Saturday Special: Living Small

Photo: Tat via Morguefile

Graham Hill lives in 420 square feet of space -- by choice. In his TED Talk, "Less Stuff, More Happiness," he shares three guidelines, all in under six minutes:

• Edit ruthlessly.
• Small is sexy.
• Make multifunctional.

While this TED Talk may cause palpitations in I love stuff people, it's worth watching if only to see the 420 square foot space, and the cool things he used to make it work. And while it may be hard to edit ruthlessly, the other half of his advice in that area was to stem the inflow, something that many of us find much easier to do.

Organization is important. It's also much easier when the amount of stuff we have fits well into the space we inhabit. Personally, I'm still working on that, but when I watch TED Talks like this one, I'm more motivated to do some of that ruthless editing.

Saturday Special: Letting it Go, One Category at a Time

Photo: Godserv via Morguefile

Do you have too much stuff? I know I do. Even when we get inspired to downsize, it's sometimes hard to know just where to start.

Family Circle to the rescue! Diana Reese's fabulously visual 18 Things You Can Get Rid of Right Now offers starting points gentle enough to appeal to even those with an I love stuff style. Items are listed by category, and the article is almost completely devoid of the "throw it away!" mentality so painful to many of us who long to de-clutter. Instead, Reese focuses on gentler ways to let go, such as passing your castaways along to someone who'll love and appreciate them. Some of the tips even come with videos to give you organization tips.

If the posts from the past few weeks have you in a project mindset, this article can help you keep up the momentum. If you've been looking for a starting point, you might find that here, too. Every time I scroll through the pictures, I think, "I can do that!"

So go ahead -- take a peek. You've got nothing to lose except a little bit of clutter.

Saturday Special: Desk Organization

https://magazine.dashburst.com

I love infographics. I also love writing and, of course, reading about organization. So when I found an infographic about organizing my writing desk, I was intrigued.

It's a lovely infographic -- it really is -- especially if you're a Type A organizer.

But I'm not. And if you've been reading this blog for any length of time, chances are you're not either.  So does that mean we simply dismiss this, closing it out and making it go away before it inspires anxiety and a crisis of confidence?

That's one option. But another option is that we look for the things in it that ring true for our styles, and dismiss the rest -- here comes the hard part -- without guilt or judgment.

For example:

• A clear workspace is a wonderful goal, and with the right tools for your style, it's achievable.
•  An I love stuff  person will likely need a few prized possessions for inspiration, whether on the edges of the desk or on a bulletin board or shelves nearby, and will probably ignore the advice to "keep only those items that are essential for your daily use." Keeping these items to a minimum and confined to the edges of the desk will achieve the clear desk goal with style. 
• The I need to see it person will forgo the drawer advice and instead, keep things visible via hanging pockets or (again) nearby shelves. Those with this style will love the stickies on the computer monitor, but will need to make sure to limit the number of stickies, as well as reading and replacing them regularly. Sticky note forests are too dense to be useful.
• Cram and jammers, I see you eying those drawers. Your challenge will be to make sure that bottom ("away") drawer doesn't become the dumping ground for "everything else," which, in turn, becomes crumpled, creased and unusable.

  

  I swear by the bright green, store-bought
  rolling bin stashed under my desk, but
  if you're crafty, you can attach wheels
  to a drawer to create a rolling bin like 
  this one I found on Etsy.

• Drop and run organizers will probably note the complete absence of any tools that work for them on a regular basis. Tuck a rolling bin beside the desk or underneath it, if you have the leg room, so that you drop things somewhere besides the desk. 
• I love to be busy folks may need to designate each drawer for a different activity, and will certainly need a calendar somewhere in that workspace, whether it's on the desk, on the wall or on the computer itself.
• I know I put it somewhere organizers are likely to be fine once they establish a system for what goes in each drawer or on the shelves. Adding storage containers that can be labeled will also help, but having too many choices can add to confusion, rather than minimizing it.

The moral of the story? If your goal is to look like a Type A organizer when you're really an I love stuff/cram and jammer, there's no need to lose hope, or choose a simpler goal. You just need to chart a path from here to there using your styles as your road map. 

Anyone else have any good infographics to share? This I need to see it person loves visual presentations!

Let it Go: The Second R

freepik.com

Sorry for the late post -- again. I'm hoping that now the the end of semester craziness has subsided, I'll get back on a regular posting schedule.

