A year ago: Organizing for the holidays and other reasons

It's October all of a sudden! These are three of my best posts from late September 2009. The holidays were apparently on my mind, in a way that they aren't as much this year. This year, I've started a list of gift ideas for my family, and I thought of one thing I'm going to ask for. But the planning hasn't gone too far past that.

Pre-holiday organizing. What things should you be thinking about now to make Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas easier? Making travel arrangements now will help structure the rest of the season and probably save you money.

The 10 best reasons to get organized. I think 7 and 8 are my favorites.

On holiday gift getting. Ask your friends and family members what they'd like to receive as a gift, and they will probably ask what you'd like. Have a few answers for them - it helps them out, and increases the chances of you getting something you really want.

Creative Commons photo posted to flickr by D Sharon Pruitt

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

10 best reasons to get organized

I've been giving a lot of thought to the tangible benefits of getting and staying organized. I see them in my own life, and in my clients' lives every day, but I wanted to share a few of them here.

1. Save time: always know where to find things.
2. Save money: never have to buy duplicates of things you already own but can’t find.
3. Improve your financial situation: no more late fees or dings on your credit score for not paying bills on time.
4. Increase efficiency: make lists so you only have to go to stores once to get everything you need, group errands geographically and use the Internet to cut down on trips to faraway places by having things delivered.
5. Increase your sense of calm: lessen the day-to-day chaos in your life and focus on the things that are most important to you.
6. Decrease friction with people you live with: when there’s a sense of organization and a place for everything, discord over people’s stuff (usually) goes away.
7. Broaden the scope of your physical and mental world: when we feel held back by disorganization and chaos, we use it as an excuse not to redecorate the apartment that is stuck in 1988, or not to embark on a creative project we’ve been thinking about for years. No more excuses. Do it!
8. Give loved ones security: having your end of life wishes written down, your estate planning finished and a plan for how to dispose of your property after your death lessens the stress that your loved ones will have to endure during that difficult time. Do you really want to leave a house crammed top to bottom with stuff for your kids and grandkids to deal with one day?
9. Make emergency situations easier: when you’re prepared for emergencies with important papers, information and objects located, backed up and insured, those difficult times will be less so.
10. Increase happiness: if your neutral mode for going through life is an organized one, it makes it possible for the ups to go higher and the downs to dip shallower. Try it!

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