Here are some strategies to start the year off well.

3 Powerful Strategies For A Fabulous New Year

Although the start of a new year is a fairly arbitrary thing, it offers a priceless psychological gift – motivation!

Don’t waste this gift! Take advantage of the January 1 effect to get started the way you want the year to continue.

If you’re like most people, you’re hoping this is the year you get rid of clutter, lose weight, get organized, get healthier, achieve your goals…

To increase the chances that the new year is a fabulous year for you, apply the following strategies. Each one is surprisingly powerful, and can make a huge difference to the way you feel and function throughout the New Year. Read more…

Successful New Year’s Resolutions: 3 Things You Must Know To Achieve Goals and Change Habits

A study of people attempting to change diet and exercise habits, it took between 18 and 245 days for the new behavior to feel automatic.

The duration varied by person and habit, but the average was 66 days.

So 66 days is a good indicator when planning your own goal, habit change or new year’s resolution.

That means you need to allow at least a couple of months to get used to exercising… Read more…

New Year’s Resolutions: 3 Ways to Get Organized

Have you set new year’s resolutions to get better organized?

Here are three strategies for starting off the year on the right track – and boosting your chances of keeping those resolutions beyond January.

1. Scrap the storage

If you’ve got stuff squirreled away in storage, the attic or the garage, then this is the time to get rid if it. You probably don’t even know what’s there, do you?

Schedule a day to clear out your storage unit, attic or garage and take everything to the charity store or tip… Read more…

5 Steps To Making This Your Most Productive & Organized Year Ever

The way you use your diary makes all the difference to the way the year unfolds for you. Many things will be beyond your control, but how you spend your time, to a large extent, will be your choice.

Start thinking of time as your life resource. Learn to use your diary to manage time in ways that bring meaning, fulfilment and happiness to you, and to the people in your life.

Here are 5 steps for using a diary to make this your most productive and organized year ever. Read more…

Goals Goals Goals!

And here’s even more on achieving your goals and keeping your resolutions.

I hope the new year brings you meaning, happiness, love, and success in the things you hold dear.

See you in 2012 my friends!

Related posts:

1. New Year’s Resolutions: Posts & Resources
2. How To Change Habits: My 3-Cubed Formula
3. Successful New Year’s Resolutions: 3 Things You Must Know To Achieve Goals and Change Habits

Clearing Clutter Can Increase Success

Jack Canfield points out that a cluttered physical environment can undermine success in several ways:

• Clutter drains energy
• Clutter hides problems
• Clutter blinds us to opportunities and ideas.

If you feel held back in your personal goals or career goals, could clutter be part of the cause?

Get Rid Of Clutter To Get Ahead On Your Goals

To get rid of clutter and clear the path to achieving your goals, survey the space where you want more success – at home, at work, or both. 

Look for things that inhibit your sense of mental clarity – stuff that distracts you, bugs you, or undermines you.

For example, look out for:

• Excess stuff you’ve been saving up for ages
• Piles of paperwork that need to be actioned, filed or discarded
• Procrastination demons – things you’ve been putting off for too long.

Every time you notice these things in your environment, they cause stress that can undermine you. So get rid of them!

• Start using your supplies, or if there’s too much, give it away. Have spares, but don’t hoard more than you need.
• Make a date in your diary to process your paperwork. Then, make a large cup of coffee or tea, put on some music, and power through those piles.
• Set aside a day or a weekend to systematically work through your procrastinated tasks. Make a list of tasks, and feel a growing sense of relief and energy as you check them off.

Getting rid of clutter may take a little time today, but it will move you closer to the things you want tomorrow.

Taking Action

What will you do today to remove clutter from your space?

Want More Help?

If you’d like more help getting rid of clutter, try my 52 Missions Home Organizer.

[Image by Christian Heindel]

Related posts:

1. Setting Goals, Achieving Goals – Tools for Success
2. Setting Goals, Achieving Goals – Dos & Don’ts
3. Organize Your Living Room for Holiday Entertaining: 15 Targets for Clutter Blindness

Before you can get organized, you have to get rid of clutter. It’s impossible to have an organized home, productive office, or simple life with too much stuff for the available space.

A powerful aid to getting rid of clutter is the mantra we use here at Get Organized Wizard:

Move fast. Don’t overthink. Let it go.

1. Move Fast.

Moving fast helps you achieve a lot in a little time – which creates momentum, feels empowering and boosts motivation.

It also bypasses the little lies that keep you caught in clutter – lies like I like it this way (you don’t) or I’ll do it later (you won’t).

One of the reasons programs like 30-Day Organize-athon Pack and 52 Missions Home Organizer are so successful is that they’re broken down into focused, time-based tasks or missions that compel you to act quickly.

Because you’re working against a timer, you don’t have time to waste – you have to keep moving to finish the activity in the allotted time.

So choose an easy organizing project, have a coffee, put on some upbeat tunes, set a timer – and move it!

2. Don’t Overthink.

Not overthinking is the other side of the moving fast coin.

To be a more organized person, you simply have to learn to make quick decisions.

Carefully evaluating the merits of keeping or tossing each and every item is a certain way to keep yourself mired in clutter for life.

My friend Laura has some answers to particular blocks you might have when it comes to keeping versus tossing.

But in general, to master personal organization and become a power declutterer, develop the habit of going with your gut. If your first impression is that something is clutter, then let it go.

Which brings us to…

3. Let It Go.

When decluttering, people often fear they’ll get rid of things they may later need.

The truth is that you might want it later – but the cost of replacing or doing without is usually minor compared with the stress, frustration, and unhappiness of living in clutter and disorganization.

Decide instead that you will have what you love, use what you have, and let go of what you don’t love or use.

There are so many benefits to getting rid of clutter – whether in your closet, kitchen or car.

You’ll enjoy more energy, a simpler life, a home that reflects your values, and sometimes even complete surprises. My friend Erin has reported that decluttering can bring better focus, while my friend Mandi has listed a number of benefits of a decluttered life.

