March, 2008

Each month you will find a tip designed to help you keep organized and "on-track" throughout the month, and eventually, throughout the entire year.

Organizing is always a work in progress and there’s quite a bit to do in March. Instead of organizing these tips into weeks, this time I have put them into categories of Home and Office. See if it works for you.

With summer closer than you think, thoroughly clean one of your counter appliances, such as your blender, food processor or indoor grill.

Gather every article of clothing that no longer fits you and your family members and donate them all to charity.

Begin making a 'spring cleaning' list of chores you want done around the house. One good place to start is to replace any bath towels that have seen better days, with fresh new ones. Use the old ones for cleaning purposes, or toss them.

In every home there is one room that is more disorganized than the others. Define that room and concentrate on clearing the clutter and cleaning only that room for the next few weeks. By the end of the month, that room will be your most organized in the house and a welcome retreat for you to enjoy!

Organize your child's hair accessory collection. Use an over-the-door pocket organizer or individual “Ziplock” bags within a tote or basket to separate barrettes, ponytail holders and ribbons.

Make a list of any outside repair work that needs to be done. Then, make an appointment with yourself, your spouse or a local contractor to fix at least one.

Take your car to the car wash if you haven't washed it lately. Have the interior vacuumed out while you're at it.

Use preprinted return address labels on your envelopes instead of writing them each time. This is a more efficient use of your time. Either buy them, or make them on your computer.

Begin gathering your tax-related documents for 2007, and for the two years before that, if necessary. Make an appointment with your accountant. Remember, the tax deadline is less than a month away!

Free up space on your computer, by deleting files you no longer need. Store larger files on CDs instead of on your hard drive. These include picture and sound fines.

Go shopping for an organizing tool, such as a label maker, a container with compartments or some shelves.

Most home filing systems can be weeded out by more than 50%. Go through each of your file folders and begin recycling papers you no longer need. Hint: If you have papers that are no longer current, such as warranties that have expired or individual check stubs from years back that you've already received end-of-year documentation for, they're good candidates for recycling. Consider shredding them first though, for your protection.

Toss any pens or markers in your home that no longer work. Don't forget about those rolling around in the junk drawer.

If you have been keeping up with these tips since January, you are well on your way to efficient organizing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright © 2008 Florette Anderson

Excerpted from “60 Minutes to a Clutter-Free Life”, a systematic tutorial on virtually painless organization.