Last week, we started talking about ways to let go of things we no longer use or need. I got so excited about the potential reuses for things that I jumped into Recycle, which is perhaps the most difficult one of the three to do. If you managed to make some progress with that R last week, congratulations! You belong at the head of the class!


If not, no worries. This week, it gets easier as we tackle the second R: Resell.

Like recycling, reselling allows us to get things we no longer use or need out of our homes and helps us to "do good" at the same time. After all, someone else might just love that flowery dress or set of dishes that's not your style. When we recycle, we don't simply throw things away -- we give them new life. For those who get attached to their things (yes, my I love stuff friends, this means you), sending them to a new home can making parting with them less painful.

But for some of us, nothing short of the lure of cold, hard cash can soothe the ache that accompanies getting rid of our "stuff." I have friends who do yard sales every year, freeing up space and raking in cash at the same time.

yardsalesofyork.com

I'm not really a yard sale girl, but I love consigning things. I pack up the clothes we've outgrown, grown tired of or never should have bought in the first place and take them to a local shop that sells them and then cuts me a check. In the meantime, if I want to buy something there, I can spend the credit I've accumulated (between the time they sell my things and the time they cut the check) instead of spending cash, which feels like getting something for free. If I stay out of the store between drop-offs (which I generally do at least twice a year), the credit keeps accumulating until the end of the consignment period, when it turns into cash, and I avoid bringing new things into the house to fill the space vacated by the old ones.

I use clothing consignment more than any other, and, in fact, have two favorite stores (one for women's clothing and one that's for a younger clientele). Each accepts clothing by season, so I've learned to take things right from the dryer to one of two boxes (one labeled spring/summer and the other labeled fall/winter) because if I put the clothes back in my closet, it's that much less likely they'll ever make it out of the house. There are consignment stores in our area for furniture and household items, too, though I've never tried those.

If you'd like to make recycling or reselling a part of your routine, think about the containers that work for your style. As an I need to see it/drop and run organizer, I need containers that are open on top and labeled; otherwise it's easier to put things into the laundry basket than in the consignment box. Cram and jammers need to have containers large enough to keep them from, well, cramming and jamming, as many consignment stores are particular about the condition of the clothing they accept.  And I know I put it somewhere organizers will benefit from labeled or color-coded containers that have a specific home so they can remember where they put things when it's time to consign them. I love to be busy folks may want to put their containers into the trunk of the car as soon as they're full to make it easier to fit a drop-off into their busy schedules.

Photo: DodgertonSkillhause via morguefile

Regardless of the lure of cold, hard cash and the desire to "to good," most of us (and not just the I love stuff people among us) will still end up with some things we don't need, but just can't get rid of.

More on that next week.

Closets and Drawers, Part 2

npr.org

When I started writing these posts, I had three junk drawers. In one room.

In my defense, they weren't actually the traditional junk drawer with a hodgepodge of things from stray receipts to nail files to thumbtacks. Each drawer contained specific sorts of things, but the drawers themselves were a mess, separately and collectively. More junky drawers than junk drawers, they were clutter catchers, and, in the state they were in, they were a waste of prime real estate. The sad thing was that they'd been this way for years. I'd fallen into the habit of putting certain things in certain places, and I only realized how little sense it made when I needed space for a new crock pot and had to re-assess my available storage space.

No matter what room or piece of furniture they reside in, drawers are a blessing and a curse. Like closets, they are open, rectangular spaces, and as such, they make it far too easy to drop and run, cram and jam or stash our stuff "somewhere" -- and then close them and hide the evidence.

Regardless of our personal and organizational styles, large, rectangular spaces work best when we can see what's in them, which is one reason professional organizers frown on junk drawers -- singular or plural. Fortunately, there's one simple strategy that can make a difference. Like Give it Five! and Don't put it down, put it away! this idea can be personalized to fit your life and styles:

Divide and conquer.

evernote.com

Admittedly, I have an I need to see it bias, but I think the drawer organizer might be the best thing ever created. Okay, when you factor in caffeine and chocolate, it might only make the top ten, but my point is that simply subdividing the space inside that drawer so that you can see what you have makes the whole space work better.