So if you could do with more space, more organization and less clutter in your life, grab a bag and start decluttering!

[Image by DenisHennessy]

Related posts:

1. Get Organized Mission #8: Declutter 50 Items
2. But I Might Need It One Day! [How To Stop Making Excuses & Get Organized, Declutter & Simplify]
3. How To Run Your Own Declutter Project

In the most recent Get Organized newsletter I wrote about the January 1 Effect – how you can get a gift of energy and motivation from the start of the new year.

Why not take advantage of this once-a-year psychological boost, and start the year well!

Here are 6 dos and don’ts for getting your ducks in a row and having a calm and ordered 2011.

Get Organized For The New Year: 6 Dos And Don’ts

1. Don’t Shop As A Past-time.

Buy what you need, have what you love. Enjoy your stuff!

But don’t go looking for things just to distract yourself or pass the time. You’ll end up with clutter. And 2011 is the year we let the clutter go.

When you do shop, be smart about it – for instance, use GFC-smart strategies, batch birthday shopping, and have a ‘What-Not-To-Buy’ list.

2. Do Adopt OCI-OGO

Unless you’re setting up your first home, chances are you have way more of most things than you’ll ever need or use.

So every time you buy or get given something new, get rid of something old. I call it OCI-OGO: One Comes In, One Goes Out.

Use the principle for clothes, shoes, sports gear, books, DVDs, gadgets, towels, pots and pans, utensils, tools, jewelry, everything. Toss tatty things, donate the rest. Keep a donation basket and get the whole family to use it.

It’s a surefire way to stop clutter from growing.

3. Don’t ‘Clean Up’

Seriously, this is possible.

Instead, restore order as part of every task you complete. Do it for cooking, eating, dressing, doing crafts, paying bills, playing with the kids, reading a book, watching DVDs, everything!

If you get into the habit of tidying as you go, everything will take a little bit longer, or you’ll have to finish everything a little bit earlier.

But the upside is awesome: You’ll never, ever, have to ‘clean up’ again.

4. Don’t Aim For Perfection When You Declutter, Organize Or Simplify

The thing about perfectionism is that it kills motivation. It makes everything feel like such hard work, and who wants to do that? Um, not moi.

Instead, step away from the whip and go for the simple version. You can always do more later.

By Under-engineering every organizing, decluttering, or simplifying task you attempt, you’ll have a far greater chance of (a) starting and (b) finishing.

And guess what – most likely you’ll achieve more than you ever did with perfectionism on your back. Which is very cool, and very motivating.

5. Do Declutter, Organize & Simplify In Little Chunks

I don’t know many people who enjoy decluttering, organizing or simplifying – but most of us love the way it feels to be organized, clutter-free and ordered.

The solution is to sneak in your organizing tasks, so they don’t hurt as much.

Regulars of this site will know that I recommend 30-minute chunks as a great way to avoid procrastination, feel motivated and get great results. It doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but in half an hour you can work wonders – such as de-toxing the car, decluttering your surfaces, or organizing the kids’ bedrooms.

Another idea is to use little blocks of time to do simple but powerful things that help you to be more organized.

6. Do Live Within Your Home’s Boundaries

Many people think their problem is that they’re too undisciplined to get organized. But the truth is usually that they have too much stuff for their space.

One answer is to get a bigger house; but there’s a better one:  Make a commitment to only keep in your home those things that fit comfortably.

As well as helping you avoid clutter, the mindset of living within your home’s boundaries really simplifies decision making too: If you can’t fit it, you don’t buy it.

Have a Happy & Organized New Year!

Remember these do and don’ts and you’ll be making a great start to a calm and ordered 2011.

And I hope it’s a very happy one too!

Got New Year’s Resolutions?

We have a range of cool products and packs to help!

[Top image by pandabearphotography]

Related posts:

1. Getting Organized Quick Tip: How To Make SMART New Year’s Resolutions – Any Day Of The Year!
2. Personal Style Clinic: 7 Dos & Don’ts For Upgrading Your Look
3. 2009: A Happier, More Organized Year

Get Your Free Copy – Details Below | LAST DAY! Ends Midnight Monday 10 January 2011.

If you want 2011 to be your most productive and organized year yet, then you’re going to love our brand new Goals & Priorities Diary.

It contains Monthly Goals Planners that guide you to set and plan your goals for the month, Daily Priorities Planners that help you focus each day on your top priorities first, plus Goals Lists for the current and next year, and a record of Goals Achieved And Rewards.

It’s a simple but powerful approach that helps you to spend your time where it counts most, and to have more time for the goals that genuinely matter to you.

The Goals & Priorities Diary is fully interactive – you can type, save, search and edit. Save it to your desktop so you’ll be reminded every morning to open it up and get to work on your goals and priorities. You can even view your Goals & Priorities Diary from your iPhone or iPad.

Or print it out and write in it, if you enjoy the feel of using pen and paper.

Organize Your Life. Achieve Your Goals. Be Your Best.

Current Year Goals	Monthly Goals Planner	Daily Priorities Planner	Goals Achieved & Rewards	Next Year Goals

How To Get A Free Copy

The Goals & Priorities Diary is available in our store for $29. But we’d like to give you a copy, as a thank-you for joining our Facebook Page.

To get your Goals & Priorities Diary, simply click the ‘Like’ button on our Facebook Page. When you do, you’ll see a new tab with a special code to enter at the checkout, which will make your Diary free. If you already like our Page, you’ll go straight to the tab with the code.

Feel free to tell your friends about this offer – especially if they’d like a more productive and organized 2011, too. Hurry though – this offer is only valid for a strictly limited time!

Like our Page now.

With the 388-page Goals & Priorities Diary, 2011 will be your most productive, organized year ever!

