Help for the other 90%

Organization can be simple for some people, but pretty challenging for others. Do you have any friends that can organize an area in their house in about the same amount of time it takes you to finally get up the nerve to attempt the project? Or perhaps their house can be picked up in no time but yours always looks like a tornado just hit?

I have heard it said that only about 10% of people are born with the ‘organizing’ gene.

I am one of the 10%. I am the kind of person that instinctively begins to categorize things at first glance and put them in order in my mind… The kind of person that immediately processes through a more efficient way of carrying out a given task… The kind of person that innately knows if the amount of soup left in the pan will fit in the left over dish due to my intrinsic spacial processing brain. Those are all pretty sure signs of a natural organizer.

So, what about the rest of society? What are they to do? Live unorganized for the rest of their lives? Continue to pay bills late? Lose their keys several times a day? Not be able to put their hands on that very important paper work? Buy that same item… again…. only to find the other two they already own in their closet? Are organizational skills only for the blessed few?

Could organizing be a learned skill for those of us who weren’t born with the organizing gene?

Don’t loose heart; there is hope!

My goal for this blog is to share with you a plethora of information I have learned over the past 25 years or so. This will include organization of all types and management of all kinds of systems related to households and family life.

Some areas I hope to highlight include household items, paperwork, toys and baby equipment, children’s areas, school related systems, college age students, hobby rooms, chore systems, downsizing, time management for the whole family, and more. In essence my specialty is organizing in all stages of family life.

So if you are part of the 90% who weren’t genetically predisposed to organize everything in site, here is a short acronym to help you have a method for this madness. You should be S.I.M.P.L.Y. Organized.

S – Start with a Purpose

I – Identify your stuff

M – Move it out

P – Plan your space

L – Label everything

Y – Your Personal System

I will go into detail in my next post about each of the 6 steps above, but for now you should go get a cup of coffee or hot tea or whatever is your favorite relaxing drink.

Sit down and start a list of the top 3 areas of your life that you would like to organize first. You can do it!

Perhaps it is an area that is driving you crazy or maybe it is just an area that you use everyday that is out of hand.

Whatever the space that you choose, make sure that you start small so you aren’t overwhelmed. Your purse, a junk drawer, or a small closet is a good first solo project. Once you have your space in your mind and you are ready to begin, read the next post to begin getting Simply Organized.

If you aren’t sure you are ready to do this solo, contact me and if you are local we will set up an in home assessment. If you are reading from afar, Simply Organized also offers Virtual Organizational Coaching via phone, email, and online upon request. Just contact me today to get started.