helping you organize: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

What does paperless really mean?

When we say we're "going paperless," what does that really mean? It certainly doesn't mean that we'll never touch another piece of paper again in our lives. It also doesn't mean that a person who wants to be less bogged down by paper doesn't enjoy paper in certain situations. Being paperless, like being organized, is not an absolute destination, but something to work toward and use as a tool to live a simpler life.

To me, paperless means not printing stuff unless it's absolutely necessary, including recipes, directions and especially emails.

It means asking people to send me information electronically rather than hand me a piece of paper with the information on it.

It means reducing my paper mail by signing up for paperless statements and bills and taking myself off catalog and junk mail lists.

It means thinking twice before picking up a piece of literature or a business card.

It can mean lots of other things, but those are good start. What does paperless mean to you?

Creative Commons photo posted to Flickr by Bert 23

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com. Sign up for Lelah's News, a once-monthly newsletter.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Poll # 2: Organizing books

I was interested in what my readers think of books that try to help you become better organized through motivation, tips and step-by-step plans. In my experience, some of the most disorganized clients I have often have five or six of these books somewhere in their house. I think it's great for people who want to learn more about a subject or get inspired to change to read books about it, but it is usually not enough to make real lifestyle changes. But, I learn something from every organizing book I read, so I think they can be useful, too.

What did you think? Almost half of the respondents, 42%, answered pragmatically with "who has time to read organizing books." Then voters tied between being inspired by organizing books, and reading them but not getting a whole lot out of them. No one admitted to being made depressed by these books, which is just as well. The authors are usually looking to inspire, not demoralize.

The newest poll is now up, asking about the state of your last will and testament. This can be a touchy subject, but it is extremely important.

Creative Commons photo posted to Flickr by tsmall

Monday, August 22, 2011

It's okay to ask for help

Sometimes I hear from my clients things like, "I really should have been able to do this organizing project on my own," or, "I don't know why, but it's so much easier to do what I need to do with someone else here." The first statement is said apologetically, the second is said with surprise.

The truth is, that even people with good organizational skills or tendencies need guidance and help from time to time. And it's always easier to go through one's stuff when you have someone impartial there as a supportive presence.

Professional organizers often act as "body doubles," standing by while our clients sort and make decisions about things. We often say nothing, just stay and encourage with our presence. It sounds simple, but it makes a world of difference to our clients, and it isn't that easy. Energy flows between organizer and client, and the more decisions that are made about the stuff, the more energy gets used and renewed.

There's no shame in asking for help and in many ways it's a more efficient use of time, money and energy to hire someone to help you get a project finished than try to struggle through on your own and never complete the task.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Clearing the decks

My mother-in-law is an artist and she recently sent me photos to illustrate her newly organized studio space. Previously, she had a work space that had a lot of tools and other items always stored on top of it. With the addition of shelves within arm's reach, the stuff has been removed, clearing the surface for her to work. She writes, "Now that the surface is clear, I have so much more energy (and workspace!)."

Before.

After. Shelves in place, work space totally clear!

This is a wonderful achievement, and I'm grateful for her permission to share her experience, and happy that some of her inspiration came from me and this blog.

For many of us, having a clear space on which to work is vital, no matter what type of work it may be. Empty spaces like desk tops, dining room tables, and counters are wonderful places to attack all sorts of projects, but they are also magnets for the detritus from the day to be dumped upon.

Having a regular (small) dump spot that you frequently sort through and clear off is sensible. Keeping a large open space always clear and ready for you to begin to use is imperative to creativity and effectiveness when at work.

Do you have a work space that's currently home to odds, ends and whatnots? Take a few minutes to clear it off, and resist the urge to put anything on there other than your current project. Feel the energy flow through the space and into your mind and hand.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The E-Myth and organizing

The E-Myth Enterprise by Michael E. Gerber is one of several business books in the E-Myth series. Gerber is a business and entrepreneurship guru and The E-Myth is a classic book in this genre. I liked The E-Myth Enterprise, as it talks about the various traits and practices needed by a company in order to become a truly amazing one. Here's a quote that I found thought provoking:

There are three things that can be so organized: time, space, and work.