Related posts:

1. Goals & Priorities Diary Free Offer | FAQs
2. Goals & Priorities Diary | How To Use It On Your Mobile Device
3. 30-Day Organize-athon Pack: Get Your Free Copy!

I used to be someone who saved things up. A new pair of boots, a box of premium tea, a gift of my favorite perfume – new things got put aside until the ideal occasion. There was a certain pleasure in knowing I had something special waiting for me, for one day.

But often I’d wait too long.

I’d go to wear a new dress, only to find the season, the fashion or my taste had changed.

I’d open an expensive lip gloss, and discover it had started to smell kinda funky.

After enough of these disappointments I realized I was an over-saver – and it wasn’t a smart strategy.

Not only does over-saving deny you the opportunity to use and enjoy your things, it can also contribute to clutter and hoarding.

Are You An Over-Saver?

A little saving up can be a good thing – you get to enjoy the anticipation and the pleasure of using things.

But if you think you might be an over-saver, take this little quiz:

• Do you have clothes in your closet with tags still on?
• Do you have entire drawers filled with unopened skincare or cosmetics?
• Do you continue to use old or broken things, like sunglasses or umbrellas, while new ones languish in the cupboard?
• Do you have gadgets still in the packaging?
• Do you save crockery, glassware or cutlery for special occasions that happen less than once or twice a year?
• Do you have table or bed linen you’ve never used?
• Do you have artwork you’ve never put up? (Note: ‘leaning’ artwork is aesthetically acceptable these days, so don’t let fancy mounting be your excuse.)
• Do you store new appliances in cupboards, while you soldier on using ancient, semi-functioning ones?
• Do you have jewelry or watches that are too good to wear – ever?

If you answered yes to two or more of the above, you’re probably an over-saver. Why not cut clutter and gain pleasure by making the switch – and becoming a user.

Reduce Clutter And Hoarding – Become a User

To become a user, decide that you’ll use new things immediately.

Here are some tips for making the transition from over-saver to user:

• Wear the new outfit, boots, or bag at the first opportunity
• Take new things out of the packaging and place them where you’ll use them (rather than in a storage place)
• When you buy replacements for broken or damaged things, dispose of the old versions immediately
• Decide whether you want to keep a gift, and if you do, start using it right away (if you don’t want to keep it, then donate, re-gift, or discard it)
• Decide to abandon special occasion crockery, glassware or cutlery and have only good quality, everyday tableware
• Start using your saved-up bed linen
• Put your artwork up this weekend – or ‘lean’ it tastefully today
• Dispose of ill-performing appliances and use the new ones
• Wear your nice jewelry/watch next time you go out.

Are you a User, Saver or Over-saver? I’d love to hear your story in the comments!

[Image by BFS Man]

Related posts:

1. Get Organized With This Declutter Mantra
2. My Partner is a Hoarder. Help!
3. Are You, or is Someone You Love, a Hoarder?

I bet a lot of people wonder about that!

So here’s an edited version of my reply.

Step 1: Get Your Groove Back

1. Forget about organizing for now, and focus instead on re-building your confidence and motivation.
2. Spend what time and energy you have available on eating well, exercising, and resting.
3. Expose yourself to positive, uplifting books, CDs, people, movies and music. As far as possible without stressing yourself out further, stay away from anything negative or draining.
4. Get a check-up from your doc – who knows what underlying aliment, or even mild depression, might lurk below your malaise.

In short, make your main goal to get your groove back.

Step 2: Get Organized

As soon as you feel an upturn in motivation, even a small one, do at least one of these:

1. Ask a friend, or hire a coach, to help you to clarify your goals. A simple list of 3 things you’d like to achieve is a great start. Then take action on these goals every day.
2. Find a book or audiobook at the library or bookstore on goal-setting and motivation. I love Brian Tracy‘s books myself (Eat That Frog and Goals are faves).
3. Check out my Get Organized Wizard programs:
   -  Life & Goal Organizer is great if you want a self-paced, structured workbook for organizing your life and taking action on your goals
   -  Design Your Life will suit you if who want to be led by the hand and be part of a community as you organize your life and take action on your goals.

The key is to focus on feeling better first, and then to take advantage of your motivation as soon as it returns.

Let me know how you go.

Got A Question On Personal Organization, Productivity or Procrastination?

Post your question on the Get Organized Wizard Community Forums
or on my Facebook Page, where I offer tips, answer questions
and share resources and links. Please come and join me there!

[Image by D'Arcy Norman]

Related posts:

1. 30-Day Organize-athon | Week 1 Prizes For Getting Organized
2. Reality Check: Are You Getting Organized or Just Getting STUFF?
3. Get Organized For Spring: Join The 30-Day Organize-athon!

If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of getting organized, remember this:

The less stuff you have, the easier it is to get organized.

Decide to be a person who only has what they

• Need or

• Love.

Every day, look for at least one thing to discard or donate, and keep a donation basket handy.

As you get rid of things, organizing will become easier.

So, what will you get rid of today?

More Like This…

This post originally appeared on my Facebook Page, where I offer tips,
answer questions and share resources and links.
Please come and join me there!

[Image by Capture Queen ™]

Related posts:

1. Take The Initiative
2. Get Organized Mission #50: Get Rid Of Debt
3. How To Get Your Groove Back (THEN You Can Get Organized)

Sometimes in the quest to get organized you can become distracted by the accoutrements. You can find yourself buying all manner of containers, books, systems and paraphernalia, none of which bring you any closer to living a simpler, more productive or more organized life.

These products can be a waste of money – but that’s not all.

Because they’re related to organizing, they can leave you feeling virtuous and stop you taking action that would genuinely improve your life.

So here’s a little reality check to test whether the stuff you’re buying is helping you simplify and organize your life – or whether it’s just stuff.

Storage Containers

• Do they store things you don’t need or love?
• Are they unattractive?
• Do they require work – needing to be dusted or wiped down regularly?
• Do they provide a home for clutter?

