http://www.OnlineOrganizing.com/BlogList.asp Are you buried in clutter, wishing you had more time in your day, and behind in your paperwork? Are you looking for the tools and techniques to help you get and stay organized? Blog Central at OnlineOrganizing.com is the world’s largest organizing blog – with tips and tricks from dozens of Professional Organizers. Come back every day for new ideas for organizing your home or office! Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:45:04 EST en-us http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2716 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2716 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST I have had an ongoing battle with my children's socks. This is a particular area that I as an organizer am ashamed that I cannot handle. But, I have found a solution. Having a 7 and 4 yr old, I have kept all in between and baby socks lumped together for more than a year I know. I have dumped the basket all the way out, sorted, piled it back in and repeated the step as needed for more than one solid year. I know every time I do this I say to myself I am going to take care of this once ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2750 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2750 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Have you noticed that we can become very attached to our routines, traditions and rituals? Sometimes to the point where we just can't let go of them at all. How do we respond, though, when one day life steps in and everything changes right before our eyes? Our best friend has a wonderful job offer ten hours away and has to move. Our weekly group meeting has to find a new home. Or there is a tragedy that rocks our world. The most natural response is to resist, protest and struggle to find a ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2722 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2722 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST At this point, you have probably run across some belongings that don't exactly serve a practical purpose in your life. Of course, some items simply cannot be judged according to their function alone. Certain objects, such as artwork or collectibles, are kept because they are aesthetically pleasing. Others are treasured for their sentimental value. What do to? Quit With The Excuses Already! It's fine to keep things that you don't use everyday -- I don't believe in the "you ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2669 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2669 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST A large percentage of my clients face paper clutter challenges. Despite visions of a paperless society when the computer was invented, we are still inundated with paper at home and at work. One of the biggest culprits is "junk mail" — those credit card solicitations, catalogs, circulars, and the like that you don't want or need, but that still keep coming. Experts estimate that the average person receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year. How to stop the madness? Here are some great ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2749 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2749 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST You're making your list and checking it twice and can't figure out what to buy that one that's not so nice. A gift card will make a great gift and give that picky one a lift. Was that gift the right choice? Let me lend you my opinion and voice. Ok, that was just a fun introductory for one of those gifts that are so easy to buy and give and are usually readily received. However, after watching a video on my bank's website it made me wonder. The woman speaking talked ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2719 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2719 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST You've heard it before. Put on your own oxygen mask before attempting to assist others. When was it exactly that you noticed your mask had slipped? Was it when you realized that your idea of balance was driving with one hand, and talking on your cell phone while eating fast food with the other? Perhaps it was when you looked at all of the clutter on your kitchen table and counters, the stacks lining the entry way and stairs. You may have even contemplated tossing everything out the ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2702 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2702 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2644 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2644 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST If you ask a group of people to define "time management", they will probably talk about getting it all done, crossing items off of a list, and being productive. However, good time management is not the ability to cram more and more into your day. It's a mindset that helps focus your time on those activities that are most valuable and meaningful to you. Efficient Versus Effective Efficiency means getting a lot done in a short time -- effectiveness happens when you also invest your ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2745 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2745 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST Supreme Court justices and reality show contestants aren't the only folks subject to background checks, and government and corporate vetting committees aren't the only ones digging for dirt. Employers, dating services, landlords, wealthy parents of celebutantes--all have an interest in checking out somebody's background. EMPLOYERS In our increasingly litigious society, many employers feel they must perform background checks to protect themselves against negligent hiring ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2720 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2720 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST In my career as a professional organizer and fitness trainer, I've had the opportunity to help busy professional women take stock of what's weighing them down and release the clutter in their spaces, schedules, minds, and bodies. I meet many professional women over 40 who ostensibly "have it all". A career they love, a great spouse, kids, home, and friends. But they're not happy. Somehow along the way they lost touch with themselves - physically and emotionally. Their ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2747 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2747 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:43:31 EST Fun! Are we having fun yet? This is what you'll hear when you're with people who aren't happy about the activity they're involved in. When I was younger and studying dance with the idea that I might try doing it professionally, I often found myself being overly critical, discouraged, and frankly, not having a whole lot of fun. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we explore the "inner work" of organizing through the metaphor ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2746 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2746 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:35:13 EST I got an excited phone call from a client this morning. Last week we unearthed over a dozen banker boxes full of old records from her basement. We stacked them up in a corner of her living room and her assignment was to go through them and shred or save the contents. This weekend's nasty rain storms (winter has arrived in Seattle!) motivated her to get started sorting - where she discovered a still active retirement account with a former employer worth over $9,000! I never ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2678 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2678 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST How much time do you spend reading, responding to and deleting unwanted or unnecessary emails? Do you get stuck on an email thread about topics that don't require your attention? What about the emails from friends or coworkers that CC: you and everyone else in your address book? Well, here's an interesting (and humorous) article about how one company decided to tackle the cluttered email inbox. Read it and tell me what you ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2743 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2743 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST Normal.dotm 0 0 1 36 207 Not From a Box, Inc. 1 1 254 12.256 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2744 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2744 