A lot of people think that clutter and disorganization is about laziness or lack of an adequate system, etc.  While that may be true for some people I don’t find it to be the major factor when working with clients.  Usually people become disorganized when they feel overwhelmed by all that is going on in their life, when they are lonely and fill empty space with “things”, when their life gets so busy that maintaining order is the first priority to go, when they are having a hard time “letting go” of something (whether it be their kids getting older, an empty nest, death of a spouse, a move to another area, etc).

Being organized is a choice but it is a choice that is often fueled by emotions and feelings rather than our intellect.  Some personality types are more attracted to chaos than others.  I, personally, need order and organization to exist in my home in order to feel calm inside.  But not all people are like that.  So in order to find the reason for your disorganization you have to figure out what is the clutter doing for you?

Is it keeping you from inviting people over?
Is it keeping you immobilized?
Does it make you feel safe?

Don’t let clutter and chaos rule your life.  It is not God’s design for his children.  To live abundantly (which is God’s plan for us) does not include not being able to see your floor, never being able to determine which clothes are clean or dirty, feeling ashamed and overwhelmed and being unhappy.

Make a choice today to surrender your clutter- whether it be physical or emotional clutter.  And then, through faith, take baby steps to regain control of your life.

1. Make a schedule- schedule family time, work time, house cleaning time, etc. If you make time for things the less chance things have to sneak up on you.
2. Try to have a separate work space, away from the chaos of the rest of the house.
3. Keep work and family papers separate.
4. Cut yourself some slack- everything (work or family related) has to be perfect! This is life and we are all human
5. Always have a back-up plan. What will you do if the kids get sick and can’t go to daycare, etc? Have a plan and work it.
6. Keep a list of your timewasters- checking email, the phone ringing at inopportune times, looking for things, etc and develop ways to eliminate these problems.
7. Make sure to have time for yourself!
8. Surround yourself with people that are supportive of your dreams and goals- you should never feel alone in your endeavors or you will become burnt out.
9. Avoid the temptation to automatically say “yes” to everything. Tell people you will check your calendar and get back to them. No is not a bad word!
10. Remember your priorities- God, family, then everything else. As long as your priorities are intact everything else will fall into place.

And to add an 11th- do something you are passionate about- it feels much less like work!

            One of the most difficult times in this life stage is making the decision (or having the decision made for you by circumstances beyond your control) to downsize from the family home to a smaller home, apartment or room in a long- term care facility.  The following are some tips for making such necessary transitions easier, both logistically and emotionally.

1. PLAN AHEAD:  You don’t have to be ready to sell your belongings and move into a nursing home for these tips to be applicable to you or your aging loved one.  It is important and will make the transition much easier when it comes if you have planned and discussed the process with your loved ones ahead of time.

Too often the decision to move or downsize is made for you by circumstances.  You fall on the ice, break your hip and are told you can’t return to your three- story home.  Your spouse passes away and you have no family that live close enough to assist with the upkeep of your fifty year old residence.  These circumstances can be very difficult to accept and manage.  But if you have already developed a plan for such a time, things will operate much better and the potential stress of the transition will be decreased.  Professional organizer’s, such as myself, will tell you that it is best to have at least six months to prepare for a move but whatever your timetable turns out to be it is never too late to formulate a plan.

1. BE PATIENT (with yourself and with those you love):  Moving is an exhausting, emotional and time- consuming process at any life stage.  For a person giving up the home they have lived in for years, it is all the more difficult.  Even families who have had relatively little conflict over the years can find themselves arguing and frazzled during such a transition.  Some conflict during this time is normal and to be expected.  Advance planning and clearly communicating your desires, wishes and feelings are the best ways to make it through this time.  Which leads to tip number three…
2. TALK TO YOUR FAMILY:  Communicate your wishes and your fears.  Change can be frightening and if your loved ones aren’t aware of what your are feeling you may think they are being insensitive or don’t understand your position.  Starting a conversation about this type of transition can be difficult.  Anything that forces families to face their loved one’s aging and mortality can be hard to bring up.  But communicating openly and honestly really is the best way to make the transition, whenever it comes, manageable and easier for all involved.
3. DOCUMENT:  One way of avoiding conflict while making your wishes clear is to write them down.  Elder law attorneys are professionals that specialize in this process, particularly in regards to wills and trust documents.  It is also important to have your end of life wishes documented in a living will and to designate powers of attorney for both financial and medical matters.  It is advisable to avoid naming children as joint powers of attorney. This can create logistical issues if they live in different cities or have differing opinions.  It is best to name one child as power of attorney and name the other as the alternate if something were to happen to the primary contact person.