If Yes: Get rid of them!

Solution

1. If you must use them, only keep a few storage containers, that match your decor, and contain things you need.
2. Get rid of the stuff you don’t need.

Time-Management Systems

• Are you constantly looking for a new planner system that will finally ‘make’ you organized?
• Do you invest considerable time and money buying and learning time-management systems and applications?
• Do your time-management systems create clutter in your home or office?
• Are your time-management systems unnecessarily complicated?

If Yes: Get rid of them!

Solution

1. Take the effort you put into your time-management systems and instead put it into working out your priorities.
2. Read or listen to a classic time-management book that focuses on the basics – not a complicated system with lots of rules and nomenclature (I recommend Brain Tracy’s Eat That Frog).
3. Commit to buying no more time-management systems until you’ve mastered the art of working with a simple, prioritized to-do list.

Organizing Books and Magazines

• Do they contain discussions on organizing, but little in the way of step-by-step instructions on exactly what to do?
• Do they expect you to commit more time each day or week than a busy person can reasonably afford – eg they ask you to file daily, conduct a weekly review of stationery supplies, etc?
• Do they fail to translate into action that makes your life simpler, less cluttered and better organized?
• Do they pile up and create clutter?

If Yes: Get rid of them!

Solution

1. Cancel your subscription to organizing and simplifying magazines and newsletters that don’t translate into a simpler or more organized life.
2. Only invest in organizing books or programs that provide specific, step-by-step instructions that you can put into action.
3. Only invest in organizing books or programs that require a reasonable commitment of time.

Get Organized Wizard Resources

Need Help Getting Rid of Stuff? 

Try 52 Missions Home Organizer.
It guides you, step-by-step, to declutter and organize
your home, time and life in just 30 minutes a week.

Need Help Taking Action on Your Priorities?

Check out Life & Goal Organizer (for DIY self-starters) or
Design Your Life (for people who like a guided, structured program).
They both focus on identifying priorities and taking action.

[Image by Rev Dan Catt]

Related posts:

1. Organizing Technology: How to never, ever check your email again
2. Get Organized Mission #8: Declutter 50 Items
3. Get Organized For 2011: 6 Dos And Don’ts For A Calm & Ordered Year

Here are some interesting and useful articles I’ve discovered recently.

Overcome Procrastination

Ideas to help you stop procrastinating, from organizing queen Julie Morgenstern:

• How do I stop procrastinating

Get Organized To Move

If you have a move planned, get yourself organized with this handy Start-to-Finish Moving Guide from Lifehacker:

• The Start-to-Finish Guide for Moving to a New Place

Plus, a cool round-up of tips for an organized move from Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie:

• Take Note ~ The Ultimate Moving Tips Edition!

Organize Music

Here’s how to open radio streams in iTunes, rather than your browser – from Lifehacker:

• Add Radio Streams from Web Sites to iTunes

Overcome Mindless Eating

Want to stop mindless eating? Here are 6 tips from expert nutritionist Catherine Saxelby:

• 6 Steps to eating mindfully

Boost Productivity

Ways to use social media as a tool – not just a distraction, from Mashable – Social Media:

• How Social Media Can Make Us More Productive

Start Something New

Some excellent and thoughtful advice on facing the terror of the new from Pamela Slim:

• Find joy in the terror of starting something new

Improve Your Relationships

Thought-provoking tips for surviving surly sweethearts from the Happiness Project:

• 7 Tips for Dealing with a Sweetheart Who Is Crabby All the Time.

Money & Happiness

Interesting article from The New York Times: Live more simply, give stuff away, be happier. Sounds like great advice to me!

• Consumers Find Ways to Spend Less and Find Happiness

Save your splurges for genuine pleasures to save money and boost happiness, via Lifehacker:

• Redefine the Latte Factor for More Successful Money Saving

Home Organizing Inspiration

Apartment Therapy showcases a lovely, organized space – great for a for a little organizing inspiration:

• Andrew & Eric Find a Place for Everything House Tour

Organize Your Reading

Lifehacker reports on relative reading speeds:

• Reading on Paper Faster than Reading on iPads, Kindles, and Other Digital Devices

The Cost of Rudeness

There’s more to politeness than simply good manners:

• Rudeness at work causes mistakes

More Like This…

I post interesting and useful links on my Facebook Page as I come across them.
Please come and join me there!

[Image by alt1040]

Related posts:

1. Getting Organized: Some Links & Resources
2. Organizing Q & A | Get Organized For Moving House: My Top 3 Tips
3. Personal Organization Web Watch | Technology & Social Media Resources | September 09

I spent this past week with the worst bout of flu I’ve had in years – sweats, shivers, watering eyes, headaches, the works.

But I’ve made a pretty speedy recovery and I actually feel as though it’s done me some good – I feel rested and freshly motivated. And I think that’s largely because I was able to relax and recuperate. Which was possible thanks to a little organization.

If you want to make sure a dose of something nasty doesn’t wipe you out, use these tips to get organized for being sick.

1. Have basic supplies on hand

It’s smart to keep general cold and flu supplies in the bathroom cabinet, especially during the cold months.

I prefer to let nature take its course so I avoid antibiotics and fancy cold and flu formulations, but choose what’s right for you. And be sure to check the expiry date on all your medications.

I keep these in the bathroom cabinet at all times:

• Vicks/menthol
• Sore-throat lozenges/gargle
• Lotion-infused tissues
• Aspirin.

Make your own list and stock up so you’re prepared for those inevitable colds and flus.

2. Perform work/home triage

As soon as a nasty bug gets you, you need to perform task triage.

Work tasks

What do you need to take care of for the coming week? Look for important matters that need to be handled to avoid problems or stress later on.

If you can ask an assistant or colleague to help with these items, great. If not, do them yourself quickly. Even though you feel lousy, it will be worth the effort.

