Organizing Tips & Resources       

MONTHLY ORGANIZING TIP  

                                                    10 little habits that can make a big difference!

1. Remove trash and miscellaneous items from the car as soon as you return home.

2. Designate an appropriate space for items that need to stay in the car. Make sure they are easy to access.

3. Keep the dishwasher empty. Encourage family members to put dishes directly in the dishwasher rather than in the sink or on the counter.

4. Organize a drawer while your watching TV.

5. Keep a 'donations' container in each closet or in a central location so items that are outgrown or no longer needed can be easily gathered and donated.

6. Keep a notebook with you. This gives you a reliable space to capture information and you can transfer your notes to the appropriate places like a calendar or to do list at the end of the day.

7. Have everyone do a clean sweep each night before heading to bed. It only takes a few minutes if everyone picks up their own stray items and you get to start the next day with a clean slate.

8. Filter mail before bringing it into the house. Drop junk mail into the recycle bin or garbage on your way in to help reduce paper piles.

9. Prepack items that are necessary for frequent activities like soccer practice, or art class. Keep everything you need in a handy container so all you have to do is grab and go.

10. Designate a 'drop zone' for family members. Use hooks, bins or trays to neatly capture things that tend to get dumped as soon as people walk in the door.

 

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                TIPS                    
 
SPACE MANAGEMENT

Enlist the help of a friend.
It's always more fun to work on a project with a friend and they can help you be more objective about your things. 

Remember the 80/20 Rule. 
Most people use 20 percent of their things 80 percent of the time.    

Group like items together.  
When things have one home they are easier to find and easier to put away.                        

TIME MANAGEMENT   
              
Take time to plan.
It may seem like a waste of precious time to you, but by planning you are actually able to make sure the things you need to do each day get done more efficiently. You free up your mind because instead of replaying the tape of what you need to do it is written down for you.

Don't over schedule.
Leaving some free time in your schedule allows you time to recharge or make adjustments to your day if something comes up or takes longer than planned.



PAPER MANAGEMENT

Cut down on incoming paper.
Opt out of junk mail (see link in resources) and think twice before you fill out that entry to win a fabulous prize.

Do you really need it?
Most things can be found on the internet these days. Before adding that paper to the pile you need to file ask yourself if the information exists somewhere else and if it will be easy to get again if you need it.





     

Paper 


Junk Mail Opt Out



IRS
Paper
Retention
Guidelines





Paper Tiger filing system




Time management

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