Setting Goals and New Year’s Resolutions

There’s always something awesome about kicking off into a New Year. It’s a powerful feeling to know you have a brand spanking new year ahead of you and the opportunities for success are endless.

The word resolution comes from 'resolve' and means to make up one's mind or decide firmly. Take the time and reflect on where you want to go or do next.

Some of the most popular New Year resolutions are:

• Lose weight
• Stop smoking
• Spend more time with family
• Get more organized (woo hoo!!)
• Exercise more

As fellow professional organizer Theresa Brune states, “Put your goal in writing – make it clear, conscience, and thorough. The more detail, the better.”

Once you know your goals and objectives, then you need to think about a plan of action. It is often the lack of action which will stop you from achieving what you most want. There will be setbacks and frustrations as you strive to reach your goal.

“You only fail when you stop trying,” Thomas Edison.

Acknowledge and embrace these little hiccups and then get right back on track.

Setting goals and taking action can be easier than you think!

Visit the blog of  the Amazing Michigan Chapter of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers)  for more organizing tips.  In fact, there will be a new organizing tip every day in January!

What is one goal for yourself in 2011?

Can You REALLY Organize a Teenager's Bedroom?

Organizing in a teenager's bedroom.

Is this even possible?!?

Why yes it is!



Rocket Organizing strikes again with a new organizing video for you. Check out how to bring some coolness (is it still "cool" to say "cool" anymore?) to your bedroom by assembling a Closetmaid Cubeicals storage system:


You could not pay me to relive my teenage years. I'm thankful I was able to bring a smile to one teenager's face. (a significant triumph in itself)

If you are looking for a great organizing product, easy to assemble and an awesome price, check out the Closetmaid Cubeicals. This one was purchased on sale at Target.

What is scary about your teenager's bedroom?

Always Best to Honor your Memories

"Terry" admits she get overwhelmed in attempting to stay organized. Like many of us, the dramas of life can take over and the last thing on your list of things to care for is yourself.

Terry had been hanging on to a gift certificate for my services for 11 months. The certificate made her feel good when she received it and if she used it, Terry felt it would be gone. Finally, she broke down and we met.

We talked a bit about her goals. I gave her some ideas about managing tasks to get and stay organized. Then she told me about a craft box in her attic.

This craft box was her mother's. Terry cherished this box of craft supplies. The thing is, Terry's mother passed away 11 years ago. Yes, 11 years this box sat in her attic collecting dust and funk.

She finally decided that the time had come to part with it. Terry told me she believed,

"If you release what is holding you back, good will come back."

A woman came to Terry's home from Freecycle to pick up her mother's craft box. The next week, there was a knock on Terry's front door.

The woman had returned to give Terry this Christmas display for her home. Made only from the items found in the gifted box. Terry immediately recognized certain parts of the arrangement that her mother decorated with. Needless to say, Terry was beside herself with joy and happiness. I got the chills when she told me the story.

Memories of a past loved one are good. They should be honored since they played a loving role in your life. Though if you have them cramped in a dusty, funky smelling old box in your attic, is that really a positive way to remember them?

If you are not enjoying them, perhaps it is time to part with them.
Another person will find joy in the items you give.
........ And good will come back to you.

What's in your attic?

Organizing Trick for Your Bathroom

Morning are not a place for frustration or being annoyed. When you are getting ready in the morning, you ideally want your daily ritual to be easy and as simple as possible.

Here's a great little trick for organizing your bathroom, specifically your hair dryer:



Interested in more sassy, sexy fun organizing videos?
Go to RocketOrganizing.com

Rocket Organizing is about bringing something different in the organizing entertainment world: ideas and tips YOU can relate to (perhaps even tackle yourself).

What do you do in your home that you were not allow to growing up?

But Dust Bunnies are sooo Cute!

It's just a mess.
Hopeless.
I don't even no where to begin.
Look, I know I have a problem.
This is so embarassing.
I have heard all kinds of lines from clients.

"I am proud of 'Marty' for taking this step to call you,"
stated the wife of Marty to me.

Marty and his wife run a couple businesses out of their home. Needless to say, it becomes a bit tricky keeping the office organized. Throw in a move a couple years ago, business doesn't stop, and the place gets out of control quickly.