Consider the flatware drawer in your kitchen -- forks, knives and spoons all neatly cocooned in their own little subdivisions. If we don't give a second thought to putting our flatware away that way, it's not such a leap to organizing our other rectangular spaces in a similar fashion.

thecontainerstore.com

Take my recently rehabilitated junky drawers. I have everyday flatware and nicer stuff. The everyday knives, spoons and forks live in the kitchen drawer described above. The nicer ones (now) have a home in a dining room drawer that wasn't subdivided. I lined the drawer with shelf liner and added narrow plastic bins from the dollar store. The drawer looked so good after I was finished that I periodically opened it up when I walked by just to see how organized it was.

The drawers in my bathroom are similarly divided with plastic (i.e. wipeable) bins of various depths and sizes so that when I open the drawer, I can not only see what I have, but I know where it goes when I'm finished with it, so I'm more likely to put it away.

Those bins at the end of last week's post? Yep. I got them -- or, more accurately, grabbed an unused one from the basement, purchased a second one in a contrasting print and ordered a third from Thirty-One (I even splurged and got it embroidered because now I know it works for that space). My sweaters fit inside and the shelves in my closet look so much better. When it's time to put summer clothes away, I'll simply change the contents of the bins. For now, I'm adding bins one at a time, and not buying new ones until I fill the ones I have.

I had the right idea in one of my junky drawers, but hadn't carried it out fully enough. I had a bin for collecting receipts and another with candles in it, but the rest of the drawer was a free-for-all. Mistake. That was an invitation to junkiness. Cleared it out, relined it (nicer spaces stay organized longer), found bins that fill and subdivide the space....much better.

While subdivision isn't necessary for every drawer, cupboard or closet in the house, it helps keep catch-all rectangular spaces organized.

sterilite.com

There's really no need to spend a lot of money to do this. Sure, you can go to The Container Store, (and I've purchased drawer organizers when I was fortunate enough to find exactly what I wanted), but bins from discount stores work, as do gift boxes, shoe boxes and cardboard dividers. Think back to the containers that work for you and determine how you can adapt them to subdividing your large, rectangular spaces.

• As an I need to see it person, I'm partial to unlidded containers that I can color code, label or see through.
• Subdividing helps I love stuff people to organize collections and keeps supplies for the I love to be busy person's many activities easily separated and accessible. 
• When the rectangular space is subdivided I can (literally) drop and run and my I know I put it somewhere husband has a better chance at remembering which "somewhere" he put something in. 
• As with other containers, size will be essential for cram and jammers -- too big and the visual is gone, too small and, well, just forget it. It'll never happen.

After many weeks on the Y of STYLE (Yes, it has a home!), we're ready to move on to the part of the process most of us have a love/hate relationship with: Let it go. (Don't worry. I'll be gentle). Chances are, you've already done some of this: if you got rid of containers that weren't working for you or reorganized a space, I'm sure you let some things go along the way. Next week, we'll talk about ways to make that as painless as possible.

Tricks, Tools and Concepts

itsoverflowing.com, via Pinterest

When it comes to organization, there are strategies (tricks) and key ideas (concepts). Tricks like Give it Five! and Don't Put it Down, Put it Away enable us to dig in and make progress. Concepts like homes guide our efforts and create the foundation for our systems.

Throughout these posts, I've been including pictures of various organizers -- clear, colorful, lidded, open -- the tools that can make or break your organizational system. Part of the key to creating a system that fits your style is finding containers that do, too.

Organizers don't need to be expensive. They can be purchased at dollar stores, office supply stores or the dollar section of your local department store (check the clearance sections of these stores, especially in September and January). Or, if you’re crafty, you can make organizers from household or office materials you already have on hand. The idea is to use materials that work for you, even if it means using traditional materials in non-traditional ways. Creative solutions are often the most fun.

www.jossandmain.com/magazine

As you did last week's activity, did you discover any containers that were working well, or, conversely, weren't working at all? And when I say "containers," I mean everything from the basket
you toss your car keys into to the walk-in closet in your master bedroom. If it contains something, it's a container.

Containers that work get used. Containers that don't, don't. And not only do containers that are at cross purposes to your style not get used, they also work at cross purposes to your entire organizational plan.

Next week, I'll talk about container selection in more detail. For now, I'd like to leave you with three tasks and three charts.

Task #1: This week, be on the lookout for any container that's not doing its job and remove or replace it if possible. If removing or replacing the container will create a bigger mess, leave it alone for now and use the chart below to note the specifics for future planning.