Work tasks that need to be dealt with before you can turn to getting well could include:

• Rescheduling appointments
• Creating an out-of-office email/voicemail message
• Advising clients/managers of delayed project delivery
• Postponing actions or tasks and letting relevant people know
• Completing actions or tasks that can’t be postponed.

Home tasks

What do you need to take care of for the coming week? Here again, focus on pressing matters that need to be handled to avoid problems or stress later on.

If you can, ask a family member to help you out; if not, get through the essentials quickly so you can buy yourself recuperation time.

Home tasks that you need to address before you can turn to recovery could include:

• Paying bills that are due (once you’re well, consider organizing your bill payment)
• Rescheduling deliveries or appointments
• Ordering essential supplies online
• Asking neighbors to help with the kids’ pick-ups and drop-offs
• Handling any school requirements – such as notices to be signed.

3. Take responsibility for your own rest and recuperation

If you have basic supplies on hand and you perform task triage as soon as you succumb to sickness, then you stand a good of chance of getting well quickly.

My philosophy is that just because you’re sick, you don’t have to be miserable. Unless you’re 7 and you have a doting parent at your beck and call, it’s unlikely anyone is going to be pampering you and helping you feel better. Sadly, in the adult world, that’s now your responsibility. Your body is down for the count – use the time to look after yourself.

Here are some of the things I comfort myself with when I’m sick:

• Cozy, non-scratchy waffle blankets
• Lotion-infused tissues
• DVD box sets (unchallenging comedy series, or comforting English detective series like Miss Marple)
• Garlic pizza (my local pizzeria delivers and adds extra garlic if I ask).

These are the things I use to maximize my rest and feel better fast. Your preferences will be different – do what works for you.

Whatever you do, though, don’t feel sorry for yourself – feel better!

[Image: by TheGiantVermin]

Related posts:

1. Get More Done With This Mindset Shift
2. Get Organized For Fitness [Mission #38]
3. Create Your ‘Organized Life Morning Routine’ [Mission #21]

Do you feel stuck in a relationship rut? Immobilized in your business or career? At a loss as to why you can’t lose weight?

Are you also surrounded by clutter?

If so, you might be caught in a clutter trap.

Don’t underestimate the power of clutter to stop you from moving forward in important areas of your life. It can confuse you, sap your energy and sabotage the actions you want to take.

Here are 3 shocking ways that clutter can hold you back from the life you want.

3 Clutter Traps

1. Relationships

You may be caught in a relationship clutter trap if you answer yes to any of these questions.

• Do you avoid inviting people over because of the clutter in your house?
• Are you putting off meeting someone new until you get your life organized?
• Does the mess in your house make you feel unworthy of good relationships?

2. Career

You may be caught in a career clutter trap if you answer yes to any of these questions.

• Are you habitually late for work or meetings because you can’t find something?
• Do you miss deadlines because things fall between the cracks?
• Do the piles of paper on your desk leave you feeling exhausted and unmotivated?

3. Weight Loss

You may be caught in a weight-loss clutter trap if you answer yes to any of these questions.

• Do you invariably reach for junk food because your kitchen’s too messy for preparing anything better?
• Does the clutter in your life leave you feeling too tired and irritable to exercise?
• Do you comfort-eat to avoid feeling bad about your clutter?

Clutter Busters

If you’ve identified that you’re caught in a clutter trap in one of these important areas, congratulations! You no longer have to wrestle blindly with the problem – now you can focus on the solution.

And the solution is simple: get rid of your clutter!

There are plenty of posts here at Get Organized Wizard to help you tackle your clutter, including:

• Are You, or is Someone You Love, a Hoarder?
• Hoarding: 7 Lies That Keep You Caught In Clutter
• Declutter Your Life – Get More Energy
• 5 Home Organization Strategies for Busy People
• The One Thing You Must Do If You Want To Get Organized
• Simplify Your Life Quick Tip: Have a Ready-For-Donation Basket
• Home Organization: My Very Best Life-Changing Tip For A Clutter-Free Home
• Getting Organized Quick Tip: How To Short-Circuit Perfectionism and Procrastination
• Declutter Your Life and Home
• Organize Your Living Room for Holiday Entertaining: 15 Targets for Clutter Blindness
• Any of the 30-minute organizing missions in our popular program, 52 Organizing Missions.

You can also sign up for our online Design Your Life program and start straight away on the Home Organization module (you’ll have immediate access to all 12 modules and bonus programs from your Member’s Area).

The Home Organization module takes you through your home, room by room, helps you tackle psychological barriers to letting go of stuff, and guides you to create more simplicity in your life.

But do something! Please don’t let clutter hold you back from the life you want.

Related posts:

1. Are You, or is Someone You Love, a Hoarder?
2. How to be Organized in 2009: Day 2 – Health & Fitness
3. Is Clutter Stopping You From Achieving Your Goals?

If you feel overwhelmed by the quantity of stuff in your life, then this mission is sure to bring relief.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #41:
Simplify Your Life – Possessions

Step 1: What Are Your Ready To Release? (15 minutes)

Given our ticking clock, we’re going to focus in this organizing mission on whole categories.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, there’s a good chance you have entire classes of clutter that aren’t adding to your happiness. In fact, they may be crowding happiness out of your life, and making you feel suffocated, overwhelmed, or even stressed.

Look around your home for categories of clutter. They might include the following.

Collections

If you collect something – stamps, owls, Charlie’s Angels plates – and it gives you pleasure, then great.

But if your collection no longer feels good, or has become little more than a millstone or eccentric identity, then ask yourself if you’re ready to let it go. Freeing up the space and mental energy may even make room for something new and more interesting in your life.

Hobbies

Just because you’ve spent a fortune on all the scrapbooking, card making, or DIY carpentry accoutrements, it doesn’t mean you have to keep all that stuff long after your interest has waned.

Instead, donate it and let someone else get pleasure from it. The money is gone – don’t pay in space and happiness, too.