The organization of time prevents the over utilization of energy to achieve one's objectives; just enough time--and no more--within which the right action can be efficiently performed.

The organization of space produces the right tools in the right place in the right quantity to support the right action with an economy of effort.

The organization of work identifies the natural way to take action, the relationships between functions, and the coordination between the two.

When employed with skill, organization always produces a sense of great ease.

When employed unwisely, organization always produces resistance.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Say no to every plastic bag

Local bans of plastic grocery bags have come into vogue. There's a good article in the Los Angeles Times on the plastic bag ban now being enacted in unincorporated parts of LA County. There are numerous reasons for avoiding the use of plastic bags, among them the environmental impact of manufacturing and distributing the bags, the problem of having such disposable products floating around our streets and waterways and the hazards these littered bags pose to animals. From an organizational perspective, plastic bags can quickly take over a pantry or closet. We see these convenient tools as being too good to throw away; they are usually strong and stand up to multiple uses, so we are loathe to trash them and we are uncertain about recycling them. In many places, they are not recyclable.

Tiny bag folded up.

Unfolded, it holds so much stuff, stylishly!

I am vehemently anti-plastic bags and I think the bans are a good thing. I always bring reusable bags when grocery shopping or even shopping at a mall. I never take a bag if the item I'm purchasing is small enough to stow in my purse or carry in my hand. I keep two collapsible bags in my purse at all times. If I must take a bag, I reuse it as many times as possible before recycling it.

To those who think they are incapable of remembering to bring bags with them, I say nonsense. Stash a few in your car, your glove box, your purse or backpack. Many businesses offer incentives for bringing your own bags - take advantage of this! Bulky canvas bags are super sturdy, but lightweight scrunch-style bags take up very little room. There's really no excuse. Get on the no-plastic-bag bandwagon!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Poll # 1 results

The numbers are in and it looks like my loyal blog readers and Facebook fans are in agreement: 66% of respondents said they dispose of their clutter by giving it to Goodwill or another charity. Just 20% said they use Freecycle, while 6% said they unload it on their friends and family or simply throw it away. No clutter-holics responded by saying that's what attics, garages and basements are for. What a thoughtful group of declutterers you readers are!

To find your local Goodwill, use their store locator. Don't forget to get a receipt if you itemize your tax deductions!

Freecycle is a great resource, and I've blogged about it before. Find your local chapter here.

Please vote now in the next poll topic: Do books about organizing make you more organized?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Quote: the noble art of leaving things undone

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials. ~Lin Yutang

This is something I have to remind myself...getting lots of things done is not as important as getting the right things done. I love the phrase "elimination of non-essentials;" it reminds of me of Strunk and White: "Omit needless words."

Monday, August 8, 2011

Escape from the storage unit

In June I went to Maine charged with the task of eliminating the need for three 10 foot by 20 foot storage units. It took three days. At the end of the three days, three enormous truck loads of items had been removed to the dump or for reuse or resale by the junk man. One smaller truck load of items had been taken to auction. Several silver items had been sold for cash to the auction man. A cargo crate of forty oil paintings had been shipped across the country. 27 small boxes had also been shipped across the country for one client's new home. A fair amount of things had been integrated into the other client's nearby home. And there was no more need for the storage units.

It looks so innocent.

One of the storage units on the first day.

The key to our ability to that quickly pare down to just a few items being shipped to my client's new home was all in my clients' frame of mind. They no longer wanted to pay for the storage units. They were starting life in a different state, and did not want or need the physical items they'd had in the past, so they were ready to let a lot go. That attitude combined with the wonderful auction man and his amazing associate, the junk man, who were ready to take away everything on our schedule was what made the quick turnaround possible.

A lot of trash.

Deciding what to keep, what to sell and what to let go of.

It was physically exhausting work, even though the long Maine summer days were complemented by truly perfect summer weather (no bugs!), and it was mentally and emotionally draining for my clients to continually make decision after decision all day long. But at the end, there was a palpable sense of relief at having accomplished our goal and a sense of freedom at being able to start a new chapter of life unburdened by the objects of the past.

