How to Organize like a Professional Organizer

Start Organizing Any Room in Your Home, Apartment, Work Today

What is next to organize?  You have the piles of paper, the dust building up around your place, furniture that really serves no purpose, items that could be repurposed, and more!  So what to do? 

Let's begin with a plan.  Your goal: to clean up ABC and to feel good doing it, right? 

1.  Start with a room, any room. 

2.  View your area.  Thinking about what to give, what to keep and what to throw away. 

3.  Note what needs to be done. 

4.  Plan a day to do it.  Check your calendar. 

5.  Enlist the help of family and friends. 

6.  Watch videos on how to do what you want to do but better. 

7.  Set aside time and money for the task. 

8.  Encourage yourself by listening to others talk about their projects. 

9.  Play your favorite music while you work. 

10.  Reward yourself with something special once the job is complete.

Nicholl McGuire completes all sorts of projects.  Her biggest challenge is always getting rid of paper.  She starts with the small pieces, works her way to the larger piles, and then organizes her keepsakes.  Things that are most important get scanned and/or filed away.  To learn more simple tips, please do subscribe to this blog.  Have fun!

The Quickest Way to Organize Anything Is...

Plan before you begin any project.  Without a plan, you will find yourself taking far more time than you need to organize.  Too often people jump right into organizing things but end up throwing out useful items while keeping stuff they really don't need.  Check out this blog for the task that you would like to complete, then create your specific plan based on the information provided.

To your success!

How to Get Organized: Simple Tips for Moms

5 Things You Needed to Do Like Yesterday to Keep Place Clean & Organized

Once you clean and organize a room or closet, it can be very tempting not to do much else for a long period of time to the room.  But in order to maintain the cleanliness and organization of an environment, you must keep watch for anything that might be a potential problem and to remember to put things back that you use.  Posting notes to remind family members, workers, etc. --anyone using the space--helps.  Also, checking behind those individuals visiting the room while making necessary adjustments will keep it nice.

In case you have yet to do the following, you might want to:

1.  Tell your kids to clean up their rooms including under their beds and closets where strange odors and things like to harbor over time.  Check your space as well.

2.  Check in and around your house for traces of problematic insects or rodent issues.  Cold weather can bring unwanted guests indoors--ugh!  Move furniture periodically and vacuum.  Open up closets, cabinets, drawers, bins and boxes.  Move items from walls to see what lurks behind your stuff.  Pick up paper, books, and food items sitting on the floor.  Lift up rugs and runners too and vacuum.

3.  Look for holes in walls, around baseboards, in cabinets, and elsewhere simply by bending down and moving items from these areas.

4.  Wipe down areas that have traces of dust, food, and other unsightly markings.

5.  Items that have fallen down, no longer work, appear out of place, or just don't look or feel right, remove or rearrange.  Sometimes decorative items can bring an unsettling energy to your atmosphere making you feel like you don't want to work in the environment--do away with such items or store them away out of sight.

Now that you have five tasks to do, make a point to do them while you are moved to do them.  Take a moment to pause from your Internet surfing and start walking your office space, apartment or home looking for problems.  Happy cleaning and organizing! 

Things to Think About Organizing this New Year

For some of you, you might have thought about all those wonderful things you want to do to better your mind, body and spirit, but what about your atmospheres ie.) livingroom, bedroom, office, etc.?  Here are some thoughts about organizing to help with your home or office space so you can be more productive this new year.

1.  Paper.  From receipts to magazines, every item should have a place that is easy to get to and out of view.  From hanging file folders to bins and binders, utilize what you already have before you buy more things to organize paper items.  Ask yourself, "How often will I need to get to these items?  Will I do anything with them if I should put them away out of view?"  Here's a thought things you know you will need, put them on a shelf or in a cabinet because you know you will be looking in those places for them.  But things you hope to get around to, organize them neatly in plain view and make a point to tend to them everyday.

2.  Food products and storage containers.  Some food items just don't get eaten because they aren't stored in containers or on shelves where people can see them.  Rearrange the fridge and the cabinets.  Do away with storage containers that don't let you see what is in them.  Find some space for the things you know everyone likes, but give away those items that have already proven they will never be used/eaten.  Note: when storing food items at the workplace, consider using storage containers.  This way rodents and insects will not have access to your goodies.