Container	What it’s supposed to do	What it’s actually doing	Does it match your styles?

 
Task #2: Look at the containers that are working. What makes them a successful part of your organizational system?

Task #3: Scroll through the organizational posts on this blog, focusing not on the words, but the pictures. Which organizers/containers appeal to you? Why do you think that is?

Next week, we'll look at the intersection between organizers and the organizational styles. For now, here are a few guidelines to get you started on the focus and tools of choice for each of the styles.

Personal Styles

If your personal style is I love stuff:

Focus on keeping only things you love (that may be a rather substantial pile) and finding new homes for the rest. (More on that later).

Tools of choice:  Containers in a variety of sizes and divided containers for collections

You may also like containers that show off items that are of special importance.

If your personal style is I love to be busy:

Focus on organizational systems that require little time to maintain; choose compartmentalized containers so you can see at a glance what's missing.

Tools of choice:  One-step organizational systems; separate storage for each activity

You may also like separate containers for each activity or containers that are specific to the activities you engages in (e.g. a dedicated bag for each activity).

If your personal style is I need to see it:

Focus on keeping things visible and replacing actual items with lists.

Tools of choice:  Clear or labeled containers

You may also like containers that are visually appealing, unique or reflect your personality.

Organizational Styles

If your organizational style is I know I put it somewhere:

Focus on establishing homes for everything and putting things away a little at time.

Tools of choice:  Clear or labeled containers

You may also like containers that are distinctive or unique.

If your organizational style is cram and jam:

Focus on establishing consistent homes for everything and making sure containers are the right size.

Tools of choice:  Open containers, flexible containers and one-step organizational systems

You may also like containers that are wide enough to accommodate stuffing without damage.

If your organizational style is drop and run:

Focus on establishing consistent homes for everything and putting one thing away before starting another.

Tools of choice:  Clear, distinctive or labeled containers and one-step organizational systems

You may also like containers that make it as easy to put things away as it is to leave them out.

One last note: don't go shopping just yet, unless it's to buy a duplicate of a container you know is working. Or, if you must go shopping, start small. Choose no more than three new organizers to test out. This is the part that gets worse before it gets better. :-)

bhg.com

Saturday Special: Organization Inspiration: Julie Morgenstern

barnesandnoble.com

My ongoing quest for organization arose from a need for an attitude adjustment. I was changing offices at work, and I wasn't happy about it. After doing more than my fair share of complaining, I decided to turn lemons into lemonade and to view the move as an opportunity to take control of my stuff and my space.

I started reading books, and the first one I read that resounded with me was Julie Morgenstern's Organizing from the Inside Out. I went on to read others that gave me ideas and support, but in the end, it was Julie Morgenstern's philosophy that informed everything I came up with:

"Our philosophy is that every system should be designed from the inside out, based on your unique goals, natural habits and style, so that your system lasts."

Once I began incorporating this philosophy into my professional workspace, it occurred to me that my students might benefit from learning this sooner rather than later, so I took my show into the classroom. Eventually, Mrs. Hess's crazy lessons on organization became a fifth grade staple, with kids identifying themselves as I love stuff and cram and jam and making adjustments in their organizational plans before they crossed the bridge from elementary school to middle school.

They didn't all need this, mind you. Many of them were well-organized, and while they enjoyed entering monthly drawings to win stuff (tools they could try), the lessons didn't impact their systems

smead.com

much. But those whose self-confidence had taken a hit from years struggling to do what seemed so easy for everyone else? They shared stories, poked fun at themselves and relaxed. Best of all, they smiled. I watched faces change from pinched and dubious to hopeful and optimistic over the course of a class period. Suddenly, these kids realized there wasn't anything wrong with them. The systems had failed them, not vice versa.

When I moved on to sharing these ideas with adults, the same thing happened. Suddenly, people couldn't wait to tackle cluttered spaces, papers crammed in folders, drawers full of who knew what? They experienced renewed faith in themselves and their ability to create order in a way that made sense to them.

When I write and teach about organization, my goal isn't to un-clutter the world. Sure, I hope that people will be able to apply these strategies and make it easier to create spaces that work for them. But what I really love is that moment when they re-discover faith in themselves -- when they realize that failing to organize the way "everyone else does" is not a failing or even a personal flaw. It's a part  of who they are, and given time and the right tools, they can create the level of order they crave in a way that makes sense to them and is manageable.

