How ORGANIZATION can add to your life

There is allot to say about being organized. Being organized definitely has its benefits.

I was thinking about how my life evolves all the time and how I am trying new things, reading about new ideas and reaching out to people. Opportunities that are presented to us all the time. The choice is up to us if we take them or not.

Can't teach an old dog new tricks is really not what it is cracked up to be. Learning new skills at any age is a great thing. Learning to be better organized can be a real blessing.

What disorganization costs you: 

1. Lost time - you cant find what your looking for cause you can't remember where you put it. 
2. Financial loss - This is a biggie! I could write a book on the ways that disorganization can cause financial loss. It can be everything from late bill payments accumulating unnecessary interest charges to excess purchasing of goods that you think you dont have, but in reality you have 5 of them! Those 5 happen to be all over and half of those 5 are expired.. Because you could not find them or simply could not remember that you had purchased them before!
3.  Mental Stress - It's like having an upset apple cart. Disorganization can increase your anxiety and stress levels. Life is hectic enough, why would we choose to add to our life stresses? And yes, we all have choices, it is creating our priorities and making a choice to either follow through with them or let them slide.
4. Peace of Mind - When you have peace of mind, you can get up feeling better  knowing you can look at yourself in the mirror every day and say "I feel good! Im doing everything I can and its working." There is no need to feel burdened and overwhelmed. 
5. Your always running late! can't find your keys, where did you put your purse? I need my papers for that meeting?? AGH! 
6. Clutter is like dragging a heavy weight around with you all day! 

So looking at a few of the cost involved with disorganization lets look at some of the reasons on how being organized adds to your life.

How being organized adds to your life!

The Sweet Rewards! 

1. Makes you feel more relaxed
2. Makes you feel less overwhelmed
3. Makes you feel proud of your home
4. You will have more time for friends and family
5. You will save money for that dream vacation or other goals
6. You will feel more balanced in your life
7. You will be able to lead a healthier life, having more time to plan to create and  healthy meals for your famly  
8. You will feel lighter and freer
9. You will feel you have a bigger sense of being in control of your life
10. Less house work - if you have a place for everything and you keep on top of it, and YES no amount of organizing or systems will work unless you keep up with it! The good news, upkeep is easy. It is when things are out of control it is hard to get things back in check.. 

Enjoy every minute, we dont get time back, Keep on top of things that need to be done, surround yourself with people you love and respect, KNOW your priorities and create the best life you can!

You can do it! really you can!

Now before its too late

This job of purging, eliminating and sorting can be emotional and taxing on any individual without having a tremendous loss attached to it.  

Photo Credit : blog.iqmatrix.com/de-clutter-your-life

Life swoops in and devours our time. Before you know it we are faced with loss of a loved one. Our society has been engulfed with consumerism. Buying spending and more buying and spending.

What happens to all this stuff when we are gone? 

In our profession as professional organizers we are often called in to help with a move. Sometimes it is not just any old move. It can be the move of a childhood home where you grew up and your last surviving parent has passed away. 

You are left with this home full of stuff. Its not just any old stuff. It is memories, years of living, years of stories. There is a pretty good chance that this home is filled will not only with your parents "stuff' precious memories, belongings and day to day living things, but it will have things from your childhood stuffed in closets, boxes tucked in corners of bedroom closets or in the attic. 

Your probably going through so much having just lost the loved one and now your now faced with the job of sorting, purging and eliminating stuff. 

This job of purging, eliminating and sorting can be emotional and taxing on any individual without having a tremendous loss attached to it. 

Now is the perfect time to look at your parents space, your own space and seriously clean up, clean out and de-clutter.  I can't stress it enough. It is time to do this chore while you are healthy and your loved ones are alive.

My own parents are thankfully still alive, but are aging. They are at a point where they are still fairly active but I can see a day that will sneak up on us where they will not be so active. A day when the very home I grew up in will need to be sorted, purged and stuff removed from the home.  

Although a professional organizer, I too dread this task. Cleaning out the home I grew up in. Lots of memories, things and a life time of stuff.  Everyone has stuff. Even homes with a minimalistic approach. Eventually every home will need a clean out, a clearing a de-clutter.

If your dealing with a parents home and they have passed away and now you need help there are a few steps you need to take.

1. Spend some time in the home with your siblings and family members. Look and see what there is in the home that you really want to take to your own home. If the home effects have little monetary value other than memories it's time to be very clear on what are your treasures. 
2. Hire a Professional Organizer or move coordinator to help you. Excellent organizers will ask you about your life, your treasures, they will get a sense of what you value and what are things, events, moments you treasure the most. This will help them help you identify your items you wish to keep.
3. If you have a moving company or organizing team come in to help pack, ensure that you speak to the leader of the team. Make sure you provide clear direction.
4. Let them know exactly what kinds of things you want saved. Trophies, pictures, inscribed books, baby clothes, old uniforms? What ever your treasures key thing is clear direction and communication to the entire packing team. 
5. Clearly mark any items that you want kept.
6. Taking these steps will definitely help with your moving, de-cluttering process.  Best advice of all, do it while your not grieving the loss.
7. Do it sooner than later.