Entire wardrobes in several sizes

If your weight has varied significantly, then it’s understandable that you’re reluctant to get rid of clothes you may need again.

But keeping everything in your closet is bound to add stress and confusion to your daily dressing routine.

If you feel ready to let go of sizes you’re not likely to need again, then good for you. Otherwise, consider keeping only the best items from each size and donating the rest. Or box it all up and store it in your garage for 6 months as a safety net – then let it go.

The past

Do you have storage spaces full of things that belonged to your parents, or old toys from when the kids were young, or all your old schoolbooks?

Keeping a few mementos is a lovely way to honor your memories. But if you’ve kept so much from the past that it’s crowding out the present, then this might be time to say goodbye.

If you’d like some emotional support to take this step, then ask a friend to help.

Future

Keeping supplies for a project, trip or career change you’ve been planning since the mid-80s may not be the optimum use of your space.

If you’re holding on to things till ‘one day’ comes along, ask yourself if it’s time to live today instead. You can always get what you need when you really are ready. And the sheer act of making room might open you up in new ways.

Step 2: Take Action To Let It Go (15 minutes)

Now that you’ve identified blocks of stuff that you can release from your life, it’s time to take immediate action to remove them – while your resolution is strong!

Depending on the amount of stuff, and the time required, do one of these actions:

• Pack it up and put it in the trash (if discarding), garage (if storing for the short term) or car (if donating to charity)
• Make a call and offer it to someone  – a friend, a charity store who’ll come and collect, a buyer who’s interested in your former hobby, etc.

You won’t be surprised to find that this mission releases space and reduces stress. But you may find that an unexpected burst of energy comes with letting go of your clutter collections. Enjoy it!

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t focus on the cost when deciding if you want to keep something. Keep it because you love it or use it, not because of what you paid for it. By all means sell things that are valuable – but focus on reclaiming space, peace of mind, and happiness.
• Do acknowledge that these categories of things may be tied up with an outdated sense of identity. Have a friend there to support you if you need it.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Complete this mission as a family. Support one another in releasing categories of things that are no longer part of the life you live today.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment below to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Your Whole Life – With Life & Goal Organizer

Life & Goal Organizer is a 360-degree goal and life organizing system. Like a personal coach, it helps you take charge of your goals, plans and life, one step at a time.

By leading you through a system of ready-made action plans, Life & Goal Organizer provides a motivating way to organize your time, your goals and your life.

Learn about Life & Goal Organizer.

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/ / CC BY 2.0]

Related posts:

1. Simplify Your Life – Time [Organizing Mission #42]
2. Organizing Mission #44: Live Within Your Home’s Boundaries
3. Organizing Mission #40: Conquer Your Storage Space Demons

 

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/toxicboy/ / CC BY 2.0]

People often ask about partners who need help getting organized or decluttering, so I thought I’d address the question here. I was recently asked this question via my Facebook page.

How To Handle a Hoarder

Q.

My partner is such a hoarder! Any tips?

A.

There are a several ways to approach this, both for you and your partner.

Start by making peace with the fact that you can’t change someone else. In fact, if you push too hard your partner may become defensive, making the situation worse.

Instead, focus on getting what you need (perhaps a clutter-free space of your own?), modeling the benefits of hoarding-free behavior in your own life, and reinforcing positive change in your partner. The first post, below, is about working with a disorganized colleague, but the three tips are equally applicable to living with a stuff-loving partner.

For your partner, if and when they decide they want to address their habits, there are a number of ways they can tackle the challenge.

They might like to start with changing their mindset by looking at mental resistance and excuses. Or they might prefer to jump right in with simple fixes to get started.

It then becomes a small step to broadening the focus to their home, and going for short, 30-minute decluttering projects.

The Secret: Start Small and Keep Going

Unless you have the resources of a national television show at your disposal, don’t expect big changes all at once. Instead encourage your partner, when ready, to make a small start, and continue most days. That will be enough.

All of these posts offer simple strategies, so the barrier to starting is low.

Living With A Hoarder

• Organizing Q & A | How To Deal With OPD – Other People’s Disorganization: My Top 3 Tips

Changing A Hoarding Mindset

• Hoarding: 7 Lies That Keep You Caught In Clutter
• The One Thing You Must Do If You Want To Get Organized
• Getting Organized Quick Tip: How To Short-Circuit Perfectionism and Procrastination
• Home Organization: My Very Best Life-Changing Tip For A Clutter-Free Home
• Declutter Your Life – Get More Energy

Small Ways To Start Decluttering

• Simplify Your Life Quick Tip: Have a Ready-For-Donation Basket
• Simplify Your Life Quick Fix: Limit Your Hangers
• Simplify Your Life Quick Tip: Abandon ‘Everyday’ Versus ‘Guest’ Tableware

How To Declutter Your Home

• Declutter Your Life and Home
• Home Organizing: Start with your Home Values
• Organize Your Living Room for Holiday Entertaining: 15 Targets for Clutter Blindness
• 10 Tips For Simplifying Your Life

Clutter-Busting In 30 Minutes

• Get Organized Mission #1: Fill a Hu-u-uge Trash Bag
• Get Organized Mission #6: Detox Your Car
• Get Organized Mission #8: Declutter 50 Items
• Get Organized Mission #10: Clear Out Your Closet
• Get Organized Mission #15: Organize Your Kitchen
• Get Organized Mission #16: Streamline Your Books, CDs, & DVDs

Your Say

If you live with a hoarder, what have you found successful? Please share your experiences, or let us know what you’re going to try.

Related posts:

1. Are You, or is Someone You Love, a Hoarder?
2. 5 Home Organization Strategies for Busy People
3. How Clutter Can Hold You Back – From Love, Success & Health

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/filtran/ / CC BY 2.0]

Last week we created your personal Organized Life Bedtime Routine. This week we’ll create one for the morning.

