January is National "Get Organized" Month

Perhaps it's the chore of taking down all of the holiday decorations that helps gets us in the mood to organize, or maybe it's those dreaded New Year's Resolutions we make and try so hard to honor. Whatever the reason may be, January is the perfect time to "Get Organized"! The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has designated January as the time for all of us to focus on getting our homes more organized. As a member of NAPO, and a professional organizer, I couldn't think of a better time to hunker down and tackle your clutter problems. The weather is cold (or rainy if you live in the Northwest), so we tend to stay in our homes more anyway.

Of course, the best way to tackle large clutter problems is to hire a professional organizer. And, I'm not just saying that because I am one. The reality is, most people have a very difficult time getting rid of the stuff that is causing the clutter problem. Or, they simply don't know how to create systems that will work best for them. A neutral, third party person is the best way to ensure you truly get rid of the "junk" and create an individualized system that works best for you. To find an organizer in your city, simply go here: http://www.napo.net/referral/

For you do-it-yourselfer's, here are a few tips to help you get started towards your goal of having a more organized home, and ultimately, and stress-free life:

1. Focus on one room at a time or you'll get overwhelmed. The most common areas in need of organization are the kitchen, home office and family room. Pick just one and give yourself 2-4 weeks to work on it (depending upon the degree of clutter)


2. Once you know which room you'll focus on, get 3 large bins or boxes (or lots of plastic bags). Label them as follows: KEEP, DONATE and TRASH. If your KEEP box is substantially larger than the DONATE and/or TRASH bins, you have a problem!


3. Immediately take the DONATE items to your local charity. Do not stick them in the garage and forget about them!


4. Of the items remaining in the KEEP box, sort them by type and/or use.


5. Once everything is sorted identify whether or not you can use some products to help you create a better organization system. (this seems to be where most people start and as you can see, it's number 5 on the list!)


6. Make sure you create an inviting environment - someplace that you love. The more you love it, the more likely you'll keep it clean!


7. Keep it up! This is the hardest part. You've spent all of this time de-cluttering (and maybe even the money you spend on hiring a professional), the least you can do is reward yourself by maintaining it.

Ultimately, a well-organized home can bring calm and order to your house. Many people find they actually save money because they aren't buying duplicates of things they already have. You can also get more done because you are spending less time trying to find things. When everything has it's own place, you know where to go to find it. And lastly, you'll feed good about yourself, and proud of the beautiful home you have created!

HAPPY ORGANIZING!