An inventory of personal belongings can be very helpful before the downsizing process begins.  There are professionals who specialize in this and many professional organizers and senior move managers also offer this service.  An inventory can insure that nothing gets missed or misplaced.  The inventory is most useful if it is a visual tool, such as digital pictures or videography.

1. ALLOW TIME TO SHARE MEMORIES:  One of the most precious things we pass on to our loved ones is a strong sense of family history, our legacy.  Taking the time to share stories is a wonderful gift to your loved ones that only you can give.  If a certain item reminds you of long ago times tell your kids about it.  You may not decide to keep the item but the memory will live on.  If a tea set brings back memories of fun times spent with your girlfriends than invite your granddaughters over for tea and let them each have a cup from the set.  Be creative in how you divvy up your belongings.  You do not have to wait until you pass on to bequeath your precious things.  If you will not have room for them in the new space then give them to whom you think will appreciate them the most.

In closing I will give you an acronym I have developed for this time of senior transition:

S: Start now

T: Talk to your loved ones

A: Act thoughtfully

Y: Yield to the process

S: Seek professional assistance (professional organizer, senior move manager, etc) if you need help or lack support.

Do you need to tidy up your backyard and you are thinking of buying an outdoor storage shed in order to put everything into. In this article we will reveal some things that you need to consider in order that you purchase the right type of storage shed for your backyard.

1. Size
The first thing that you should consider is that you need to think what exactly you will be using your outdoor storage shed for. Will you be cleaning up your basement and need additional space in one for bicycles, lawn and garden equipment or tools? Will you use your new shed to organize all your garden furniture and swimming pool supplies (if you have one)? You would not be happy to discover after constructing your new shed that there is not enough room inside to get all your stuff into it.

2. Material
This is the next big consideration. Would you rather have an outdoor storage shed made from treated wood, vinyl or metal. Naturally most of us would like to co-ordinate our shed appearancewith the style of the main house and so if you happen to have a cedar shingle house then you probably will decide to go for a shed made from the same. Certainly continuity will make all the difference in what you select, as you do not want one which sticks out like a sore thumb, but in fact blends into landscape and its surroundings.

3. Foundation
For protection from insects and frost, it is not recommended that you build a shed in contact with the ground so a good foundation pad is important. It is important that you make sure it is level when placing your shed on to it or you may discover that the wall panels are not straight and do not line up properly.

Also before construction starts of your outdoor storage shed you make certain you have all the necessary tools and construction materials for the job. You do not wish to have partially completed the project only to find you need to go out and purchase another tool or more supplies in order to complete it.

Another important thing you will need to do before construction is to make sure that you do not need permission to erect even a small building on your property. Be sure to take a trip down to your Local Town Hall and they should advise you of any permits or licenses that you may need.

The great thing about constructing an outdoor storage shed is usually you can complete the construction within a few days if you are an able do it yourself type of person. Or if you want to get the job done as fast as possible then look at buying a prefabricated one instead which comes with all the parts and pieces and instructions in order to construct it.

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KW Webber has a series of sites with more Rubbermaid shed storage information

Is your life balanced? Your life may be out of balance if you feel overwhelmed by the number of items on your to-do list; if you feel like there are so many things you want to do, you’ll never be able to do them all; if you feel like if one more person asks you to do something, you’ll scream.

A balanced life is one in which we are the master of our schedule, we do only what we want to do, and we are in control. A balanced life is having the time for all the things that have meaning to us. Sound impossible?

Here are three tips to start balancing your life:

1. Figure out where your time is going. Before you can create balance, it’s important to know what activities are zapping time out of your schedule. For two days, keep a time journal.

Write down every task you do, and how much time you spend on it. Don’t cheat! If you spend an hour surfing the net, write that down. The point of this exercise is to take an honest look at what is draining your time.

2. Determine what activities really feed your soul. Activities that feed your soul will make you come alive. They will feel fulfilling to you, and you will genuinely enjoy them. There are things we all do that drain our energy. These are activities you feel obligated, or pressured to do, or they are “mindless” activities that you might do to avoid something else.

When you’ve completed your time journal, go back and look through the activities that you spent time on. Think about each one, and mark next to it whether it was fulfilling or draining.