Having an Organized Life Morning Routine will help you face each day – and the world – with a sense of confidence, order, and motivation.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here: 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #21: Create Your Organized Life Morning Routine

Step 1: Make a list of what you need to do each morning

I suggest you write, or type and print out, your list (or use the suggestions below and print out this post). Tape it to the bathroom mirror or somewhere you’ll see it each morning, to remind you of things to check off so you enjoy a calm, organized and productive day.

Include in your Organized Life Morning Routine the things that help you start the day looking and feeling good. I’ve categorized by zone, but create your routine in the order you perform the tasks. Here are some ideas:

Fuel Up

• Have breakfast
• Make lunches, snacks, etc
• Put lunch/snack in bag/briefcase/backpack
• Load dishwasher/wash breakfast dishes
• Wipe down table, surfaces used, and the sink
  [Tip: A tidy kitchen will brighten your mood when you get home]

Do Your Ablutions & Grooming

• Shower
  [Tip: Use products that smell nice and feel pampery to give yourself a mini spa treat every day]
• Clean your nails with a nail brush
• Brush your teeth [Tip: Brush your tongue too]
• Shave (dudes)
• Style your hair 
  [Tip: Ask your hairdresser for a cut that looks good with minimal styling time and effort]
• Apply make up (girls)
  [Tip: Keep it simple – you’ll save time every morning and avoid ‘touch ups’ all afternoon]
• Hang up towels
• Put make up, hair products, etc away

Dress

• Choose an outfit that looks and feels good
  [Tip: Only keep items in your closet that look and feel good]
• Check your labels are tucked in, zips done all the way up, etc
• Put away any clothes left out
• Stand up nice and straight and smile when you check your reflection in the mirror

Personal Organization

• Make the bed
  [Tip: A nicely made bed will lift your mood as you start and as you end your day]
• Check your diary
  [Tip: Knowing what’s ahead can help you feel like you’re starting the day prepared]

Check Your Remember-To-Take Checklist

• Keys
• Wallet
• PDA
• Cell phone
• Handbag, briefcase, tote, backpack
• Coat, jacket, cardigan
• Special items for meetings, etc
• Money/tokens for tickets, tolls, etc

Step 2: Time yourself tomorrow

Tomorrow, complete your Organized Life Morning Routine and notice how long it takes. That’s how long you need to allow yourself each morning.

Step 3: Use the Organized Life Morning Routine each day

Every day, follow your Organized Life Morning Routine. Make it a habit.

You’ll start the morning well because of your Organized Life Bedtime Routine. Use this routine to move the whole day that way!

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t turn this into an daily ordeal. Be quick and spritely. Have upbeat music on if it helps.
• Do remind yourself that the time you spend each morning on this ritual will more than pay for itself in a greater sense of confidence, order, and motivation throughout the day.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Create an Organized Life Morning Routine for each child. It will both save time and teach the kids valuable personal organization skills.
• Depending on their age, many or all of the listed items above could apply. If age-appropriate, give them a printed copy to follow in the mornings.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Before You Go – Please Check In, And Send Photos!

Please add a comment at the bottom of this post to let your mission-mates know you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

We’d love to add your before and after snaps to the 52 Organizing Missions Hall of Fame. Please send photos to: Photos@GetOrganizedWizard.com

And see you back here next week!

DID YOU KNOW:

You can get your weekly organizing mission delivered to your inbox.
Click here to sign up for 52 Organizing Missions.

Related posts:

1. Create Your ‘Organized Life Bedtime Routine’ [Mission #20]
2. Create Your Bedroom Sanctuary [Mission #17]
3. Get Organized Mission #11: Create Your Wardrobe Wishlist

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gagillphoto/ / CC BY-ND 2.0]

Here are some cool articles on aspects of happiness, productivity and personal organization that I’ve found around the web in the past couple of weeks. I hope you find something helpful here.

Business & Career

• When a Colleague’s Mistakes Affect You | Harvard Business
• How are you going to Crush It in 2010? | Escape From Cubicle Nation
• Focus on Strengths, Not Correcting Weaknesses | Dumb Little Man
• 101 Small Business Mistakes (and What You Can Learn From Them) | Wise Bread

Weight Loss

• Calorie Counters Consume More | LifeHacker
• You Snooze, You Lose | Scientific American
• The Effect of Our Surroundings on Body Weight | Scientific American

Technology & Social Media

• How To Create Friend Lists on Facebook | Mashable
• iPod troubles? The 5Rs [Reset, Retry, Restart, Reinstall, Restore] solve many problems | Apple

Home Organization

• Managing a wardrobe of many sizes | Unclutterer
• Using Color | Apartment Therapy
• 4 Daily Routines: How I keep my house “clean enough” | The Inspired Room

Related posts:

1. Personal Organization Web Watch | Technology & Social Media Resources | September 09
2. How Can Get Organized Blog Help You With Your Personal Organization?
3. Procrastination, Productivity, Moving and More: Links & Resources

Just as My Very Best Life-Changing Tip For A Clutter-Free Home will put you on the path to neatness nirvana, this one idea will transform your approach to personal organization.

Seriously – if you apply this strategy, you’ll find it far easier to get organized and stay organized.

Getting Organized: One Thing You Must Do

You must make quick decisions 

Indecision is what causes the clutter to accumulate, the paperwork to pile up, the inbox to overflow. Instead of things, paper, clothes, emails and everything else flowing through your life, indecision keeps them stuck in limbo.

Now clearly I’m not talking about deciding who to marry or what job to take. I’m talking about where to put the remote, how to reply to the email, and when to pay the bill.

Every decision you put off – however tiny or unimportant it may seem – is a barrier to a more organized life.

How To Make Quick Decisions And Get Better Organized

Make a habit of deciding fast. The more you do it, the more of a habit it will become.

Don’t worry about making the ‘wrong decision’. Let me put your mind to rest right now by saying that you definitely will. Expect that sometimes you’ll later wish you had done something different.

