Quote: Organizing Isn’t Cleaning

People always ask if my house is extraordinarily clean. The answer is no. I don’t enjoy cleaning, so I don’t choose to spend a lot of time on it. You can’t eat off the floors and the windows don’t sparkle; my house is acceptably clean.

On the other hand, my house is extraordinarily well organized. If you ask where something is, I can locate it immediately. Getting to that point requires identifying a home for everything and the discipline to put them away.

Organizing is hard work - it entails a change of mind, heart, and action. 

– Marilyn Paul, Ph.D.

Having an organized home (or workspace) takes time and effort. It’s not a once-and-done task; however, after you set up your systems, it doesn’t take a lot of energy to maintain.

Which would you prefer to spend time on, cleaning or organizing?

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Quote: Organizing Isn’t Cleaning

People always ask if my house is extraordinarily clean. The answer is no. I don’t enjoy cleaning, so I don’t choose to spend a lot of time on it. You can’t eat off the floors and the windows don’t sparkle; my house is acceptably clean.

On the other hand, my house is extraordinarily well organized. If you ask where something is, I can locate it immediately. Getting to that point requires identifying a home for everything and the discipline to put them away.

Organizing is hard work - it entails a change of mind, heart, and action. 

– Marilyn Paul, Ph.D.

Having an organized home (or workspace) takes time and effort. It’s not a once-and-done task; however, after you set up your systems, it doesn’t take a lot of energy to maintain.

Which would you prefer to spend time on, cleaning or organizing?

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Managing Multitasking: How and When to Do It

Photo by Gabriel Rojas Hruska

Yesterday I went on a cleaning rampage. In addition to laundry, bathrooms, kitchen and floors, I also worked on painting a desk and the bathroom. Why the frenzy? I don’t know. Sometimes I get a burst of energy and I don’t question it.

I accomplished it all by doing more than one thing at a time. If you’ve read my posts, you know I’m not a fan of multitasking. Research shows that when people think they’re multitasking, they actually are shifting from one task to another, resulting in a loss of productivity.

When I promote multitasking, I refer to getting two chores done at the same time, neither of which requires your concentrated attention. Yesterday I vacuumed floors while washing a load of laundry. I cleaned the kitchen while I waited for the paint to dry in the bathroom. I cleaned the bathroom while I waited for the paint to dry on the desk drawers.

Instead of doing one thing, I was splitting my time between tasks. That’s the way to multitask.

You can do the same thing at work, too. Take advantage of moments when you don’t need to concentrate - check email while you print a document; file loose papers while you’re on hold on the phone.

Leave the juggling to someone who wears a clown nose. Which low-level tasks can you accomplish together?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Managing Multitasking: How and When to Do It

Photo by Gabriel Rojas Hruska

Yesterday I went on a cleaning rampage. In addition to laundry, bathrooms, kitchen and floors, I also worked on painting a desk and the bathroom. Why the frenzy? I don’t know. Sometimes I get a burst of energy and I don’t question it.

I accomplished it all by doing more than one thing at a time. If you’ve read my posts, you know I’m not a fan of multitasking. Research shows that when people think they’re multitasking, they actually are shifting from one task to another, resulting in a loss of productivity.

When I promote multitasking, I refer to getting two chores done at the same time, neither of which requires your concentrated attention. Yesterday I vacuumed floors while washing a load of laundry. I cleaned the kitchen while I waited for the paint to dry in the bathroom. I cleaned the bathroom while I waited for the paint to dry on the desk drawers.

Instead of doing one thing, I was splitting my time between tasks. That’s the way to multitask.

You can do the same thing at work, too. Take advantage of moments when you don’t need to concentrate - check email while you print a document; file loose papers while you’re on hold on the phone.

Leave the juggling to someone who wears a clown nose. Which low-level tasks can you accomplish together?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Reader question – Jumpstart Your Spring Cleaning Routine

Photo by Idea go

I can’t believe it’s mid-April already! While some people start spring cleaning in February, others are still contemplating how to get motivated to clean before next spring rolls around. A reader who dreads the process wants to know how to begin.

I suggest you think about what is really important to you. You don’t have to scour your house from top to bottom just because the calendar says it’s spring. In fact, if you spread heavy cleaning tasks throughout the year, you might not find it so burdensome.