Apparently you can take the counselor out of the school, but you can't take away her desire to change the world, one person at a time.

Organizing By STYLE: Claiming Your STYLE

I have a confession to make. This is a rewrite. One night in early March, while trying to upload the original post to my newly created organization blog, I sent it hurtling into cyberspace. Nothing in my arsenal of tech tricks was sufficient to bring it back. A Google search supplied me with the opening line, but building a bridge from that line only gave me a headache.

I went to bed in a bad mood. I woke up cranky about having to re-create a post I wrote over a month ago. 

Until I decided that was silly. With apologies to those whose comments were lost along with the post, I'm moving forward and re-sharing the key content, if not the original post.

Thanks to Pinterest, I know that I referenced the book at left, one I flipped through during a recent visit to Barnes and Noble with my sister. I put the book back for two reasons: I didn't want its contents influencing my posts, however unintentionally and, even upon a quick flip, I could tell that this was a one-size-fits-all, "use this trick and your life will be more organized" kind of book.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Judging from the reviews on Amazon, Marie Kondo's book has proven useful to many people. Any book that improves life for anyone deserves kudos.

I just don't happen to believe that one size fits all when it comes to organization. And, for those who've struggled with organization for as long as they can remember, hailing one book as the one path to success only further damages their self-confidence if they find the path strewn with rocks and detours.

To me, the key to getting organized and staying that way lies in matching your system to your styles.
What styles, you may ask? Take the quiz below to see where you land, then check next Wednesday's post for more on the styles.

Personal and Organizational Styles Quiz

Mark each item below as true or false.

1. You participate in so many activities that you have something to do nearly every night.
2. The only way you remember to bring things with you is if you leave them out where you're likely to trip over them.
3. Your closets are filled with things you no longer use and/or clothes you no longer wear, but can’t get rid of. 
4. Your house looks neat, yet you have trouble finding what you need when you need it.
5. Your papers -- even the important ones -- are often wrinkled and/or torn.
6. The flat surfaces in your home tell the story of the activities you've done and the places you've been in the last few days.
7. When given a pocket folder or three-ring binder, you may tuck your papers inside, but you don't usually put them in the pockets or the rings. 
8. You can often find lost items by retracing your steps.
9. You often feel bored when you have unscheduled time.
10. You have more stuff than room to store it.
11. You usually put things away, but often forget where you put them.
12. You often forget things if you don't write them down.  
13. Your bookshelves house:

a. anything and everything, as long as it fits.

b. overlapping sets of “collections.”

c. books in various stages of completion, stacked so that the titles are visible.

d. sports gear, sheet music or art supplies, but no books. 

e. piles of items, with a telltale trail from the door to the bookcase.

All finished? Now let's compare your answers to the key below. Every "true" is a clue:

• Item #1 is true for I love to be busy.
• Item #2 is true for I need to see it.
• Item #3 is true for I love stuff.
• Item #4 is true for I know I put it somewhere.
• Item #5 is true for cram and jam.
• Item #6 is true for drop and run.
• Item #7 is true for cram and jam.
• Item #8 is true for drop and run.
• Item #9 is true for I love to be busy.
• Item #10 is true for I love stuff.
• Item # 11 is true for I need to see it and I know I put it somewhere.
• Item #12: I need to see it organizers are likely to do this.
• Item #13a: Cram and jam or I know I put it somewhere; 13b: I love stuff; 13c: I need to see it; 13d: I love to be busy; 13e: Drop and run

How'd you do? Do the quiz answers match your predictions and observations? For most people, clear patterns will emerge, and the answers will come as no surprise; what they've noticed about the way they organize matches their answers on the quiz.

Some people are “a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” At this point in the process, that's to be expected. Further observation, discussion and exploration will help you to determine predominant styles. And some people really are a mix of styles, but this can be a benefit.  An overlap can mean more strategies to work with! 


The most important thing to keep in mind right now is that there are no right or wrong answers on the quiz and that these styles are not personal or organizational flaws. Up to this point, the styles have been stumbling blocks. Moving forward, the goal will be to help you see your natural tendencies as assets rather than liabilities so you can use them as a blueprint for developing a workable, sustainable plan based on what comes naturally. 

For more on the personal styles, click here. For more on the organizational styles, click here.