But – and don’t undervalue this – your net gains from being decisive, taking action and cleaning up your life will far outweigh the minor losses.

Here Are Some Examples:

• Opening the mail?
  Decide now if it needs to be actioned, filed or discarded. Then do it. 
• Tidying up?
  Decide now where things will go and put them there. Or throw them out.
• Wondering whether to keep or toss?
  Decide now to toss it. There – now you can blame me.
• Got random papers on your desk?
  Decide now whether to keep and, if so, where to file.
• Reading email?
  Decide now what action if any is needed, and take it.
• Been reading the paper?
  Decide now if you’ll look at it again and if not, put it in the recycle bin.

You get the idea.

Personal Organization Made Easy

Start thinking of yourself as a decisive action taker. Practice with all kinds of things – which muffin to have, what outfit to put on, where to go for dinner. Learn to love the feeling of keeping your life flowing rather than letting stuff stagnate.

This mindset will make it much easier to be organized. Try it – and let me know how you go!
To leave a comment: A comment box is waiting for you at the bottom of this post.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominik99/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Related posts:

1. Get Organized For 2011: 6 Dos And Don’ts For A Calm & Ordered Year
2. Get Organized Mission #9: Filing System Nirvana
3. Getting Organized Quick Tip #6: How To Never Forget a Birthday or Anniversary [Outlook Users]

Here’s a round-up of recent links on Technology & Social Media:

Top 10 Tricks for Making Your Playlists Rock
Source: www.lifehacker.com

“If music is part of your everyday work routine, workout, or commute, stuffing your player full of tunes and hitting shuffle just won’t cut it. Scan these 10 tips for improving and expanding your music playlists.”

11 Brilliant Web Based Event & Meeting Planners
Source: www.dumblittleman.com

“Planning and organizing meetups and events is no longer the cumbersome task which required you to contact people individually and make sure they don’t miss the event. The web 2.0 era has spawned upon some cool and easy to use tools.”

Don’t post that!’ — networking etiquette emerges
Source: www.physorg.com

“As Facebook and Twitter change the way we communicate,
the rules of etiquette surrounding these interactions is still evolving…”

Back to School: 10 Terrific Web Apps for Teachers
Source: www.mashable.com

“Web apps are helping teachers to save time and focus less on administrative tasks and more on teaching students. Here are 10 terrific apps that make the grade.”

Twistory Backs Up Your Tweets to a Calendar Feed
Source: www.LifeHacker.com

“Twistory is yet another free tool to back up online accounts, specifically Twitter posts. It goes beyond a simple data dump, though, by plotting your tweets in an easy-to-import iCal feed.”

6 Smart Gmail Tricks To Help You Get The Most Out Of It
Source: www.dumblittleman.com

“Dumb Little Man shares ideas to make the everyday person more productive in life. Expect to read tips on finance, saving money, business, and some DIY for the house.”

Reduce Monitor Scratches with Toothpaste
Source: www.lifehacker.com

“We already knew that toothpaste boasts all kinds of magical scratch-removal powers, so it’s no surprise that the handy paste can also be put to work improving scratched computer monitors.”

Want More?

For more great links to useful articles and resources, check out my Facebook Page.

Related posts:

1. Personal Organization Web Watch [11 October]
2. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 5: Technology & Social Media]
3. Getting Organized Quick Tip: How To Simplify Social Media Updates

The reader raised the issue of our tendency to backslide when we try to make a fresh start, and wondered what we could do about it.

Here are some brief thoughts.

Why Self-Improvement is Like Slaying Vampires

1. Whenever we try to change or improve, we come up against pressure to regress to old, comfortable ways.

This is to be expected. Entropy rules in human nature, just as it does in the rest of the universe. New habits take work, as new pathways need to be forged in the brain.

2. Because of this, we have to be kind to ourselves when we backslide – we’re only human after all.

Pretending the resistance isn’t there, or beating ourselves up for our lack of willpower is simply denying reality.

3. But – and this is important – we also have to recognize that to be happy, and to enjoy a sense of progress and achievement in life, we have to keep working to maintain our gains, and to fight off the urge to regress.

Change is not a set-and-forget switch, it’s an ongoing process. We’re never done!

If you’ve ever watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this analogy might help:
To fulfill your destiny, you have to keep killing the vampires. They never stop, so neither can you.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fluffgar/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Related posts:

1. Make a Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings
2. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 8: Happiness]
3. 20 Things To Tick Off Before The End Of The Year

How do I social bookmark a post?

A:

Social bookmarking is a way to save and/or share links to websites, blog posts, articles or resources you find helpful.

Social bookmarking sites, like Digg, Delicious, Technorati, Reddit, StumbleUpon and even Facebook, are great tools for organizing your favorite web resources, since you effectively ‘save’ the links you post.

They’re also a cool way to share with others the web places you find helpful, since you effectively recommend the sites you social bookmark.

Most websites and blogs these days include social bookmark buttons at the bottom of their posts – just like the little buttons at the bottom of this post. And using them is easy. All you do is click the button for the social bookmarking site you want to use, and you’re automatically taken to the social bookmarking site and given the opportunity to bookmark the page you clicked from. If you don’t already have an account you’ll be prompted to open one (they’re all free).

Have you read a helpful post on Get Organized Wizard? Then why not test drive the buttons below – and give social bookmarking a try now!

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it!

Image by > NeoGaboX<

Organizing Q & A

If you have a question about personal organization, decluttering, simplicity or goal setting, simply post your question on the blog. If it’s of broad interest I’ll do my best to answer helpfully in this Q & A ‘column’. Questions may be edited for brevity or clarity.

Of course if you have insights of your own, feel free to share them as well.

Related posts:

1. Personal Organization Web Watch | Technology & Social Media Resources | September 09
2. Information Overload: How To Organize Online Information
3. Procrastination, Productivity, Moving and More: Links & Resources