Welcome to "Organizing Blog Central" -- where we give organizers around the world a chance to share their experiences, advice, and opinions about getting organized. You'll find everything here -- inspiration, motivation, tips, product recommendations, and even a few challenges to your current belief system (you can't change without letting go of a few preconceptions!)
Come back daily, as we have a dozen different blogs a day every day of the week -- on topics like home and office organizing, paper and time management, organizing your kids, simplifying you life, getting your finances in order, travel, moving, and much more!
This past week I was asked by a current client of mine to help get her relatively new blended family better organized around the house. Anyone who has a blended family knows how difficult this can be.
So I put on my "Super Nanny" hat and went to her home and conducted a family meeting to get everyone involved and provide the parents with some guideline to use in setting up a Weekly Responsibility Chart, not only for their five children but the parents as well. We discussed how to create a Reward Chart so the children would be able to see on a weekly basis how they are progressing towards their rewards. We decided that both charts would be prominently displayed in a corner of their kitchen. The goal here is to create an atmosphere where the entire family functions as a unit.
The parents will now get together with each child one-on-one and together they will discuss which chores they will be responsible for on a weekly basis and how the reward system will work. The parents will also have their responsibilities listed on the chart. It is important for the children to see that the parents have responsibilities as well and what they are.
While there are thousands of tips that families can use to get and stay organized, here are some Quick Tips for A Better Space that any family can use to get started on the right path:...
Organizing employment and HR files can
seem a bit intimidating at first -- the potential consequences for
making a mistake are much more serious than if you accidentally throw
out a credit card statement too soon! But as long as you understand your
legal responsibilities and have a consistent system for each employee's
files, you should be fine.
Perhaps you’re reading this from your office at home or one away from home. Look around you. Maybe you need to take some time to reorganize!
Let’s start with your files or should I say piles? Whether they’re in a pile or a file take some time today to go through a group of them with weeding in mind. You may be amazed at what you find inside them. Some things may be out dated and need to be tossed and some things may pop out at you as if finding a lost treasure because you’ve been wondering where that information was hiding. Make sure to check each piece of paper in every file. Some papers may be regrouped into a file of their own so that retrieval becomes easier the next time. ...
Some days it can feel as though,
despite your best efforts, you haven't accomplished a dadgum thing.
Quitting time rolls around and all you have to show for it is hours and
hours down the drain, blown on activities that gave you little or no
payoff -- not to mention the fact that your to-do list is still sitting
there staring at you, waiting to be tackled tomorrow!
Paper Doll knows you're keeping track of a lot of information. Chances are good that you use a digital device for jotting down notes on the run. Digital is dandy...except in a downpour. If it's raining or snowing, a non-digital alternative is often preferable. ...
Horchow has the most beautiful high-end file boxes that you have ever seen! These file boxes are designed to be an elegant piece of furniture. I've really never seen anything like them. They can upscale your office instantly. If you or someone you know has purchased one, I'd love to hear your feedback. Are they as functional as they are decorative? Click here to link to Horchow file...
When you are having friends over for dinner, how long does
it take to get ready?
Maybe the bigger question is "Why does it take company for
you to clear away the clutter?" When uncluttering your home becomes a priority,
it can be an arduous process that could take weeks and months to do a thorough
job. But getting organized physically means first getting organized mentally.
Mental clutter can hold us back from organizing our physical spaces and from
staying organized. When you clear the clutter from your mind, you set goals and
boundaries for what you want your life to look like as you go forward. When you
have your priorities straight, then you can clear the clutter from your home
and physically let go of things you don't need, won't use, or don't even like
anymore.
...
We all know the saying, "You can't take it with you", yet we all tend to save things as though we can. Toss while you have the time and energy to do so!
If you're a senior citizen with a lifetime accumulation of "things" like, furniture, picture, old diaries, letters, trip souvenirs, to name a few, then it's probably time to distribute and thin out this stash. Leaving it for your heirs is doing them no favor. It's a very painful chore for loved ones to have to sift through knickknacks, old clothes, mementos, papers, documents, and heirlooms after you've gone. So while you have the time and energy let's get to it! ...
Welcome to the Winter 2012 edition of the Paper Doll Organizing Carnival! As I mentioned
back in
September, this periodic series will give us a chance to
discuss some of the more quixotic and delightful items related to
paper and organizing.
It's the beginning of the new year--a time when people make resolutions to lose weight, spend more time with family and make other such improvements to their life. Many set goals to get organized in the New Year.
If that is one of your goals, that's wonderful! I commend you for setting a goal to improve the quality of your life. I have the perfect organizing project for you. When you've finished it, you'll be less stressed and have more time to enjoy the beginning of Spring.
I don't want you to sort your sock drawer. No, I'm not sending you to organize your garage in the middle of winter.
Your first organizing project of the new year is to: Get Organized for Tax Season.
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