Don’t try and do everything at once. Pick one room or even one area within a room to begin. Once one space is organized, you’ll feel motivated to keep going.
Make it fun – Put on some music that you love, have the TV on in the background, or invite a friend over to keep you company. Make it enjoyable so the process doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Envision your space – What do you want to get out of this organizing process? Figure out why you want to get organized and what you want to accomplish. Write it down and hang it up where you will be working to remind you why you started the project. If you get discouraged, look at it to get remotivated.
Relocate – Take everything out of the space you are working on that belongs elsewhere. This way you’ll be able to really see what you are dealing with.
Sort – Begin going through what is left in the space to figure out what you need, what can be given away, recycled, or thrown away. Ask yourself with each item: Does it work? Do I really love it? Do I need it? Also ask yourself how difficult it would be to replace it if you decide that you need it down the line.
Categorize – Put things together that belong together. In other words, office supplies with office supplies, photos with photos, books with books etc.
Put away – find a place in your space where you want to store your items. Put all the books together on the bookshelf, photos in a box or in albums. This is the time to start thinking about buying containers. These can be attractive or functional or both. Figure out what you need them for, and buy only what will be useful. If you don’t know what you plan to put in it, don’t buy it.
Maintain your new space – Make sure to take a few minutes each day to keep order in your new space. Put things away, go through your mail and tidy up. A big part of getting organized is staying organized.
Have your family pitch in – Spouses and kids can help. If you involve them in the organizing process, they will be more likely to help keep your newly organized space looking good.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help – There are many wonderful Professional Organizers in town who are used to dealing with challenging projects. Sometimes, we just need a little extra help, and a Professional Organizer will come to you with great ideas and an understanding of what you are going through.