3.  Kitchen gadgets.  They come in handy when you need them, but when you don't, they are nothing more than space collectors.  Items you enjoy using store on a shelf unit or counter space that isn't used much.  Kitchen items that are only used once or twice a year store away in cabinets or plastic bins.

4.  Clothing and accessories.  How many ties, shoes, purses, shirts, jeans, and more do you need?  If you can answer this question then that's half the battle.  Sort items by season, size and color.  You will be surprised to see that some styles, colors, and other clothing items you have are in abundance to the point that you might never wear any of these items again.  When you find, for instance, you have far too many red shirts, size small and typically worn in the spring or summer, you might consider giving some of these items away especially when you know you haven't been a size small since the early 90s.  Consider organizers that make it easy for you to find what you need.  Shelf units, racks, closet hangers, and small plastic organizers can take the hassle out of organizing.  Drawer organizers can help with those items that can be tedious to find.

Once you start with sorting items in closets, cabinets and drawers, you will find it becomes less challenging to do other areas of your home.  Start with a room a week.  Have a trash bag ready, necessary organizers, and cleaning products.  You will find that as you begin moving things, you will find places that are dusty and in need of a good cleaning.  Enlist some help especially when you know you are the kind of person who doesn't like to throw away anything.  However, don't give your help a hard time because they aren't as close to your stuff as you are, remember your goal is to organize and clean your room not defend your stuff. 

As you begin to make progress organizing your home/apartment, you will hear those voices in your head that will tell you how you might need this one day or you will lose the weight so keep it, but the reality is that if you haven't used something or wore it in years, just because it feels like you will, most likely it isn't true.  Feelings lie.  When one is serious about using something and improving his or her life, he or she will not put off anything.  He or she will make the time to get things done.  Don't fight with yourself about keeping something, rather give items away to those who would get more out of them then you would.

The desire to organize is definitely a state of mind and one must be determined to stick to goals until they are accomplished.  Sure, there will be distractions, but one must keep focus.

Here's hoping your organizing and cleaning will be a success this year!  

Nicholl McGuire is the author of Know Your Enemy: The Christian's Critic and When Mothers Cry.

How to Get Organized in Early Spring For a Great Summer

Winter is coming to an end and you are looking forward to a summer of fun and accomplishment but what do you do first? You know you need to start getting ready. You have the energy and desire to do something but what should you do? The weather is getting a little warmer, the sun is out longer and you feel like doing something. It is still too cold to spend much time outside.

Your yard is still snow covered or the ground is too soft and muddy to work on it. You would like to put all your winter clothes and winter stuff away but you know there might be some more snow and cold for awhile yet. This time of year is the limbo time between winter and summer. The extreme difficulty of dealing with winter is over but there is enough winter left that you cannot just put everything away and only have your summer stuff out.

You need an organized plan to use to jump start your summer preparations. Here is a plan that will get you organized and moving forward towards a great summer:

1) Go through your winter clothes. Anything that is ripped, stained and beyond repair needs to be thrown out. All the winter clothes that are still good but that you did not wear at all can go into a bag to drop off at your favorite charity. This includes clothes that are too big, too small, that are really not you or that you just do not like for whatever reason. This is the perfect time to do this because you will not be needing these clothes anymore soon.

2) While going through these clothes you should make a small list of your wish list for the types of winter clothes you want to get next fall. Put this list in your planner book so you have an early jump on your ideas for next year.

3) Get out your spring and summer clothes if you had them put away for the winter and put them in your closet. There should be room because you have removed some of your winter clothes in step 1.

4) Go through your spring and summer clothes and make a list of what you really want to get now. This will be your shopping wish list to use in the next few months to make sure you are looking for what you really need and want.

5) Put away any remaining Christmas decorations and anything else related to winter. It is still too early to put away everything needed for winter. You will still need boots, coats, mittens, hats, shovels and salt. What I mean is to put away things that are not needed for winter but that are reminders of winter.

6) The big thing to do is to finish your indoor projects. You really need to push to finish any home painting or remodeling projects now. Spend the time and money to get this out of the way. Once the nice weather hits there will be a lot more distractions on your time. Trying to work on outdoor projects and indoor projects at the same time is just too difficult and draining. Planning travel and fun activities around your remodeling is
frustrating.

