| 1. Divide big jobs into smaller jobs. Make a list of | | | | closet. If you use bed risers you can use the |
| all the places in your house that you would like to | | | | space under your bed more efficiently. Clear |
| see become more organized. Now you may | | | | plastic under the bed containers, especially on |
| seem overwhelmed by some of the jobs so | | | | wheels work well for this task. |
| break those jobs down into smaller jobs. Now | | | | 8. Avoid hunting through your closet each day |
| each task is more manageable. Take each job | | | | hang like items together. This means hang all your |
| one at a time and before you know it you'll be | | | | shirts together, pants together, skirts together |
| done. | | | | and so on. It makes your closet look more |
| 2. Store items in clear plastic boxes and bags. This | | | | organized and it's easier to pick out an outfit |
| one just hit me one day when I was looking for | | | | quickly. I also recommend using hanging weekly |
| something and having to un-stack all my boxes | | | | organizers in each child's bedroom closet this way |
| and open each one to find the item I was looking | | | | their clothes are laid out a week in advance and |
| for. I thought what a waste of my time and | | | | you're not scrambling in the morning to find them |
| energy, now I use clear boxes and bags | | | | an outfit. |
| everywhere I store things. | | | | 9. Group like things together. For you it may be |
| 3. Make a list of what's in the boxes or on the | | | | keeping all your sewing stuff together or your |
| shelves in your basement and attic. This again is a | | | | scrap-booking stuff together or your tools |
| time saver and the way a truly organized person | | | | together in one place. But last night when I was |
| goes about things. | | | | organizing my basement (yes, I am also working |
| 4. Before you buy anything know where the item | | | | on becoming more organized) I decided to break |
| is going to go in your home. This is a really great | | | | it down into categories, my went like this: outdoor |
| habit to get into. It makes you stop and think | | | | gear, Christmas decorations, arts and crafts, |
| before you buy and may even save you the | | | | laundry, exercise equipment, keepsakes, I will |
| hassle of taking the item back or worst storing it | | | | probably find that I will need one or two more but |
| in your basement or attic. | | | | I will add them as I see the need. You can even |
| 5. Think item in, item out. If your home is already | | | | break it down further by making groups inside |
| cluttered or filled to capacity then when you | | | | your groups. Christmas is a good example. Once |
| make a purchase you've really got to get rid of | | | | you have all your Christmas stuff together divide |
| something. Even if your home is comfortable this | | | | it into smaller groups such as ornaments, |
| is a good practice to get into to prevent clutter | | | | Christmas lights and outdoor decorations. |
| from building up. | | | | 10. Don't hang on to things because you might |
| 6. Prevent junk mail pile up. Paper clutter is one of | | | | use them. So many times we hang onto things |
| the biggest problems people face today. We get | | | | because we might use them but the items |
| bombarded with junk mail and other paper daily. | | | | actually sit around collect dust and take up |
| The solution is to have a plan. So here it is, its | | | | valuable space. Unless you just have a huge home |
| really quite simple. A trashcan! Go through you | | | | with plenty of closet space the rule is if you |
| mail daily and throw away any unwanted mail as | | | | haven't worn it or used it in over a year you |
| you open it. Then have a to do files or folders. | | | | should probably get rid of it. I can't tell you how |
| You're to do files or folders may have heading | | | | many times I knew I had something but couldn't |
| such as to do, to mail, to fax, to pay, to sign, to | | | | find it because I had so much clutter. So it wasn't |
| return, to call, to redeem. | | | | worth keeping, I wore myself out looking for it |
| 7. Store out of season clothing in empty suitcases | | | | and then ended up buying it again. That's what |
| either under your bed or on the shelf in your | | | | clutter does to us, drains us of our energy. |