Make a list of tasks you want to accomplish and decide who will do them. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Consider bartering if you enjoy weeding but really dislike cleaning windows, for example. Try a neighborhood online chat or a local bulletin board at your library or coffee shop. Or ask a teenage neighbor who would like to earn a little extra money.

You could hire someone to prepare your flower beds or vegetable garden so you can get right to planting. Or you might want to pay someone to wash your windows and siding or clean your gutters.

Don’t punish yourself because you just aren’t that into cleaning. Set goals, break them up into steps and schedule them on your calendar. Know your limitations, do what you can and ask for help.

Which spring cleaning job do you least look forward to?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Reader question – Jumpstart Your Spring Cleaning Routine

Photo by Idea go

I can’t believe it’s mid-April already! While some people start spring cleaning in February, others are still contemplating how to get motivated to clean before next spring rolls around. A reader who dreads the process wants to know how to begin.

I suggest you think about what is really important to you. You don’t have to scour your house from top to bottom just because the calendar says it’s spring. In fact, if you spread heavy cleaning tasks throughout the year, you might not find it so burdensome.

Make a list of tasks you want to accomplish and decide who will do them. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Consider bartering if you enjoy weeding but really dislike cleaning windows, for example. Try a neighborhood online chat or a local bulletin board at your library or coffee shop. Or ask a teenage neighbor who would like to earn a little extra money.

You could hire someone to prepare your flower beds or vegetable garden so you can get right to planting. Or you might want to pay someone to wash your windows and siding or clean your gutters.

Don’t punish yourself because you just aren’t that into cleaning. Set goals, break them up into steps and schedule them on your calendar. Know your limitations, do what you can and ask for help.

Which spring cleaning job do you least look forward to?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

 

It’s What You Don’t See

Photo by Jeffrey Beall

My cousin was visiting yesterday and said my house was completely disorganized.

Yes, my house.

Clearly, he doesn’t understand the difference between organized and tidy.

Three day weekend = some household chaos. Yet, if you needed to find anything, you would know exactly where to look. Underlying processes and structures aren’t visible to the casual observer.

I don’t mind if there are newspapers and an art project on the dining room table or some mending on the couch in the living room, because I know that everything will be put away at the end of the day. That’s the way we roll here.

If you have any level of activity in your home, it will not remain spotless very long. I don't live in a magazine photo and neither do you. Enjoy your home, then put everything away so you can find it again.

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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It’s What You Don’t See

Photo by Jeffrey Beall

My cousin was visiting yesterday and said my house was completely disorganized.

Yes, my house.

Clearly, he doesn’t understand the difference between organized and tidy.

Three day weekend = some household chaos. Yet, if you needed to find anything, you would know exactly where to look. Underlying processes and structures aren’t visible to the casual observer.

I don’t mind if there are newspapers and an art project on the dining room table or some mending on the couch in the living room, because I know that everything will be put away at the end of the day. That’s the way we roll here.

If you have any level of activity in your home, it will not remain spotless very long. I don't live in a magazine photo and neither do you. Enjoy your home, then put everything away so you can find it again.

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Clean Off Your Desk Day

Photo by stockimages

The second Monday in January is Clean Off Your Desk Day.

While I try to keep my desk relatively clutter free, even I need to stop and reassess periodically.

Here’s what I’m doing today to start clearing off my desk:

• A thank you card that was so cute I wanted to continue to enjoy it – posted on my bulletin board

• A FAX that fell behind the printer (oops!) – shredded because the action was completed

• Items for my etsy store – put in holding bins until I photograph and list them

• Recipe for oven pancake – downloaded from the newspaper’s Web site and filed electronically

I bought a small cart yesterday to get my printer off my desk. Unfortunately, I have to put it together myself, which will take a few days. Otherwise, the quick fixes I put in place already have made a big impact on my desktop real estate.

What can you take off your desk by next Monday?

 

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Clean Off Your Desk Day

Photo by stockimages

The second Monday in January is Clean Off Your Desk Day.

While I try to keep my desk relatively clutter free, even I need to stop and reassess periodically.