7) Move your cars out of the garage and sweep your garage floor as much as you can. Where I live they use a combination of sand and salt on the streets to deal with the ice and snow so my garage is filled with both. You will be needing to sweep again later in the spring but it really helps to get as much dirt picked up now as you can.

8) Sweep your sidewalks and the main areas of your driveway where most people walk. By spending some time sweeping you will be minimizing the amount of dirt tracked into the house.

9) Vacuum your car and clean and straighten it out. Do not put away your winter stuff yet. Where I live in
Wisconsin we can still get snow up through the middle of May. So you really need to wait to put away winter stuff until winter is for sure done.

10) Do some straightening in the garage. It is too early to put away the winter stuff but you can spend some time working here to make the big cleaning easier later.

11) Look at your equipment for your summer activities and make lists of what you need. If you golf, see if you need golf balls. If you fish, make a list of the fishing tackle you want to buy. If your outdoor tools are in poor shape, put together a list of what you need. Put these lists in your planner book so you can start getting these things as you can afford them.

12) If you have kids or are a biker, get your bikes out and fill up the tires. If your bikes need to be fixed either fix them, get them to the bike shop or buy new ones. As soon as the good weather arrives everyone will want to go for a bike ride.

13) If there are any Christmas decorations still up outside, get those removed and put away.

Here is a list of tools you will need to get these things done:

- Big garbage bags and ties. You will use these bags to throw out your clothes as well as haul any other clothes to charity.

- Paper that fits into your planner book and pen to make your lists of the winter clothes you would like next year, your list of the warm weather clothes you want now, your list of equipment needs for your summer activities and your list of outdoor tools for your outdoor summer projects.

- Boxes and bins to pack away your winter and Christmas type decorations.

- Broom, dustpan and garbage can.

- Shopvac or vacuum you can use outside.

- Air pump for the bike tires.

- Motivation, energy, time and money to finish those indoor projects.

You can see from this list that the work will be a combination of indoor and outdoor work. Doing these types of tasks will be a pleasant reminder of the wonderful summer weather that is coming and all the fun you are going to have.

About the Author:

Hans Hallanger is The Organized Man. Do you dream of having more free time, of a simpler life, of less stress, of an uncluttered home, of well-designed storage systems and about getting more done? My website, http://www.organized-way.com/index.html is full of easy ways to quickly improve your life. Sign up for my FREE newsletter and get a FREE Ebook titled "Seven Ways to get Organized Right Now".

How to Get Organized for the Artist

How to Organize Your Workplace

Some artists have an issue with keeping everything organized. A way to solve this problem is to separate things into different spaces. All the work should be in a certain space and there should be a drafting table for the work to be completed on. There should also be a drafting chair to sit in and get comfortable while creating art. Art is something that is created and for most people getting creative requires a comfortable and organized workspace. Separating certain things into certain areas would really create a different space to work in.

The table where an artist created their art at should be used for one purpose and that is all. This purpose is to create art. If the drafting table is all cluttered with papers and things it is next to impossible to be creative and get work done. It does not take much effort to clean up the work area so there really is no excuse not to. A good drafting table that is clean and organized can make a huge difference. It is a much more efficient workspace. It is also much less stressful without the clutter and disorganization.

Having an organized drafting table is one thing that can be extremely helpful, but it is not the only thing. Having a comfortable, efficient drafting chair can make a difference. It may not seem like it would make a huge difference to have a chair with the drafting table, but it does. Without the chair the table would be pointless. The chair could create a feeling of limited stress, which can bring a feeling of relief. When this feeling is present working is much easier. The drafting chair does not have to be top of the line expensive it just has to get the job done.

There are many things that can be done to organize a place of work. The first thing to do is to get rid of any clutter around. This just eliminates the things in the space that are pointless and meaningless to the job that is being accomplished. When there is a clear area to work in, more can be accomplished in less time. It is a lot easier, less stressful, and much more efficient. It is not a hard task to complete if it is done the right way. There are also many ways that you can organize a space. It can be done in any way that is necessary to meet any particular expectations.

Organization can be the key to success. It is not something that is extremely difficult. If things are kept organized in a place of business than the potential of something going wrong is slim to none. The important key is to have certain spaces for certain things. For example having a drafting table and chair are used for drawing or anything else only. If the desk becomes used for other things it loses its general purpose and most of the time it is hard to restore it to how it used to be used.

