Organized For Life

Questions come my way all the time regarding my God-given nature to be organized. It has been said that I stayed under the proverbial "organized spout" too long when I was being created. In fact, at one point in my career I had the unofficial title, "Minister of Organization."

However, when a person takes the time to ask me about organization I take their question seriously. If a person is asking about being more organized I know they are considering changes in their life. Changes that could give them more time to spend with their families, time to spend developing the career that they have only dreamed of, or changes that will make them enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror, changes that could be difficult and terrifying.

Below are some very practical ideas that you can apply to your life. I have spent my lifetime gathering these ideas, not only gathering but also applying them successfully in my own life.

Understand that you might not be a neat freak. As stated above, I was born organized. My parents never punished me by making me clean my room. The only way that they could have would have been for me to mess it up first and then clean it. Don't allow the pressure of someone's neatness make you feel bad about yourself. When you see their neat and clean home, office, automobile, or sock drawer remember they could be a big mess on the inside.

Begin with a list. Things often seem less overwhelming if you put them in their proper perspective. Make a list of what you'd like to organize and break it down into manageable tasks. Remember how you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.

Get your equipment in order. Well labeled boxes, drawers, family calendars, old plastic storage containers, and more can be used to store and help establish a routine in your life. Be creative. Can you use an old flowerpot to store miscellaneous pencils and pens by the phone? Can you stash old checkbooks in a labeled shoebox and store them in the closet instead of your desk drawer? There are an abundance of inexpensive organizers on the market today. If you find yourself lacking the proper equipment at home, make a list of your needs and shop around. Having the proper equipment for the job will make less work for you in the long run. Less work equals more fun!

Create a plan. Now that you have a list and all the tools needed, create a plan of action. Make a priorities list. You don't have to do it all in one weekend. Make a plan and stick to it.

Get rid of the junk. That is a blunt way of saying, "If you haven't used it in a year consider throwing it away." Keep in mind that the more things you have, the more you have to take care of. Is your closet filled with clothes that never leave the hanger? Maybe now is a good time to make a donation to your local Salvation Army or church clothing closet. Do you have a storage area packed with boxes that you haven't seen in years? If you haven't used something in over a year, you probably never will. Hold a thrift sale. Give it away. Junk it.

Make a place for everything. If you're not really sure where batteries go, how will you put them away? In the junk drawer again? Make certain that everything has a place to be stored. Lose the junk drawer and use boxes and labeled envelopes to store miscellaneous items. You'll eliminate clutter if you make space now for everything.

Use F.A.T. bins. When I help people organize their life I suggest they set up helpful bins for all the things that they deal with in a day's time. Three of the bins I suggest are: Action (a bin that should be emptied at the end of the day), File It (a bin full of items to be filed by the end of the week), and Trash (a can to be emptied as often as needed with items that are not filed in other bins).

If you apply the F.A.T system it's not necessary to spend every weekend cleaning, you will naturally take care of simple tasks regularly. Do a quick pickup everyday. Is your kitchen table or desk piled high with today's mail, current projects, and miscellaneous items? Make it a rule that the table or desk gets cleaned off every day. Take fifteen minutes somewhere in the day to just put things away. Don't make a chore of it. Fifteen minutes will give you enough time to remove clutter before it gets out of hand.

Do a little each day. Make a list of daily chores that you can do each day. Is the Laundromat packed on weekends? Why not go for an hour on Monday night instead? Do you spend more time than necessary waiting in line shopping for groceries before the weekend? Pick a different day. Stores are less busy during early weekday evenings. By doing one task a day, rather than trying to accomplish them all in one weekend, cleanup and organization isn't as painful.

Take time to relax. Since cleaning up is work, it often gets put off until it's a huge project. Do a little each day and then, stop. Rest, relax, and enjoy your clutter free home. Reward yourself when you get the job done. I have a friend that recently rewarded herself with a new car!

Know how to say, "No." You must realize that you cannot do everything, and if you allow your schedule to become too full you will not accomplish tasks at your highest potential. Being focused on what you want in your life (and your day) will help you say no to many would-be distractions.

I would be glad to become your "Organized For Life" coach. Coaching you to your potential is success in my book. Feel free to contact me at jeff@jeffearlywine.com or check out the website link below.

Footprints and Monuments is a free monthly leadership and motivational e-newsletter. No names receiving this e-newsletter are sold or distributed to any other source. You are encouraged to forward this monthly article to anyone in your address book. To un-subscribe please reply back with "Un-subscribe" in the subject field.

About The Author

Jeff Earlywine

jeff@jeffearlywine.com

Airbnb cleaning service Glenview ..

In The News:

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

Organized For Life

Get Organized - Organization