Where To Start

Are you thinking about getting organized but just don’t know where to start? Are you learning about the importance of life organizers? Do you have an organizing system, but don’t know what to do with it? Does the job seem overwhelming? Does it seem like you could do a little here or a little there, but it really wouldn’t make that much difference? Here are a few tips that will help you take the right steps to get you started, help you see that little things really can make a difference, and help you feel in control about the task at hand.

Every job takes a little planning. Take a few minutes to picture your house. Imagine yourself going into each room, opening the cupboards or closets or drawers. Walk through your house in your mind. If you need to, really get up and walk into each room. Think about how it makes you feel. What areas make you feel frustrated or nervous?

When you get ready to leave the house in the morning, do you notice that your closet is too full, or that you can’t find what you want in your dresser drawers? Are the drawers stuffed with clothes or other things that you never use? Are you shoes all together in one place?

Is there a certain drawer in the bathroom that has become a catch-all for everything that was on the counter top? Is your hall coat closet so full of everything else that you can’t find the coats? Are there so many knick-knacks in your china closet that none of them seem special?

As you ask yourself these questions, or a few of these questions, don’t get stressed out. Relax and imagine how this can help you manifest abundance in other areas of your life, too. Once you determine which are you want to work on right now, don’t worry about the rest. Just decide which area you want to focus on. You’ll get to the others when you’re ready. What we’re doing now is doing one thing. That’s all that matters now.

Let’s say you’ve decided to work on that kitchen cupboard that has way too many pots and pans. You know the one. It’s the one next to the stove. You try to get just the pan you want, but it seems to have developed a close relationship with a couple other pans and a few lids because they all seem to want to jump out of the cupboard together.

Now comes the fun part. Actually, it can all be pretty fun. Take everything out of that one cupboard. And has you’re doing that, put the things you never (or seldom) use into a big box. Give some of the extras that your kids at college might need. But don’t give them things they don’t need either. Decide as you’re going through things. Are there things that need to be thrown away or given away? Pack them up and put them in the garage or better yet in your car. Don’t just put them somewhere else to stay. Decide to get rid of them.

The next time you go to town, take them to the Good Will store. Be decisive. Don’t wait. Don’t let them sneak back into your cupboards.

Once you’ve gotten rid of things the next part is even more fun. Put back what you use. Put the most frequently used items near the front where you can get to them easily. The other things go near the back. And that’s it. Every once in a while use these same techniques on another area. Choose that places that are bothering you the most, draining your energy, and have at it.

Good luck!






Give Yourself the Gift of Space

I just can't emphasize enough the importance of creating more space in your home and therefore creating more space in your life. Too much of our lives are spent feeling crowded.

Our top dresser drawer is crowded. Our pantry is crowded. Our closet is crowded. The garage is crowded. The attic is crowded. I think you get the crowded picture.

The feeling of having more space, even more than you feel you need right now, is so calming. That feeling is an important part of utilizing your organizing systems and organizing solutions you’re discovering.

If you feel your schedule is too hectic, there are too many places to be at the same time, it's your turn to carpool - again, there's not time to have a meal together; then you'll be glad to know there's help that you probably haven't considered before.

Take time to clear out some space in your physical environment. Get rid of some of the things you don't use that often. Take just a little time today to throw away or give away three items. See how much easier it is to clean the space that's left. Arrange things a little differently in a drawer or cupboard or closet. Then notice how you feel.

Ah, now doesn't that feel better? Keep it up. Just a little bit every day or every other day or every once in a while. Notice the good feelings. Notice the feelings of abundance.

The Right Supplies

The right supplies really do make any job easier. Whether you’re looking for just the right organizing solutions or looking to be more organized and learn to manifest more abundance in your life, the right supplies are key.

I cleaned the bathroom yesterday. And I mean I really cleaned. I also organized. It took me most of the day. I enjoyed it. I had done a little cleaning in a kitchen cupboard before that.

I was so glad I hadn't thrown away those plastic containers that didn't have lids. They fit perfectly in some of the bathroom drawers to keep small items together and easy to get to. I had also bought a few other storage containers. They came in handy and made such a big difference.

There are probably many items you already have and more you can purchase for not too much that will make your organizing chores so much easier. I've listed just a few on my website. www.whynotrightnow.com.

And while you're doing all this, don't forget the number one help in getting organized: create more space, get rid of stuff you don‘t use. Happy Spring Cleaning and Organizing!

Creating Space

How are you doing? Have you decided on some organizing solutions or organizing systems to follow? Have you located a few organizing supplies? You probably have some empty containers, boxes, cartons, folders, etc. around your home. Use them to put like items together.

Next, get ready to manifest abundance; get ready to create. It's something you probably don't often think about creating. I'm talking about creating space. This is such a huge factor in getting organized, and making it easier to keep things where they belong.