Connor Sullivan usually buys his drafting tables online for his office. He also purchased drafting chairs online for the office as well. http://www.artsupply.com/alvin/tables/alvintables.htm

How to Organize Your Life to Eliminate Stress and Worry

If you are not a very organized person, then you may realize that your disorganization can create a tremendous amount of stress in your life. If you take the time to get organized, you may notice that your level of stress goes down. Sometimes this can be just want you need in order to reduce the stress in your life. Stress can really take its toll on your body and your life. It can bring you down, and ultimately make you unhappy. If you want to look into reducing your stress level with some easy steps, then take the time to get uncluttered and organize your home.

The first thing that you should do is to make a to do list. If you have a list that you will follow when working on your things then you will be that much more likely to get everything done. Have you ever had a whole list of things in your head to get done, just to find out that you forgot to do a few of them? This is very common, especially if you do not make a written list. Writing things down will not only help you with your memory, but having them in writing will allow you to check them off as you go. This can be very effective when you are getting ready to get organized.

Once you have a list of the things that you need to do, then you need to add some priority to it. Remember what you need to do in order to get organized, and then take the steps to check them off one by one. If you have a long list, delegate certain things to do on certain days. If you do this, you are likely to find that you get everything done more quickly than you would sitting around looking at the list of things to do. Do not stress out over having a lot to get done, just start doing them one by one and only bite off as much as you can chew. This will give you a sense of accomplishment in the end.

If there are some things that may not be very important, then you should think about not doing them at all. While you may not want to think about things and then cancel them, it may be the best way to reduce your stress. Do not take on more than you can handle because that is the sure fire way to get stressed out. Remember that you do not always have to say yes to everyone. Practice telling people no if you do not feel like taking on another task.

Make a daily list each morning. This will help you when it comes to getting everything done in a timely manner. When you look back at the things that you are able to accomplish once you are organized, you will be that much more prepared to take on the day without the load of stress that you may have had before hand.

Herb enjoys learning how to become a more organized person. Please visit his website with information on outdoor floor lamps and tips on outdoor post lighting. http://www.outdoorfloorlamps.net/outdoor-post-lighting.html

6 Ideas For Organizing Your Home With Plastic Containers

Because you can find them in such a wide variety of shapes, sizes, styles, and colors, plastic containers are some of the most useful tools for organizing, storing, and displaying items.

The industry already knows how useful plastic containers are in businesses like retail stores, restaurants, and hotels; however, do homeowners know how useful plastic containers are in their own homes?

Maybe you need a way to organize your child's small toys, or you're looking for art supply containers for your craft room. If you're a homeowner - or even a renter - looking for ideas on how to better organize your home, check out the descriptions listed below for using plastic containers to organize six areas of your home.

1. Kitchen

Plastic containers are excellent organizational tools and display fixtures for kitchens.

Homeowners can use traditional round, square, or hexagon containers of various sizes to hold frequently used items like keys, address books, and matchbooks, as well as handgrip containers to store food items like flour, sugar, and seasonings. These containers are also great for holding those little extras like plastic utensils, packets of salt, pepper, sugar, and condiments, and even hand wipes we often end up with after a trip to or delivery from a restaurant.

2. Home Office

Whether you work at home or need a quiet place dedicated to managing your bills or doing homework, you definitely want your home office to be organized.

Consider using plastic containers to organize, store, and display various home office tools like writing utensils, markers, and highlighters; extra ink cartridges for your computer printer; staples, paperclips, and tacks; and small Post-It notepads.

3. Work Areas

Work areas vary from home to home. You might have a storage shed dedicated to completing your home repair tasks, or you might use your attic, basement, or garage. Wherever your home's work area is, it's important to keep it well organized.

Plastic containers are great tools for organizing and storing small work items like nuts, screws, bolts, and nails. You can even use them to organize rolls of measuring tape, electrical tape, and painter's tape.

4. Craft Areas

Like your home's work area, your home's craft area - whether it you have a special room set aside for crafts or you have dedicated a corner of your living room to your sewing machine - containers lots of small items in need of organizing.

You can use plastic containers to organize and display craft items like spools of thread, small balls of yarn, and sewing and knitting needles; small containers of glitter and sequins; buttons; appliqués; paint and paint brushes; and small bottles of glue and glue sticks for glue guns.