Here’s what I’m doing today to start clearing off my desk:

• A thank you card that was so cute I wanted to continue to enjoy it – posted on my bulletin board

• A FAX that fell behind the printer (oops!) – shredded because the action was completed

• Items for my etsy store – put in holding bins until I photograph and list them

• Recipe for oven pancake – downloaded from the newspaper’s Web site and filed electronically

I bought a small cart yesterday to get my printer off my desk. Unfortunately, I have to put it together myself, which will take a few days. Otherwise, the quick fixes I put in place already have made a big impact on my desktop real estate.

What can you take off your desk by next Monday?

 

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

 

Reader Question: How do I keep the food in my refrigerator from turning into science projects?

Recently, two readers asked how to manage food in the refrigerator and freezer. Both of them frequently have food going bad in the refrigerator and one has no idea what is in the freezer. They both waste money by buying what they already have and throwing out spoiled food.

 

I suggest three simple changes:

·  Make a list of what’s in your freezer and post it on the front of your fridge

·  Eat what’s in your fridge before you cook again

·  Shop with a list

 

Both women feel that they have to prepare a meal for their families every night and they often have leftovers. In that case I suggest making smaller quantities, taking leftovers for lunch or having a “smorgasbord” night where you serve the previous nights’ leftovers.

 

I use clear plastic containers for leftovers and keep them in one section of the fridge, close to the front, so that I know what needs to be eaten shortly. This prevents the mysterious, overwhelming odor and Technicolor display created by rotten food.

 

If you still have a jam-packed refrigerator, choose one day a week when you’ll take out all the food and make a decision about eating it or tossing it. When you realize how much food is going in the trash, you may be more inclined to change your habits.

 

Photo by Keerati

November is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Month, which makes preparing for Thanksgiving a little easier. Start by throwing out old condiments that no one likes and consolidating containers of the same ingredients. Before you buy another bottle of salad dressing, consider how many you already have open in your refrigerator.

 

What is the strangest thing you’ve found in your refrigerator or freezer?

 

 Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter , facebook and pinterest
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Reader Question: How do I keep the food in my refrigerator from turning into science projects?

Recently, two readers asked how to manage food in the refrigerator and freezer. Both of them frequently have food going bad in the refrigerator and one has no idea what is in the freezer. They both waste money by buying what they already have and throwing out spoiled food.

 

I suggest three simple changes:

·  Make a list of what’s in your freezer and post it on the front of your fridge

·  Eat what’s in your fridge before you cook again

·  Shop with a list

 

Both women feel that they have to prepare a meal for their families every night and they often have leftovers. In that case I suggest making smaller quantities, taking leftovers for lunch or having a “smorgasbord” night where you serve the previous nights’ leftovers.

 

I use clear plastic containers for leftovers and keep them in one section of the fridge, close to the front, so that I know what needs to be eaten shortly. This prevents the mysterious, overwhelming odor and Technicolor display created by rotten food.

 

If you still have a jam-packed refrigerator, choose one day a week when you’ll take out all the food and make a decision about eating it or tossing it. When you realize how much food is going in the trash, you may be more inclined to change your habits.

 

Photo by Keerati

November is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Month, which makes preparing for Thanksgiving a little easier. Start by throwing out old condiments that no one likes and consolidating containers of the same ingredients. Before you buy another bottle of salad dressing, consider how many you already have open in your refrigerator.

 

What is the strangest thing you’ve found in your refrigerator or freezer?

 

 Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter , facebook and pinterest
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

The Organizer Comes Clean on Clutter

Photo by franky242

I cooked Friday and left the pots and cookie sheets in the sink. I was tired and I really didn’t want to do dishes. So they sat for two days. I continued to put dishes in the dishwasher, but I left the things that needed to be hand-washed in the sink.

There they were, each time I went into the kitchen. Washing a few dishes isn’t that difficult, but I had turned it into a life-sucking undertaking that I just couldn’t motivate myself to do.

Then I woke up Sunday morning, made coffee and thought that I’d really like to see the sink empty.

Instead of saying that I didn’t want to wash dishes, I focused on what I didwant. I wanted to see the clutter go away. And I washed the dishes, which probably took two minutes.

Sometimes changing your outlook on a task is all it takes to get it done. Instead of thinking about what you need to do, focus on what you want. Somehow, that simple attitude adjustment can make all the difference.

Are you putting off a chore that you can do easily? What is it that you want to see?

Organized by Marcie TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!