Creating space is especially important when you make a new purchase. When you bring something new into your home, make sure you take something out. And even when you're not making a new purchase, take something out.

Make it a habit to get rid of stuff, stuff that takes up space in your home and in your mind. When you're saving something, remember it's not just the item you are saving. You are also saving an important place for it that might be better used for something else. And you are devoting, even when you don't realize it, mental energy to that item.

Only give your space and your energy to what is very most important to you. If you are making room for too many unimportant things, the important things are being neglected.

Keep the things you use closest to you, easiest to get to. Keep the things that you use infrequently where you can still get to them. Do what makes things easiest for you.

Take good care of yourself and enjoy the creative process.

Enjoy Yourself

The whole point of getting more organized is being happier. You’re happier when you have some good organizing solutions or organizing systems to follow. You're happier when you can find what you need. You're happier when your closets and drawers and cupboards look neat and orderly. And you should also be happier while you are getting your closets and drawers and cupboards orderly.

So enjoy yourself. Don't tackle too much at one time. Don't be afraid to leave your current project and go onto something else for a while. Don't feel you have to make excuses to yourself or anyone else as to why things are a little disrupted right now.

Do what you can when you can. Take it a step at a time. If you start feeling overwhelmed, just take a deep breath and remind yourself that you're doing fine. Give yourself credit for what you're accomplishing. Enjoy yourself!

When You're Not in the Mood to Organize

What if you would like to be more organized, but you’re just not in the mood? What if the organizing solutions and organizing systems you’ve read about just don’t speak to you right now? Well, you could do several things. Here are a few ideas.

Don’t do it.

Don’t do it right now.

Do a little bit.

Ask someone else to help you.

Ask someone else to do it for you.

Make a list.


If you’re waiting for me to tell you which idea is the best for you to do, wait no longer. Every idea is great.

Don’t do it. I find I really need to be in the mood for getting more organized. Sometimes I’m excited to clean the pantry or the garage or my top dresser drawer; sometimes I’m not. When I’m not, I don’t. Usually. Trying to get organized all at once is very overwhelming. That’s why you shouldn’t do it. And sometimes you just need to put your mind at ease, and don’t worry about it right now. This brings us to the next idea.

Don’t do it right now. You’ll probably feel like doing it later. So, do it later. It’s not like you won’t get another chance, and it’s certainly not like that task will disappear when you’re not looking. Don’t stress out about it. But also just don’t worry about doing it right now.

Do a little bit. Doing a little bit is a wonderful thing to do because it helps get you in the right frame of mind to do a little bit more. So if you’re not in the mood to organize, but would really like to get something done; just do one little thing. It can be whatever you want, wherever you are. Do one thing, or part of one thing. Clean and organize the silverware drawer. Arrange all the shoes in the porch in a neat and eye-pleasing order. Clean your purse. If you want to, set the timer for 10 minutes and clean and organize a particular area until the timer goes off. Be creative. Do a little bit. You’ll feel better.

Ask someone else to help you. This is a great idea. If there’s something you’re dreading, enlist the help of others. Give each of them a part of the job to do. Kids like having a specific assignment. “Clean your room” sounds a lot more foreboding that “put your shoes in the closet.” Ask for help. It’s the way to go.

Ask someone to do it for you. This is even a better idea that asking someone to help. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to do something you don’t want to do. Maybe they are in the mood to organize. Maybe they’re not. Offer a reward, or what I like to call a bribe. If it works, it’s a good deal.

Make a list. Make a list of what you plan to do later. I love lists. I make a list for everything I do. It’s fun. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. And when I actually do something on my list, it gives me an even greater sense of accomplishment. If you’re not in the mood to organize right now, just write it down.

Getting organized isn’t as hard as you thought it would be. Life organizers are easier to understand and follow than you thought. So go ahead; get started. Or not. It’s up to you.

Left-Overs

Here's my left-over story. There are just a few left-overs after dinner. They were pretty tasty, and I just can't throw them away. I put them in a little plastic container. Somehow the container seems to gravitate to the back of the refrigerator. I plan to use the left-overs again soon. But as luck or something would have it, I don't even notice them in a remote shelf of the frig until it's too late. I won't bother to describe the left-overs, but "edible" is not one of the adjectives I would use. What do I do? Probaly what I've done countless times before. Probably what you've done. I throw them away, wash the plastic container, and get ready for the next course of left-overs.

Now comes the good part. I mean the really good part. I do it differently now. If you already have the left-over dilemma solved read no further. But if you often find yourself saving those little tidbits only to find them in an undesirable state in the back of the frig, read on.

Designate one shelf or part of one shelf as the Left-Over Shelf. Put all left-overs in see-through containers on that shelf. For every meal you prepare in the next couple of days, check the Left-Over Shelf. Use the morsels there first. If you don't use them in a couple of days, throw them out.

I know it sounds so easy and so obvious. But the Left-Over Shelf might just be what you've been looking for, too.