5. Children's Rooms

Children's rooms are havens for small toys like building blocks, rogue game pieces and puzzle pieces, and figurines. You can use plastic containers to help organize these items, making it easy for you and your child to find them and store them after playing.

6. Rec Rooms

Each homeowner uses his or her home's "rec" room for various purposes. This might be the room where your family spends time together, or it might be the room where you manage the bills. Because plastic containers work so well as organizational, storage, and display tools, they'll also work well to organize, store, and display any kind of small item you have in your rec room!


By Terry Keenan

Candy Concepts, Inc. specializes in providing businesses with everything from a wide variety of candy containers to the bulk candy and novelty items to fill them with! Learn more about the kinds of bulk plastic containers you can use for your merchandise displays when you visit Candy Concepts, Inc.'s sister website, All Candy Containers.com.

How to Organize a Chest of Drawers

Synonymous with the bedroom, and perhaps disorganization, a chest of drawers doesn’t need to be blackhole. Chests usually come in 5, 6, or 7 drawer varieties, with either a single or a double top drawer and can be found throughout the house. Wherever your drawers are, whether the bedroom or the kitchen, they should be kept spic-and-span to maximize efficiency and avoid lost objects. This, however, is probably easier said than done. But a few quick tricks will keep your drawers free of unwanted clutter, and stocked full of the things you use most.

Bedroom Tips

Home to socks and underpants, pajamas and jeans, people often stick every which thing into their bedroom drawers. If it doesn’t need to be hung in the closet, it probably can be found stuffed or mashed into the back of some drawer. This can lead to be bit of a mess. No worries, a few simple tricks will have you unstuffed in no time.

Once every season, empty your drawers to reorganize and reconsider what have; are you using all your white t’s? Have some forgotten pajamas? Take the opportunity to purge and minimize, and keep your chest of drawers from excessive bulge. With seasonal clean-outs, you will be sure that each nook and cranny of this valuable piece of furniture is being used accordingly.

When thinking of where items should be placed in your chest, the most often used items should be the easiest to access. Items such as winter wares or workout clothes can be placed where bending or standing on tip-toes are required. Likewise, consider using the bottom drawer for excess baby clothes, or other items that don’t get quite as much use.

Couples usually prefer a double top drawer, so as to divide at least that section evenly. If you have a single top-drawer, but share it with a partner, consider a drawer divider. For extra storage space, baskets can also top your chest and be used for socks or other small items that aren’t too personal for display.

Kitchen Tips

Chest of drawers located in the kitchen are different beasts entirely; with items ranging from pens to rubber bands to forks to phone books, regular organization is key to keeping household items in check and easily accessed. Instead of keeping everything everywhere, choose organizational “helpers” based on your needs.

Cutlery trays are essential, to keep your forks from your knives and so on. Your excess ice cube trays can double for drawer organizers—easily housing paper clips, rubber bands, and other smaller items.

Entertain often? Consider tagging drawers to help your guests follow your organizational lead. Especially in areas often used during parties, tags could leave no confusion where things go.

If there is a primary chef in the house, they should have a voice in how the kitchen drawers are arranged, as they will be using them most often. Be sure the families understands the system and abides by it, for easy access to all your kitchen goodies.

The key to all organizing is to create systems that work for you and your family. If it isn’t according to your logic, you probably won’t use it. Also, like the ice tray, don’t be afraid to organize with tools that are convenient, even if they are serving a purpose for which they weren’t originally intended.


by Bill William
Looking for a classy contemporary furniture store? Look no further. Beyond Furniture take pride in having unique furniture that takes peoples breath away. Having a house full of furniture from the Beyond Furniture range spells pure class.

Organize For More Leisure

Who has not had their time and energy consumed by an organization or club? Let’s face it; many organizations are geared toward consuming every available hour that a person has to offer. Many organizations I encounter, from churches/religious groups, to charitable organizations, to volunteer groups, to clubs, most are kept running by a small number of persons who are extremely committed to the cause, and who work tirelessly to keep it going.

Observe most of the groups to which you belong and you discover a handful of people doing most of the work that keep the wheels turning. In the occasional sports club or leisure group I have been involved, it was one or no more than two people who kept the group corralled. If asked why members of the total group don't participate in the administration of the club, there unanimity: "I don't have time for the meetings."

