Organize + Energize: 10 Signs It’s Time to Get Organized
Kristin MacRae, GoLocalProv Organizing Expert
Organize + Energize: 10 Signs It’s Time to Get Organized
Here are 10 signs it’s time to get organized:
1. You spend countless hours searching for things. It’s time to get organized if you walk around in circles in your home or office searching for items. You are wasting precious time due to your disorganization.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST2. You are wasting money purchasing duplicate items. How many times have you looked for an item in your home, couldn’t find it so you went out and purchased another one? Get organized, and this will never happen again.
3. You have one room in your home where you can’t see the floor. There is one room in your home that you drop items in that you don’t know what to do with. The door to this room usually stays shut and nobody is allowed in. I bet there are some things buried in that room that you have been looking for or forgot you had.
4. You have piles of mail that haven’t been opened. You have mail exploding out of drawers, in cabinets, on the top of your desk and flooding the dining room table. You probably leave it there because the process to tackle it is just too overwhelming. Are you tired of looking at these piles? Wouldn’t it be nice to actually sit at an organized, clutter free desk?
5. You are embarrassed to have guests over. Do you have a panic attack when the doorbell rings and it’s an unexpected visitor? You love to entertain, but haven’t been able to have guests over because you don’t want them to see how disorganized and cluttered your home is. It’s time to get organized and start partying again!
6. You shove items into an already stuffed closet when you know guests are coming over. The holidays roll around and you find yourself stuffing items into closets, cabinets, or the basement. You are creating more work for yourself. Get organized and you’ll never have to run around the house stuffing items into closets again.
7. You can’t see the bottom of your clothes closet floor. If you have to step over clothes to get into your closet, it’s time to declutter, downsize, and get organized.
8. Mentally, you feel like you are moving in 10 different directions. You feel like your head is going to explode. You may be a little anxious and stressed. Start using a to-do list. Clear the mental clutter. Get it out of your head and onto paper.
9. You are showing up late to appointments or forgetting about them entirely. Your friends and family know that you will show up at least an hour late to any event. You were probably trying to find a match to a shoe. How many times has your beauty salon or doctor called to tell you that you missed your appointment? Your time management skills are lacking and it’s time to get back on track.
10. You’ve had a life changing event that has thrown you for a loop. Maybe you just went through a break up or are going through a divorce. A family member may have passed or you have just moved into a new home. Any of these life events will sometimes turn your life upside down. You may have been an organized person before this change, but now you’ve let things go and before you know it, things are out of control and you are finding it difficult to get back to where you were several months ago.
Think you can’t get organized? Everybody can get organized and at any time! It’s just takes a little patience, skills, and hard work. If these areas I mentioned above are dragging you down, think about making a change. What are you waiting for; make that change for the better! You can do it!
Organizing Products For Your Closet
Flip flop organizer
How many flip flops do you own? Are they thrown all over the closet floor? How long does it take you to find a match to one of them? Bed Bath and Beyond has a $9.99 flip flop organizer that holds 6 pairs of flip flops and hangs nicely in your closet. This is a must-have if you have more than 5 pairs of flip flops. I’ve purchased these for my clients and they work great!
Scarf organizer
You love your scarves, but it takes you forever to locate one and you have to throw 5 around to find the one you are searching for. Use a scarf organizer and you will be able to see all your scarves and find them at a moment’s notice. Bed Bath and Beyond has a few different types of scarf organizers, including this one for $9.99.
Belt organizer
How are you storing your belts? Are they in a tangled mess? Purchase a belt organizer for a cheap solution—they can be as inexpensive as $6.99 from the Container Store.
Tie organizer
Keep your ties organized and hanging on a tie rack, or keep then rolled in a drawer organizer. Whichever way you choose to organize them, treat them with care. To take care of both your belts and your ties in one fell swoop, check out this organizer from the Container Store.
Drawer organizer
This is a must for your underwear, socks, bras, nylons, etc. Drawer organizers will help to maximize space in your closet. You won’t believe the amount of space you will have once you contain these items in drawer organizers!
Jewelry organizer
Are you always trying to detangle your necklaces? Think about how you grab your jewelry and then purchase an organizing system according to how you function. Before you purchase your container, take inventory of what you own and purchase accordingly.
Shoe rack
Did you know people who didn’t own shoe racks were 7 times more likely to show up late for an event? Are your shoes in piles on the floor? Get them off the floor and contain them in a shoe rack. There are many options out there, like this one from Bed Bath and Beyond. Choose the shoe rack that is going to fit what you need to hold and fit in the space you are working with.
Hangers
Are you hanging your clothes on the wire hangers from the dry cleaner? Those hangers will ruin your clothes. Get rid of them and store your clothes on the hanger of your choice, but be consistent and stick with one type of hanger.
Handbags
How are you storing your handbags? Are they stored all over your closet? Are they in bins or crumpled up on the floor? It’s time to organize your bags. There are many options depending on the space you are working with. You can stand them up on a shelf, you can hang them, or if they are small, you can store them in a canvas bin. The choice is yours. Think about how you function and develop a system from there.
Baseball cap organizer
How many baseball caps do you own? How are they organized in your closet now, and how long does it take you to find one? The Container Store (pictured here), Bed Bath and Beyond, and other stores sell this baseball cap organizer. I have a few clients that have purchased them and they love them!
Function over flash
There are many variations on these products. Choose the product that is right for you. There are some organizing products I would never use, but other people might choose to use them. Choose the one that is going to be the most efficient and productive product for you and your family. Don’t choose a product because it’s pretty, choose it based on functionality. Search online for different products before you rush out and purchase a product. You may find that one store is more expensive than another. Don’t forget if you are going to Bed Bath and Beyond to use their 20% off coupons. If you don’t want to purchase these items, get creative and re-purpose items around the home, or make your own!
Kristin MacRae
Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on Mondays at 8:30am on www.talkstreamradio.com.