Stacks of papers on the floor, covering the desk, piles on the chairs. Leaving no place to work. It was getting quite frustrating for Marty. And he was starting to get depressed about the mess because he felt terrible about their office area.

When I started working with Marty, I noticed he knew where everything was. There was some order to the mess. He was able to put away many of the needed papers and receipts quickly. Two large bags were taken to the dumpster. And, another 4-5 large plastic containers of papers were ready to be taken to a local shredding company, probably close to 200 lbs (91 kg).








6.5 hours later ... A clean desk top, no more dust bunnies!

Marty felt better about the office area.
He had a desk again and a plan to keep it organized.

Like Marty's wife, I am proud of him for tackling this project.
I am confident he WILL keep it organized.

When helping your clients,
what statements have they made to you?

Drawer Magic with Rocket Organizing

Drawers.

We all have them. Many times STUFFED to the brim with pencils, screws, papers, power cords and other odds & ends. If you have your drawers organized, bonus to you.

In this video from Rocket Organizing (a new division of Organized Solutions), we take a look at an organizing magic trick to keep your drawers organized and in check:




What is your favorite drawer in your home?

Don't be a Squirrel, Get Organized

Now is a great time to get your pantry organized AND help those in need.  Most schools are collecting pantry items for holiday food drives, so donating is as easy as stopping by your local school.

Time to take a look through your collection of can goods and pantry items.
Anything dusty?
Label faded?
Stuff you don't even like?
Do you REALLY need 12 cans of green beans?

Set these items aside for donation.

Now, take a look and make sure cookies and peanut butter jars are not hiding in your plates or glasses. Bring all your pantry items into one area of your kitchen. This not only makes it easy to see all the food you have available, it will also save you from buying more of what you already have in your home.

Finally, set up your own family grocery store. There is a reason stores are set up this way, it's practically been perfected. All you have to do is duplicate it in your own home. Use your grocery store to reorganize your pantry items: Canned goods, pasta, snacks, condiments, etc.

Take your faded, unopened items to your local school to be used by so many other families in need.

Now, don't forget to reward yourself for your job well done.

What was the oldest pantry item found?

Organized Solutions Helps Overwhelmed Professionals

Holiday gift giving can be challenging, especially if the someone has everything.  But what if they have too much of everything?  The Toledo Free Press interviewed yours truly as part of their gift giving guide for this holiday season: 

Yes, the gift of getting organized is becoming more and more popular.  You can even purchase professional organizing certificates in the right column of this blog.  Look for the blue "Add to Cart" button. You can save some $$ with your larger projects AND a $10 bonus discount when you use Google Checkout.

Thank you Toledo Free Press for the great article ... You ROCK!!

What is your favorite gift  you are giving this season?

Perhaps We're All a Tinge OCD

OK, I'm going to jump right in an say I have a routine I must do or my day just feels weird.

One of my things:
I must put on my right sock,
then left sock,
then put on my right shoe and tie it,
then put on my left shoe and tie it.

If this sequence is jumbled up,
I will start over to bare feet and begin again
(I'll feel like I'm walking in circles all day if I don't).

Many of us have these little "routines" we do everyday. Perhaps we are aware, maybe we are oblivious though others around you are totally laughing inside at your antics. That's OK, you're happy right? Nothing wrong with having an OCD tendency here and there.

Think about this:
Being TOO organized with everything in its place. Nothing ever so slightly crooked on your walls. Perhaps to the point of shelves and bins labeled. No dust on any of your flat surfaces (Oh, I have excepted dust into my household as my friend). You may be a bit OCD.

On the other hand, you have stacks of clothes, papers, newspapers, egg crates and such everywhere. You love collections. There is a bit of order to the chaos in your home, though its just a lot of stuff. Keeping you from enjoying your home as you wish you could. This may be a bit OCD, too.

See we all, likely, at some level have OCD.
Again I believe whole-heartedly in:

"Everything in moderation is good."
Take a moment and think about what's going on in your life and home. Perhaps there is an area that has gotten a bit out of control. Lasso that bad boy and take charge.

You'll feel better.

What is your daily OCD routine?