What a delight it is to discover other models of doing business, to discover organizations that are designed for full involvement, but not consumption of its members.

This kind of organization is light on meetings and heavy on team delegation. Every once in awhile I come across this kind of group and there are keys to their effectiveness:

Lots of emphasis on team and small group responsibility- These groups put motivated people in charge of a task, give them support, and get out of the way. It makes for fewer meetings, and often more gets done. Small groups of three to four people tackling a specific task will almost always bring better results than a whole board or committee dealing with the issue.

Emphasize future programs and coming events vs. past happenings- Effective groups spend more time on planning the future, and less dissecting the past. There is always the need to evaluate, but the reason for evaluation is an improved future. Give me an organization focused on the future, and I will show you one that has great potential.

Do as much work by phone/email as possible- Many meetings can be pre-empted by the exchange of emails or phone call and coming to a group consensus without ever scheduling a time and place. Take advantage.

Set meeting end times and stick to them- It is amazing what can get done in a short amount of time when there is an expectation of an end time for a meeting.

Practice humor and joy as a part of meeting times- When you have to meet face to face, a meeting should be led with a sense of humor and with a light touch. People will come back to a joyful experience.

See if these hints might lead to more leisure in your life.

Mike Stanton-Rich is "The Leisure Guy." Armed with a Ph.D. in Leisure Studies and years studying stress and burnout, he writes regular articles and features about enhancing work and leisure. Catch his latest at: http://www.theleisureguy.com

Organize Your Garage For More Space

With every home having a garage, there comes another problem. Organization is a complex duty, but offers the home buyer a nice organized garage. Organizing your garage for more space can be accomplished in many ways. The incorporation of different methods can increase the space that you have always wanted. No more will you have to trip over that bicycle in the garage. These methods are:

1. Cabinets- These are the most expensive way to organize your garage, but it is the most stylish. If you have a good deal of things, then cabinets are an option that is needed. The cabinets offer a great deal more space than your shelves or racks can offer. With cabinets, you are able to separate sections of your belongings.

2. Shelves- For those who have little things to store, shelves are an inexpensive way to store your precious items without the clutter look of bins. Shelves offer room for other things. Since they mount on the wall, shelves offer for more space for things under the shelves. Shelves can offer many options of storage and organizational abilities.

3. Racks- These freestanding shelves are made to organize as cabinets except without the doors. Racks offer for layers of options to place your items on and have the chance of holding a good deal of weight. Racks are built to last through many years and won't crumble under pressure.

Whatever the choice you make, organizing your garage for more space is a very important task. With the many things you buy to help keep up with people, and then later not like the item you bought, there is plenty of need for organizing. Remember to always remember that organizing your garage for more space is always an important task and you will be one of the many who have already organized and are enjoying their extra space. Happy organizing!

Dr. Barry Lycka is president of LesTout.com, the number one source of internet guidance.

You Can Organize!

Although some may think of organizing a home as a daunting, dreaded task, the end result provides an extremely rewarding satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment. It may feel overwhelming at first because the tendency is to see the job as a whole. It appears to be an unending chore to be put off at all costs. However, the mind must be set to take this task in steps. Conquering the worthwhile task of organizing can be achieved one step at a time with a positive attitude and the proper tools.

Most people think of cleaning as something that goes along with organizing a home. So, let’s explore cleaning for a moment. Your cleaners should be organized, too. Many people have an over-abundance of cleaners, which is simply not necessary. If you have several piece bottles of the same product, combine them.

If you have old cleaners and are unsure of their age and effectiveness, toss them out. Some cleaners are effective for several different jobs, which can reduce your spending and storage as well.

Some people prefer to keep all their cleaning supplies in one area. To save time, designate an area of each room or part of the house to the cleaners needed for that area. For example, place the kitchen cleaners in or near the kitchen. Should you have an upstairs area, it’s more efficient to place cleaners upstairs as well as keeping some downstairs. If you have a place for cleaners in each bathroom, it’s easier to keep some in each bathroom than to haul them all over the house while cleaning.

When you get ready to organize, make a list of rooms in order of priority. Work your way through the room by doing tasks in order of importance. Decide which area of your home can benefit the most or should have priority.

You may first prefer to organize the parts of your home that company will see. That would most likely be an entryway or living area. Your first step in organizing in any room would be to throw away unnecessary clutter. It may be helpful to toss useable items into a bag or box to give a special charity.

