Since the beginning of my professional organizing career, the most asked question has been “How to I keep up with all the paper in my life?” (or some variation thereof). Paper is prolific in our lives as Americans. The fact that we now have computers seems to have compounded, rather than relieved, the influx of papers. Even though we may receive less letters and billing statements in our postal mailbox, we are still inundated with the circulars, ads and the charitable and political donation requests.

So the biggest key to controlling the paper is to stay on top of it.
I have seen ignored stacks of paper grow to reach ceiling heights. Sometimes the paper is collected into boxes that then clutter the garage, leaving the cars in the rain! How do you keep up with all the paper in your life? By staying on top of it. Here’s what I mean:
You come in from work, mail in hand. Don’t throw everything on a horizontal surface, instead, quickly sort thru the mail and throw out those pesky circulars, ads and anything that is junk mail. By only doing this you will have decreased the amount of paper in your hand by 50-70%. Get used to the fact that when you think something is junk mail, you are probably right – it’s junk mail! Don’t feel like you have to open the envelope from your political party unless you do plan to make a charitable contribution. They are not sending you a check! Just shred it and move on with your day!
Now what to do with the rest of the mail in your hand? You have a few options here:
1. Look at everything right away, make decisions, and put things where they belong, OR
2. Have a mail basket or container of some sort that you put this mail in until you have time to look at it.

Going thru the mail basket once, twice or even three times a week will help you keep the paper to a minimum. The key, however, is to do something with the mail once you decide to go thru it. This means put the bills to be paid together, read the newsletter, add that “Save the Date” to your calendar, make a note of things that require a response on your to do list. Like the Nike slogan – just do it! Getting rid of that visual paper clutter will go a long way in helping you begin to sort out the mental clutter. Did you know they were related??? More on that later……

Today, Organize to Downsize: Preparing to Simplify Your Home, was officially and professionally published. This is my first book and I cannot tell you how excited I am! This is one of those life long goals and now I get to share it with you!

This workbook is a step by step guide for you, or anyone you know, to use whether downsizing as an empty nester, preparing to move, or simply wanting to reduce the clutter and create a harmonious home environment. You will find the answers on how to accomplish it here! The workbook starts with steps to creating your organizing plan, teaches you the principles of organization and guides you through the entire process, tackling everything from papers to possessions! Make the job of simplifying your life easier, by following a step by step strategy to help you achieve your organizing goals.

The workbook includes:

• Easy to understand steps to start your project
• Project planner & checklists
• Donation worksheets
• Tons of resources!

The workbook would make an excellent gift for that special someone! It is also available as a download e-book! Click here to purchase!

Thank you!

As a small business entrepreneur, I was blogging back in 2005. Then after a somewhat diligent attempt, I dropped the project all together. NOW, however, blogging is more of a lifestyle than an obligation so I am happy to revive the old blog in an effort to change the world… Lofty goal, I know, I just want the world to purge, recycle, and get organized! In the era of materialism and consumerism, we have gotten out of control with our personal property.
The older folks are said to be collectors of tons of stuff because they lived through the Depression when times were hard, and the next meal was hard to come by. The next generations, learned by example, and began to take it to the next level. More is better, more is an indicator of wealth. So we collected collections, started shopping online and at big box stores, working longer and harder and, alas, now we have STUFF everywhere! The stuff in our lives makes things more complicated, stresses us out, and steals the joy from our lives.
There is hope for the future. I want to be part of the solution by providing ideas and tips to help Americans reduce what they have. We have taken years to accumulate the collections and clutter so now we must focus on eliminated the superfluous one step at a time. I hope you come back often for small nuggets of organizing knowledge to help enhance your life through the elimination of the stuff.

I have worked with many clients who actually know about storage, organizing by task, grouping by type, and even those who recognize the importance of labels and filing. These same people still seek me out with organizing questions and projects. Why? Because they have an overabundance of things!!!

It used to be that the children of the depression era, as grown adults, would keep large amounts of food on hand and over collect things that they liked or missed during their childhood. The rationale behind this was based on the fact that they grew up with so little, suffered in poverty, and never knew where their next meal would come from, so having abundance on hand was a type of peace of mind. I can appreciate the psyche from which this developed but it has carried forward into the future generations.

Now the grandchildren and the great grandchildren of the depression era generation suffer with an overabundance of things. This is because they had clutter and overabundance filling their homes during childhood. Clutter and hoarding was present their whole life. This has been further compounded by media advertising mentality of “more is better”, “you’ve got to try this” and “sale, sale, sale”. These are the battlecries of our generation. The result is rooms, houses, garages, and costly storage units stuffed with things that can’t possibly be consumed or used for their originally intended purpose. And now our children are experiencing this!

Children in America have plastic totes, toy boxes, closets and playrooms packed with so many toys and clothes that the children don’t even know all that they have! They can’t possibly need 4 jean jackets and all those stuffed animals!

We have got to let it go! Releasing the clutter and seeking help for our hoarding tendencies, if not for ourselves, then for our children.

Picture this: You are 86 years old and your family has to move you to an assisted care facility because of health problems. After you are moved into your new place and all your family has doted on you and helped to make your transition smooth, you settle down and begin to enjoy the scenery. In the meantime, your family has to deal with “the stuff” in your home, the things that could not go with you to your new home. There is a garage that hasn’t had a car in it for 20 years because there wasn’t room for even a spare tire. Your filing cabinets are bursting and paper can be found in boxes and dressers. All of your collections would take 3 months just to post on eBay! And even though you were the only one in the house for the last ten years, your clothes exceed the closet capacity of all the bedrooms, and there are more clothes in the garage. Family pictures are found throughout the house, some in albums, some in boxes, and some in bags. Am I painting a familiar picture?

This scenario will become more complicated, worrisome and difficult to face when you die and your family has to struggle with their grief and your stuff! Realize that this is the legacy that you will leave your family if you continue to hang onto the clutter!

Letting go of items may seem difficult, I know. But consider the fact that many of these things piled in storage units, under beds, closets and plastic totes are not being viewed, touched, or loved anyway. Some things may have served a purpose earlier in your life but now your life has changed. Since change is good, consider taking a photo of the items and writing about them in a scrapbook or journal so that your memory can be preserved. Share your old treasures with the less fortunate or those who are just starting out. Let them be useful instead of hidden and dusty. Make it a goal to clear out one area at a time. I recommend keeping a list of the donated items; you can often use them as tax deductions. As you go through life, give away some prized possessions (early) to those friends and relatives who have admired them. Then you will be able to see them enjoy your gift instead of hoping they like it after you are gone from this earth. If you are hesitant about letting go of something, try this: Put the item in a box in the garage or other storage area. Seal it shut and write the date on it then mark your calendar for six months later. Then on the six month date, ask yourself: Have I missed the item or can I get by without it? If you forgot about it and life went on a usual, then it is time to let it go.

I know many of you can organize, but can you let go? I hope so for the sake of your family members and your sanity. Visit my web log next week and I’ll address what to do with kid clutter.