Wed Feb 13 2008
Gold Coast-based Organizing You owner Karen Barnett said it was a perfect time to clear the space in your home or office to make way for new openings in 2008.
"If your life is cluttered, messy, untidy and disorganised, that is all that you will see, live and breathe," Mrs Barnett said.
"You will waste so much of your time, energy, resources and money looking for the car keys, that important piece of paper and you will have to go out and buy extra things because you cannot find them.
"You will be continually confused, rushed, stressed, late and tired and the end results will always be less or will take forever to get there."
Mrs Barnett said since she started her business three years ago, she found only about 2% of households and 10% of businesses were organised.
"I see it over and over again," she said.
"With any business or personal environment, efficiency and service is the key and can be achieved when you know you can put your hand on anything at any time and know exactly where to go for it. If you waste time looking for things, you're wasting money.
"Money is a precious commodity and clutter is money."
She said clutter was like having a grey cloud behind your head holding you back. Clearing the clutter can benefit you and others by simplifying your life, helping you think clearer, giving you more time, releasing stagnant energy, eliminating stress, chaos and confusion; boosting your confidence and letting you have more fun.
"De-cluttering is empowering. It's about dealing with your emotions and psychological issues and allows a flow of energy to come into your life so you can move forward.
"You will increase your productivity and experience greater peace and happiness in all that you do.
"Organising is as easy as ABC, 123 – it is a process, it does take time and it does take commitment – but it is worth it and the results are instant and life changing.
"The secret is that everything has a home."
For more details, call Karen Barnett on 0418 182 075 or email organizingyou@optusnet.com.au
10 tips to getting organised from Organizing You
1. Make a one hour appointment with yourself – write it in your diary.
You are making a commitment to yourself - This is important and you are more likely to keep the appointment, as you would with the dentist.
2. The first appointment is to establish what and where is the clutter.
Take a clipboard with a piece of paper – divided into room titles – and a pen.
Walk through your home - room by room and write down in list/ point form what areas need to be de-cluttered. Eg: master bedroom - wardrobes, chest of drawers, under bed. You now have a picture of your clutter – there is now no more mystery, no more guess work. This will help you think clearer.
3. Sit down with a cup of coffee and read through your list. Prioritise – what areas are bugging you the most? Work through the list, point by point, room by room, numbering it 1 - ? Make an appointment in your diary for the following week – could be a one hour or a three hour appointment – whatever will work for you. Try to keep the appointment for the same time, same day, each week.
4. Prior to the next appointment, think about what you want to achieve?
Do you want to tidy it up, find homes for it or get rid of it?
5. Ensure you have plenty of boxes, containers, black bin bags.
6. On the day of the appointment, mentally prepare yourself for your de-clutter session – look forward to it. Put on some music.
Get the boxes, black bin bags and containers ready.
7. Go to the no 1 priority room at the time of the appointment.
8. Clear the space, clear the floor. Put things into piles – a yes, a no, a maybe, a St Vinnies and a rubbish pile.
9. Once the floor is clear go the cupboard or under the bed and repeat the process until all the areas of the room are clear.
10. Address the piles. The 'yes pile' put away neatly in the rooms. If it does not all belong in that room, put into a box to be put into the right homes.
The 'no pile' put into a box to go to be sold or to give to somebody. The 'maybe pile' goes into a box to go through at a later date. The St Vinnies pile goes to St Vinnies. The rubbish pile goes in the bin.
Put the boxes/bags in one place to be added to as you go through the house room by room.
You are now on your way to a clutter free life. Organising is a methodical process – 1,2,3 – A,B,C. Clear the clouds and let the sunshine in.
_________________________________________________________
MEDIA CONTACT ONLY: Aldwyn Altuney, AA Xpose Media,
Ph: (07) 5571 0233, 0409 895 055. Email: aldwyn@aaxpose.com
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