A small pile of boxes to ship.

Friday, August 5, 2011

A little painting project

One of things I love about my apartment is two glass-front cabinets that separate the kitchen from the dining area (which I turned into my office). They are the perfect storage place for all the beautiful glassware my husband and I received as wedding presents. A few days ago an idea just popped into my head. The glassware is so pretty, but it sort of blends in to the cabinet since it's clear. What if I painted the back of the cabinets the same robin's egg blue (actual name of the color) that my office is painted? I thought it would show off the glassware nicely and add a spot of color to that part of the room. Here's the photo diary of my project:

Before through the glass door.

See how the glasses are barely visible?

First I taped the shelves with painters tape and newsprint. I didn't bother doing the undersides of the shelves, because you can't really see those edges and I have a fairly neat painting hand.

I gathered my tools. The paint, leftover from last September when we painted the office room in the apartment, a stir stick (also leftover), a paint can opener, a paintbrush - new (I left our old one in Ojai when I painted my desk white in December, oops), a rag for catching drips, which I didn't end up using, and more painters tape.

Painting in progress...it goes on so much lighter than it dries!

Paint drying.

Once it had thoroughly dried, I removed the tape and paper carefully. Not all the edges are perfect, but that's okay by me.

With the glassware added back in. I think it looks much better, don't you?

The finished project through the cabinet door. Pretty!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Making do and making organized

While on my summer vacation I went up to Conrad and Brady, Montana, where I'm related to a sizable chunk of the population. At my cousins' farm I took some photos that illustrate how even when you have all the space in the world, you still have to organize in order to find stuff, and reusing things is a way of life.


Big sky country.

5 gallon buckets become parts holders in the garage.

Cubbyholes built in to the back wall of the garage contain small parts.

Old fence poles make perfect fireplace logs.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Organizing lessons from Harry Potter

Last week I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. The final movie of the final book in that series was a lot of fun to watch, and also something of a relief, as all the hype can now die down and those who are interested can simply enjoy the books and movies at their leisure. I read all seven Harry Potter books several years ago and enjoyed the stories and characters very much. A couple of organizing insights hit me as I was watching the final film. **Mild spoilers ahead.**

I've always been fascinated by the Room of Requirement. The nifty plot device was used in several of the books. It is a room that appears when you need it, and once inside is presents you with objects you need, or simply an open space, if that is what you require. It is also the place where all those little things one loses, from socks to books, actually gather. People leave things there, old furniture for instance, and never have to think about them again. It's a remarkable idea, and very appealing. Who wouldn't want a room that's invisible most of the time to stow unwanted items, and also place to find lost and needed ones?

Toward the end of HPATDHP2, the Room of Requirement provides the location for something desperately needed by Harry, and then promptly gets set on fire and all those lost, unwanted items get consumed in a flash. My thought as an organizer, is how lovely for the room and the castle it lives in to get a fresh start, especially after the destruction due to the final battle of Hogwarts.

I was also thinking about the concept of horcruxes. In the Harry Potter universe, horcruxes are objects that have been imbued with pieces of Voldemort's soul using dark magic, with the intent that will it enable Voldemort to live forever. Destroying the horcruxes (things like a ring, a necklace and a book) also destroys part of Voldemort's soul and makes it easier to defeat him, which is of course, something that Harry is trying to do.

I think sometimes it can feel like our things do contain parts of our souls. A wedding band, for instance, is a powerful symbol and very meaningful, but things like a favorite t-shirt or a trinket we picked up on a favorite vacation can also seem to contain bits of ourselves. Feeling that way can make it very difficult to let go of something, such as when the t-shirt starts falling apart from wear or the trinket gets crowded off the shelf by newer, shinier souvenirs.

But thank goodness, our souls do not reside in things outside of us. Things are just things. We don't owe them anything. And they can't make us immortal. If they break, it might hurt a little, but we are still the same.

helping you organize