Holistic Path

We hold on to things because we paid good money for it, but what's the use if your designer clothes gather dust in your closet? Donate it, it could be worth $30,000 a year to a woman who wears it to an interview and gets the job.

Get Started

• Change thought patterns and habits (File it, not pile it!)


• What do you stand to gain?


• Make it fun! Play your favourite music!


• Make To-Do lists


• Recognise you're not the same person 10 years ago.
  Interests/style change. Get rid of things that are no longer useful/meaningful
• Don't worry about setting up the perfect system, you can always perfect it later.
  Do be on lookout for ways to simplify everyday tasks
• If you're feeling a little stressed, it may be that things are getting out of control. Regain control by takin gtime out to organise something. You'll feel better immediately.
• Let go of the belief that once a thing enters into your possession, you are its keeper forevermore.

Self Confession

• I am disorganised because.... I'm slightly ADD, short attention span, I get excited about new things and leave old projects hanging.......
  ...... I'm obsessed about getting things dones, so I tend to purposely leave things in sight (instead of putting them away) to remind myself to finish the task...


• Top 3 things that keep me from getting organised
  - wake up late
  - distractions (internet)
  - hoarding


• What contributes to clutter - piling


• Clutter makes me feel......... irritated, disorganised


• I could get organised if.......... I spend a little time everyday


• I want to get organised because......... I'll feel good about myself


• If I could get organised, I could..... be more efficient

Acid Test

• If saving something in case you need it someday
  "Can I get another one easily and inexpensively if i need it someday?"
  If yes, THROW!


• "What's the worst that can happen if I throw?"
  If you can live the the consequences, THROW!


• "Have I used it in the past year?"


• "Do I need it for tax/legal purposes?"


• "Difficult to get another one?"


• If you take more than 60 secs to decide whether or not to keep it, you probably don't need it


• If it's ugly/unfixable - THROW!

Philosophy

Weigh the pain of letting go of stuff agains't the pain of living with it. Sure there's a 1% chance you'll miss it, but 99% you won't think of it again.
Have faith you made the right decision.

Accept that you can't control life by holding on to things. The secret is to let go.

Tips

The 30-Second Rule. “If it takes thirty seconds or less to do a job, do it immediately.”

When you get something out, put it back — right away.

Don't put things down - put them away!

File it! Not pile it!

Use the 80/20 Rule.
- You use 20% of your stuff 80% of the time
- Only 20% of the tasks are priority items

Having less means being able to enjoy what you have more

LABEL!

• Use egg timer so that you don't go overboard when doing things. PARETO
• Set up clutter collectors where clutter tends to collect, eg basket for loose change
• Unclutter the wall, if too many photos, rotate
• Label leftovers in fridge (date), keep labels and markers handy
• Divide into categories, label categories
  -Paper categories: newspaper, mags, mail, lists, receipts, scores, bills
  -Filing: insurance, financial, property, taxes, medical
  -Scores: Jazz, classical, wedding, easy listening, duets
• Organise recipes in binders, categories: desserts, potatoes, meat etc
• Paper tray, hanging folders for each child
• Find a home for everything, so that it has a place to go home to
• collect all clothes need mending- put in bag, label "mending", schedule time for it
• Designate place near door for
  -outgoing mail
  -library books
  -dry cleaner
• Before you set things down, ask yourself, is this where it belongs?
• Create a "home" for new acquisitions immediately, instead of setting it on your desk
• Plan weekly meals in advance, put on fridge
• Establish routines, eg laundry every monday, enter receipts on friday.
• Rather than save an entire brochure/flyer for one piece of info (eg tel. no), save just the info and discard the paper
• Time pockets, in 5-10 mins you can:
  clean out your wallet, write a quick note, sew a button
• Question everything you file. Do you really need this old cable? Why keep this paper which you will never look at again?
• Filter your junk as soon as it arrives
  -Toss em, file em, note down in diary (To Call, To Read....etc)
• For household: establish "clutter free zone" (like DMZ), if you brought it in.. you bring it out
• Set up inbox for each family member: forms, permission slips etc
• Keep frequently used cleaning supplies in bathroom and kitchen so you can clean as you go/at your convenience, use handcloth headed for laundry
• Go on a Commitments Diet. Get out of activities that are not aligned to your values/priorities. What you were committed to/believed in last time may not hold true now. Re-evaluate your values. (Family, Friends, Health, Career, Religion etc)

Space Savers

• Vertical storage, eg back of door organisers, racks
• wrapping paper/rolls- corner of closet
• dual use
  - trunk style coffee table
  - bed with drawer
  - covered bench
• Organise jewelry in ice cube containers
• Hang small collectibles in small pouches, clipped on clothes hanger
  

Source: The One Minute Organizer, Donna Smallin [640 SMA]