Counting the Cost of Clutter

Every year, getting organized finds its way onto the top ten list of American New Year's Resolutions.  It's a lofty goal that many of us aspire to.  I'm sure I'm not the only person who drools over the perfectly organized, color-coordinated, clutter-free photos in the home magazines.  Unfortunately, (like most other resolutions) the goal of getting organized is often abandoned within weeks of the new year's start.  But why? 

Well, wanting the end result isn't the same as knowing what it takes to achieve that goal, and knowing what it takes doesn't necessarily translate into having the desire -- the will -- to make it happen.  Inspiration is nice, but sometimes it takes desperation to get us over that first hurdle on the path to success.  So, here are a few statistics that will hopefully light your fire:

• The American Cleaning Institute (formerly The National Soap and Detergent Association) says 80 percent of household clutter is the result of disorganization, not a lack of space.
• The American Cleaning Institute also believes getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of the housework in the average home.
• Harris Interactive reports that 23 percent of adults say they pay bills late (and incur fees) because they lose them.
• The average American wastes 55 minutes a day looking for things they know they own but can't find according to a Boston marketing firm.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that the average American executive wastes six weeks a year searching for important documents that have gotten lost in clutter.
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) estimates that 80 percent of filed papers are never looked at again.

Bottom line: yes, getting organized takes some effort, but it takes a lot more effort than we realize to live amongst clutter.  Think how much more time and energy we'd have for the things that matter if we weren't busy looking for the keys or straightening up the mountain of mail that accidentally fell over.  Imagine the financial freedom we would have if we weren't racking up late fees.  Darn it, we can't afford to stay disorganized!

Take Control

Getting out the door in a reasonable time frame is a daily struggle for me.  I keep wondering why it takes me an hour to get out of bed (even though I'm already wide awake).  I chalked it up to just not being a morning person or not looking forward to going to work.  But seeing our daughter struggle with getting ready really opened my eyes to the situation.

On days when we have a plan (the backpack is packed, lunches are made, and clothes are laid out), we "magically" leave on time.  But honestly, on most days we just wing it.  I find myself fussing every day, "Why can't we ever be on time?  I hate being late!"  Then I noticed that we were usually late for church too, so I couldn't figure out why my husband would decide to load/unload the dishwasher when we needed to be out the door in an hour.  I didn't want to discourage him from voluntarily doing chores (yay for hubbies doing chores!), but that just didn't fit the routine.

Ding!  A light bulb went off in my head.  Routine!  Two things ADD folks struggle with are getting distracted and misjudging how long tasks will take.  I start to get pick out clothes for our daughter in the morning and notice clothes on the floor.  I stop to put them away and notice one of my son's socks got mixed in with hers.  I take it to his room and notice the trash needs to be emptied.  I go to empty the trash and realize I need a new bag for the can.  I...  Well, you get the idea. 

So, how in the world can I train myself to focus on one task at a time and stick to a routine?  Write it down!  For my daughter I made morning and bedtime routine checklists that I posted on the wall.  For myself, I saw a suggestion to create a Control Journal -- a "personal manual for listing and keeping track of your routines."  All you need to get started is a 1" binder and some paper.  You build it one step at a time.

I'm going to give a shot and let you know how it goes.  If you start seeing me show up on time to things, you'll know it's working!

No Need to Fear: Organizing for Tax Season

Tax season has arrived.  If that statement has you breaking into a cold sweat, you’re not alone.  People dread taxes for many reasons: not having the money to pay what they owe, fear of being audited, hatred of math, and disorganization.  If you’re an adult, I probably won’t have much luck convincing you that math is fun (of course as a former math teacher, I may be a bit biased).  That said, getting organized can prevent you for paying more than you really owe and it will ensure you maintain the documentation you need in case of an audit.

If you have an overflowing pile of mail that you are loathe to tackle, where do you start? As with most things organization-related, the keys are:

1. Convenience (If there are too many steps or everything is not within easy reach, you're not likely to follow through.)
2. Routine (If you wait until the last minute, you WILL be overwhelmed.  Doing a little at a time makes a huge difference without requiring a huge amount of effort.)

My first suggestion is to do the paperwork filing as it comes in.  Dumping everything in one bottomless box until tax time is not the way to go.  Keep separate files for:

• banking
• retirement/investment accounts
• loans
• education expenses
• dependent (child/elder) care
• medical expenses
• business expenses
• work expenses
• charitable donations
• miscellaneous (anything else that you may need to track)

My second tip is to keep your files right next to where you handle your mail (your mail table, desk, etc.)  If you have to take it to another room to file, you're likely to do what I've done in the past: put aside for later (which usually doesn't come until you need to clean for guests or until tax time). 

Hint: try the Organizing Utility Tote for keeping your tax files tidy and convenient.  It's cute, can easily be toted to your home office or your accountant, and it stows neatly under or next to your mail table/desk.

 


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You’ve Got to Start Somewhere

It’s a new year (funny how that seems to sneak up on me every 12 months), and my resolution is to be willing to step out and try new things.  One of those is my new business venture as an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts.  Another is my desire to help others (like myself) who may be struggling to bring order and beauty to their disorganized lives. 

As a woman with Adult ADD, if my surroundings are cluttered, so is my mind.  I just can’t function to the best of my abilities when my surroundings are disorganized.  Of course getting things together is easier said than done (especially with a husband, 5 year-old daughter, 8 month-old son, and a mutt who takes pride in shedding her black fur wherever she goes).

With months (or years) of clutter, it can be extremely overwhelming to figure out where to dive in.  My advice?

• Start small.  (Yes, it all needs to be tackled, but not all at once.  Break a big project into smaller, more manageable pieces.)
• Be consistent.  (If you devote 5-10 minutes every day, you’d be surprised how much of an improvement you’ll see.)
• KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid.  Don’t try to put everything where it belongs all at once.  As you go through each room separate things into 3 sections: keep, donate/sell, and trash.  As you move from room to room, unload the things that belong in that room, and put out of place items in the keep pile.  Hint: the Thirty-One Large Utility Tote can make carrying your keep pile from room to room easy.  Another one for your donation pile makes collection a snap.  Plus, they collapse easily for storage when not in use.)




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• Reward yourself!  (After you've completed your brief cleaning/organizing session, treat yourself to a cup of tea, a bubble bath, or that TV program you've been looking forward to all day.)