Now, begin the process of weeding out the draining activities. It may take a few weeks to get through what you’ve already committed to, and to break habits – like surfing the net when you should be working on a project. But, when scheduling new activities, or, when you’re on the brink of starting something that’s a draining activity, really think about how it’s going to serve you and if you truly want to engage in it.

3. Say no. You do not have to accept every invitation, you do not have attend every gathering, or accept every project. When someone asks you to be involved in something, tell them it sounds interesting, and you’ll check your schedule and get back to them.

Take some time to really think about how the project would serve you and what your intentions for participating would be. If you feel yourself only wanting to accept the project to make someone else happy, it’s a good sign that this is not the project for you. Graciously thank the other person for thinking of you, and simply let them know you can’t commit to it at this time.

Saying no is not an easy thing to get used to. But, you can do it in a way that is loving, and that is not adversarial.

Changing your life so that it is more balanced will not happen over night. It will take some time to get used to cutting out activities that drain you. But, once you feel how wonderful it is to have control of your schedule, and to only engage in activities that feed your soul, it will become easier and easier!

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Article Written By: Jenn Givler is a Business Empowerment Coach. She specializes in teaching new entrepreneurs how to get started in their business. Jenn can help you find your passion, create your business plan, and begin effectively marketing your business. For weekly business tips and advice check out her e-zine: www.jgivlercoaching.com/newsletter.html

Though not often as easy, it is often smarter to heed the advice,” don’t go it alone” and allow others to help you on your quest to meet a deadline, deal with a circumstance or tackle a project. Allowing others to help, or delegating tasks to others can give you a sense of control, even though it may seem that you are giving up control you in fact can be more in control by allowing others to help.

Sometimes, there is so much to be done that if you try to do it alone, you will end up more stressed out and much less organized with the process. Delegating will not only free you up to work more focused on the parts of the job you yourself will tackle, but will also lesson your stress level allowing you to work more quickly and more smartly on the tasks at hand.

It is also true that you will want to be careful when delegating. Of course, there are things that are important to us that we will want to take on ourselves but then there are those routine time sucking tasks that you can allow others to do for you.

Not only will you allow yourself to feel a weight lifted but you may be able to help others in the process. You may help your kids to learn responsibility or teach your co-workers or subordinates a skill they may not have already had. There are many benefits to delegating not only for you but for the others involved as well.

So, remember, when faced with a mountain of responsibility, don’t stress, DELEGATE!

Planning is the first step to success when organizing just about anything.  I have organized many things, including successful programs, a bill paying system and my children’s closets.  However, I did not get there without a plan.

Stepping back before you begin and evaluating what the problems are or what needs to be tackled is an important step you should never look over.  Once you realize what you have to overcome and what needs to be done you can break down the project into manageable steps that you can work through.

So after you have done some evaluation you will want to make a list of steps that will need to be taken, and then determine how long each step will take, setting yourself a timeline and some goals for completing each step.

Then, once you get started you will feel even more accomplished and better able to tackle the tasks with your plan in place and the ability to check off the steps as you get them completed.

Before you know it, you’ll have all the steps tackled and your project will be complete!  Then it will be time to celebrate and make plans for tackling your next project.

I have a very Type A personality. You know the type, a goal setter, to do list maker, planner type, competitive and annoyed by delays. We are often criticized for being “workaholics”. I have been wondering, “Is it possible that there a more organized personality?” One of my reasons for drawing this conclusions is that those with Type B personality tend to be more easy going, avoids confrontation and is not one to get upset by setbacks.

Though it may not seem apparent from their descriptions, I believe that as a person who is very Type A we are more prone to be organized. The fact that we like to get things done would be linked to the fact that if you are organized you will accomplish more. Whereas, Type B personalities who do not concentrate on this as much are more easy going and will be more likely to ignore the clutter, or the lack of organization as well as tend to just float through their days, rather than being strategic about the use of their time and focusing on their calendars or to do lists.

The Type A personality will likewise most likely be more organized with their time. Their need to accomplish more causes them to be those who multitask in an effort to get as much accomplished and checked off of their to do list as possible. This makes them feel successful.

On the other hand, a person who is Type B will just be glad that they have the time to enjoy themselves; they aren’t as concerned with what they actually do with their time as long as they are doing something that they enjoy they feel accomplished.

Understanding your personality type and being able to apply it to organizing your time, and things will help you to not become frustrated with yourself when you aren’t as organized as the next person plus you will be satisfied with who you are and not worried that you should be someone or something you are not. You will realize that is just how you’re wired, and that’s ok.