In any area, from cabinets to drawers to closets, you’ll want to give the most used items easier access. Use hard to reach areas for storing things you hardly ever need or won’t use but can’t bear to part with.

Do you own things that are broken that would be cheaper to replace? Do you have saved items that you meant to repair years ago? Now that you’re in the mood for organizing your home, it’s the perfect time to unburden yourself of this useless clutter.

Make organizing your home fun. Set up the potpourri burner and turn on the music that inspires you. Get your children involved. Turn the process into a game or challenge. Give rewards to yourself or your helpers for a job well done when you’re finished or for progress that was made.

About the Author: Kurien Abraham is the owner of DiscoverOrganization where you'll find easy solutions, ideas, and tools to help you get organized and simplify your life. Visit http://www.DiscoverOrganization.com for more information and sign up for a free Home Organizing Mini Course.

Organize Now: Organize Your Kitchen In 24 Hours

The kitchen is often a gathering place for friends and family to not only eat, but talk about current events and life in general. It’s a place to post notices on the refrigerator about chores and things to do during a busy day. It’s sometimes a place to feed pets and keep a collection of kid art, bills, assorted papers and magazines.

In fact, the kitchen can become a gathering place for lots of – junk.

Have you forgotten what your kitchen looks like?

Well, if you have, it’s time to dig through the clutter and get things organized so that you and your family can enjoy your kitchen again like it was meant to be enjoyed.

Before you can get organized, you need to decide what kinds of activities you want to use the kitchen for besides cooking and eating.

Do you pay bills sitting at the kitchen table?

Do you or any family members do craft projects in the kitchen?

Are the kids doing their homework in the kitchen?

Is it used for casual reading?

When you host parties, are guests allowed to roam freely in the kitchen?

These are all things to consider when deciding how your kitchen space will be used. Actually, your kitchen can accommodate all of the above activities, but you must organize things so that each activity doesn’t conflict with anything else you’re trying to do in there.

Grab some boxes or plastic bags and begin removing each item, section by section. You can label the boxes or bags i.e. appliances, bills, books, crafts, knick knacks, etc.

Now take a good look at the space and figure out how you want to arrange your kitchen into stations that can keep things neat and efficient. The first station, should be the cooking station. Appliances that you use frequently should be put within easy reach. Stuff you don’t use too much should be stored.

Utilize all of your storage space. Maybe you can purchase some dividers and racks to add to the space you already have in your cabinets. Figure out as many ways as possible to increase your storage space.

Next, if you pay bills in the kitchen, get a letter/bill organizer and place all of your current bills in there for safe keeping. This will help you keep track of what bill you owe and when you need to pay it. All older bill related paperwork should be filed away in a filing cabinet or thrown out if no longer relevant.

Likewise for crafts and things. Any loose craft items should be stored inside of a container or box. Pull items out and work at the kitchen table, then store them when you’re done.

If the kids normally do their homework at the kitchen table, keep supplies like pens, pencils, and paper handy in a separate container or box. Label it clearly so that the kids know where to find it. They should also put their supplies back when finished.

If you have a small place, the kitchen is often a gathering place for friends and party guests. You may want to invest in a rolling cart where you can easily store party beverages and utensils – that way you won’t have to clutter up your nice kitchen in order to entertain guests.

With the right organization, your kitchen can be a place to cook good meals, and also a multipurpose room that is warm and practical.

How to Motivate Yourself to Organize

Organizing is probably not at the top of your list of fun things to do, is it? If your clutter is overwhelming, it's especially difficult to get started. Here are some easy tips to motivate yourself to organize.

1. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just just take the first step." You don't have to organize your whole house today. Just work on one small area-- a drawer or a cabinet.

2. Buy a good organizing book. Once you begin reading it, you'll feel compelled to start organizing.

3. Forget embarrassment. Invite an organized friend to help you. Hire a professional. It's easier to organize when you can talk through the clutter.

4. Set the mood. Put on some fun music. Open the windows. Choose a starting point and just do it.

5. "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence," said Calvin Coolidge.

Keep trying. Do a little bit daily or weekly and you'll soon find that you are more organized than you ever thought possible! About the author: Free time management tips booklet, meal planner, and daily organizing checklist at http://www.ineedmoretime.com.