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Interesting Facts About Why You Should De-clutter Stuff

By Blog, Business Organizing, Expert Articles, Free Articles, Home Office Organization, IABO Weekly News, Resources No Comments

de-clutter stuffWhy is that we set boundaries around so many areas in our life but let our stuff take over our space and effect our quality of life?  How many times do you trip over the same pile of shoes at the front door day after day or open a closet door and hope that nothing falls on your head?  How much time do you waste looking for your keys every morning or are late for work because you couldn’t find anything to wear that morning?

Time to De-clutter Stuff!

Enough already of the insanity and stress of too much stuff!  How many iPods do you really need?  Stop checking your email all day long.  How many shoes hurt your feet when you wear them?  What clothes sit in your closet that you haven’t worn in the last 18 months?  What about all the books piled on your night stand and the piles of magazines collecting dust.  And how about all those greeting cards, keepsakes and sentimental items.  And what is disorganization costing in your office?

According to an organization study done by Office Depot in 2006:

  • 76% report losing time to disorder
  • 61% claim the biggest frustration with their disorganized environment is that they can’t find what they need quickly
  • 53% live in “controlled chaos” where their desk is a mess but they claim to know where everything is located.
  • 51% are concerned about missing important deadlines or appointments
  • 27 percent of professionals said they find it hard to concentrate with messy files around
  • 16% fear of diminishing their reputation
  • 14% lose business opportunities due to disorganization

So why is it that only 22% actually spend the time to organize their desks, physical and electronic files, to increase their productivity every day?  The study goes on to say that only 49% set aside time organize on a monthly basis and approximately 67% are not sure how to start or maintain their organizing systems.

I’ve gathered some interesting statistics on the cost of clutter and disorganization in time, money and quality of life.  Seriously consider what clutter and chaos is costing you in your home and/or business.  It can be a real eye opener when you calculate the cost associated with your chaos and disorganization.  It opens your eyes to the additional stress you may be putting on yourself and others, or how unproductive you are in your business.  If you’re disorganized it effects your quality of work, your co-workers, your customers and family members.  Disorganization has a ripple effect but often times we don’t slow down to access the real costs.

Clutter really is stuck energy and it stops you from moving forward.  Clutter also attracts dust and grime which in turn affects the quality of the air you breath in every day.  The effects of clutter, chaos and disorganization impacts your life and those around you more than you may want to admit.   All good reasons to de-clutter your stuff. Mental clutter is another area that shows up in your physical space.  If you have a cluttered mind, often times, your space is cluttered too.

The good news is you may only need to spend a few days or a few weeks to be more organized and then the quality of your life improves, your productivity soars and new opportunities may even open up for you. 3M survey says that individuals rank ‘getting organized’ in the top 5 items for their New Year’s resolution.  So, how are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions?  If you need some help, we have many resources, videos, organizing bootcamps and consultants to help you de-clutter your home and office.

Take a few minutes to review the Organizing and Time Management Statistics and check off the ones that apply to you.

Then find your calendar and schedule time to de-clutter stuff in your office and home.  Start with the area that is driving you crazy the most.

Organizing Your Action Files

By Announcements, Blog, Business Organizing, Expert Articles, Free Articles, Home Office Organization, IABO Weekly News, Organizing Paper Files, Quick Organizing Tips, Resources, Videos No Comments

action filesSometimes paper piles up all over the kitchen counters and the top of the desk.  Have you every found yourself in a panic searching for your hotel or flight information at the last minute?  You know it is there somewhere in the piles of paper but where is it?

Or maybe you have an invitation to one of your kids birthday parties or tickets to a concert.  Where did you put it?

Having one place to keep important information or quick reference is key, whether you have a business or not.  Take a few minutes to watch this video I prepared for you and then let’s get your Action Files set up today!

The simple organizing solution this week will clean the papers off the top of your desk and kitchen counters! Today’s S.O.S. e-Tip organizing strategy that I have for you is how to Organize Your Action Files so important papers are at your fingertips.

 

Take a before and after picture and post it to our Facebook page.  If you have any questions, leave a comment on Facebook and I am happy to answer!

To your success and organized Action files!

Organizing Your Bathroom

By Blog, Expert Articles, Free Articles, Home Organizing, IABO Weekly News, Quick Organizing Tips, Resources, Videos No Comments

Getting ready in the morning can be stressful when getting yourself ready and kids off to school. If you think about it, when your closet, bathroom and kitchen is organized and you can easily find what you need when you need it and you’ll have less stress getting ready in the morning. On the other hand, if your bathroom, closet and kitchen is cluttered and disorganized, you start your day in a panic, you’re running late and speeding to drop your kids off at school.

Let’s start by getting your bathroom organized so getting ready in the morning is less stressful. I want you to start your day with a sense of calmness. Watch this video to get some ideas on how I maximize space under a bathroom sink. I’m the “Queen of maximizing vertical space” and then organizing what needs to go in the space.

Get out your measuring tape, a piece of paper and a pen, write down the measurements and watch this video before you go shopping. The biggest mistake people make when organizing anything, is they go shopping first and then are disappointed when they get home and the shelf or container doesn’t fit or work like they thought it would. Stick with me each week and I’ll help you save money by sharing my favorite organizing products and solutions to organize your home, office and life.

 

organizing

Product Resources & Tips on How to Use:

The grey drawer organizing unit that I used in the video also comes in white and black.  I buy this product at Staples and Real Canadian Superstore.  Similar drawer organizing products are available at Storables and The Container Store.  Here’s my secret to making this organizing product work under most bathroom sinks – this unit comes in different sizes and you can remove or add drawers since it snaps apart.  How cool is that.  Another tip I want to share with you is to make sure the drawers don’t pull all the way out of the unit.  The Gracious Living drawer organizing unit stops drawers from pulling completely out of the unit, causing all the stuff in your drawer to fall on the floor.  When I buy organizing products, I’m always looking at how the product functions and does it simplify your life!

Give these tips a try and then come to the Facebook Fan Page and share your results!