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST The Smithsonian Institute is a well-known and established cultural icon in the U.S. with an array of museums. The institution helps to preserve history. They are known for their wide variety and collection of objects. What you may not know is that they have very well established Records Retention Guidelines. Records Retention Guidelines provide guidance on maintaining the records of an organization from the time they are created up to their eventual disposal. This may include classifying, ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2721 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2721 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST One of the things they never taught me in MBA school was how to be a master of my own business administration. I started to learn what I hadn't learned when I was several months into running my business. I couldn't work at my desk. It was covered with paperwork: office equipment manuals, business plans, and various other papers presumably related to the business. I remember thinking that, if I was going to put myself out there as an organizing expert, I had better get my own stuff ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2714 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2714 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2718 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2718 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:51:02 EST Seriously, your life is all about your choices. I'm going to dare you to take a look at how you're living right now and see how the Power of 3 is affecting your future health, energy, and confidence. The Power of 3 is the connection between: Physical - Mental/Emotional - Environmental You see unless you're aiming for balance among the 3 you don't get the whole picture. Your problem doesn't necessarily begin and end with what you eat or how often you work out. ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2717 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2717 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:49:11 EST What fitness trainers and professional organizers know is that YOU are unique. Your body type, your personality and work style are like no one else's. That's why specific workouts have different effects on different people - metabolic rates vary widely and we now know how important it is to focus on the individual. It's the same with organization. Your concept of order has a lot to do with how you were raised, your personality type and energy level. So what works for ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2496 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2496 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST In most cases, besides all the other responsibilities we have as busy moms, we are responsible to handle the influx of mail that arrives in our mailbox on a daily basis. Unless we know how to control the flow, it can very quickly take over our home. There are some very simple ways to "control the flow". When you bring the mail into the house, don't just throw it in a big pile where a mountain can quickly form. Take a few minutes to quickly go through it to reduce the amount you actually ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2713 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2713 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST As we wind down 2009, The Year of Letting Go at A New View, let's reflect on how you have shifted over this year. What have been your biggest gains and losses from all that you have let go? Where is it that you need to make a commitment to improve? Let's celebrate the gains and make a renewed commitment to make 2010 even more organized, more spacious and more peaceful. Here's an inspiration from Ralph Marston to get your juices flowing. Committed to make it ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2715 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2715 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST Childhood is a time of learning new skills -- you don't know how to do it until someone shows you. And organizing your home or office is the same thing, except no one teaches "Organizing 101"at school! So let's pretend that class is in session and look at some basic organizing principles, through the eyes of a child… Group Like With Like Try singing the Sesame Street song "which of these things is not like the other?" as you organize your storage spaces. Do you see anything ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2665 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2665 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST Imagine you are on a roll, engrossed in a project, in the "flow." All of a sudden, the phone rings, an e-mail alarm goes off, a colleague is standing in your doorway, a fax is coming over the machine, etc. Ah, interruptions. If you didn't define all of those as an interruption, think again. Experts estimate that the average American is interrupted 73 times per day. Some people find this number to be high, others find it extremely low. It depends on what your definition of an interruption ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2712 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2712 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:04:26 EST Trying to get things done around the house, but feeling overwhelmed by your never-ending list of things-to-do? Here's a simple system that works. Make a Master Task List of everything you have to, or want, to do. Don't worry about the order right now. You're basically brain-dumping on paper all your To-Do 's to get the thoughts out of your head and onto paper. This exercise creates a master laundry list of tasks. Now, beside each task on your master list, ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2701 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2701 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2643 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2643 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST The teenage daughter of my organizing client once showed me a science project she was working on -- "Why I'm So Tired All The Time." Was it sugar intake? Too much TV? Turns out she just had too damned much to do! What Are We Teaching Our Children? As this 10th grader rattled off her list of daily activities, the problem was apparent. She rose at 5AM for school and stayed 1-2 hours late each day for a different extracurricular club. She then had either soccer practice or dance class, ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2707 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2707 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST Last week , as part of our ongoing series on the agencies collecting and distributing information about consumers, we talked about CLUE and A-PLUS reports, and how the information contained within them determines whether you can get (or keep) your insurance, and what kinds of rates you'll be charged as a home or vehicle owner. Of course, insurance companies aren't only interested in damage claims for your home and car. They also want to take your temperature, so to speak, as a ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2677 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2677 Mon, 9 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST For all you iPhone and IKEA lovers, there's a new mobile application that will make shopping even easier. It's called "Swede Shop" and looks something like the image above. Type in the item name, set a price and dial in the aisle and bin. You can also add notes, priority or image. No more need for the mini pencil and scraps of paper – talk about neat! It only costs $0.99 cents to download. Learn more about it ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2706 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2706 Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST Normal.dotm 0 0 1 384 2194 Not From a Box, Inc. 18 4 2694 12.256 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2705 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2705 Mon, 9 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST What a great weekend I had! I had the opportunity to take a top-rate training class in New York City through the Julie Morgenstern Organizing Institute. The best part was spending quality time with the organizing guru herself, Julie Morgenstern . I have always used her organizing method, which centers on developing custom designed organizing solutions which meet the client's needs. Instead of trying to change all of a client's habits, the client will have better success in ...