You Don’t Have to Be a Natural Born Organizer to Get Organized

Are you a natural born organizer? I am not one of those. I could always manage my time, plan strategically and organize events and projects. But when it came to organizing things and space it was another story.

I was the kid whose mother was always telling her to pick up her toys. I was the teenager who was grounded until her room was straight. I was the employee who was asked to clean up her desk when the big shots were taking a tour. I was the mother who frantically tried to get my home ready for company.

Then one day it hit me. I had learned how to organize my time and put together projects and events from my mother. She was really good at that. She was not so good at organizing spaces, so it is not a skill I absorbed through exposure. Maybe, I thought, it was not too late to gain that skill set.

I was lucky that I married a man who was awful at managing his time but very good at organizing his things. He taught me a lot. My daughter, who inherited her father’s propensity for order, taught me even more. Then I actually took classes and read some books. Amazing! I tried my hand at applying what I learned- and it worked!

It is comforting to know that organization is a thing that can be learned-that we can all attain order in our life if we are willing to adhere to a few easy rules:

• Identify a place to store things near where they are used and put them back after you use them
• Be creative in using space. Utilize wall space and space under furniture.
• Break every project down into manageable steps that lead to your goal.
• If you cannot cram everything into the space available, it is time to get rid of some stuff.
• If you cannot keep it looking tidy, hide in a drawer or behind doors. You will at least create the illusion of order.
• Organization means to arrange to suit one’s self. Adapt your system to who you are. If it works for you, that is all that matters.

If you need a little boost to get started, consider hiring a professional organizer. One of the most important things that a good professional organizer does is transfer knowledge about how to organize. We teach through instruction and example and gentle coaching. Many folks have not had the opportunity to gain the skills to organize various aspects of their lives and the opportunity to work with and observe someone who has the knowledge is all that is needed to get going and get organized for good.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net