Getting organized should not be your New Year’s resolution. Ninety two percent of resolutions are never realized – so let’s not even go there!

Think of being organized as a way of life, something that can be achieved over the long haul and something that you can make progress on in small ways at anytime, all year long. It’s not a one-time event.

Being organized is about clearing clutter from your mind as well as your space so you can live your life with intention. It’s about having systems in place to find things when you need them and to easily put them away when you’re done.

Here are some tried-and-true tips for dealing with common challenge areas.

Paper:

Map out the path paper takes from your front door to its final resting place, which is typically a filing cabinet, the shredder or the recycle bin. Literally walk a piece of mail from your door and create a system for dealing with it. Your system will need:

· A landing pad – a place for the mail to live until you can sort it.

· A command center – a place for you to act on important items such as paying bills or making follow up calls and appointments. The paper will stay in this area until the task it represents has been completed.

· A filing system – a simple system that is intuitive to you.

Clean out your files every January, shredding what you can.

Laundry:

Have baskets and hangars handy for clean laundry.

Hang what you can right out of the dryer.

Put a load in the washing machine before you go to bed but don’t start it until the morning. Start the machine on the way to the coffee pot – this is a great way to get a jump-start on the day.

Create a laundry plan that breaks down this never-ending task into manageable parts. Consider doing linens one day, one child’s clothing the next, parent’s clothing another day, etc. It’s easier to keep up with folding and putting clothing away in smaller batches too.

Make folding laundry part of your evening routine as you catch up on your favorite shows and family time. Teach kids to put their own laundry away.

Garage:

Use the perimeter of your garage – shelving racks work well and won’t break the bank.

Store items based on category and frequency of use.

Keep a wastebasket in the garage. A lot of garage clutter is trash – have a place to put it so it doesn’t pile up.

Break down all those Amazon boxes and recycle them. Trust me on this one!

Life gets messy and that’s ok. If you have a good system in place a ‘clean sweep’ can put it back together in 10 minutes! Have confidence in your system and your ability to manage it. This can ease the anxiety and mental clutter that distracts you when you feel like things are getting out of control.

STEPHANIE BOYD BIO

Stephanie Boyd is a Professional Organizer, mom, and local business owner. She helps people clear clutter and chaos from their homes and offices so they can lead more intentional, productive and peaceful lives. Stephanie comes from a corporate sales and marketing background. Although her first professional organizing job was in 1998, it was in 2015 that she decided to take her experience and passion for all things organized to the next level by launching her own business, ‘S.T.O.R.E. by Steph’. Stephanie believes in giving back to her community and that learning is an integral part of a full life. She is an Active Member and Ambassador for the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and the two leading associations in her field, NAPO and ICD. She learns from her clients every day and has earned certificates of study in Chronic Disorganization, Understanding the Needs of the Aging Client and Life Transitions.

Stephanie Boyd
Professional Organizer
310.245.9303
sboyd@storebysteph.com

www.storebysteph.com

facebook: storebysteph

Instagram: @storebysteph