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".

Clutter and Hoarding - How to Organize Your Cell Phone Numbers

Does your cell phone address book need organizing? Now's the time to make life more convenient for you by organizing your cell phone numbers. When you organize your phone numbers, and clearly list your contacts with the correct number, you make a better use of your time on the cell phone. Here are four simple ideas to get the job done.

1. Start out by developing a process. Decide whether you're going to create an address book with the contact last name first. Or, are you going to just list all of your contacts by first name and the first initial after the first name. A drawback to doing it this way is that you may have more than one person with the same name. Yet this could be a good way if you don't remember people's last names and you could still differentiate the listing by the last name or something like that.

So probably the most efficient and beneficial way to organize your cell phone address book is by putting the last name first and then the first name.

2. When you decide to "clean up" your cell phone address book, do this task when you're sitting in an undistracted place. That means either in your home or, if you're in your car, make sure that your car is parked and the engine is turned off. Too many people needlessly cause accidents by using their cell phone while they're driving. This can be very dangerous to you. So if you're going to take the time to clean up your address book, think about what you're doing. Decide to do this task in a way that is safe and effective for you.

3. An alternate way to organize your cell phone address book might be to include a specific ring tone for a specific number. However, in the printed version of the address book, you're still going to need to understand who's calling and who you are calling. For this reason, I believe the most effective thing that you can do is to organize your cell phone address book in alphabetical order with a last name first.

4. Whatever it takes for you to be able to quickly access the phone numbers in your cell phone address book, make it a priority to organize those names. In a hurry, you will feel glad that you knew how to quickly reach those people. In the long run, choosing to have an organized cell phone address book, you'll reduce stress and more efficiently be able to get a hold of the people that really matter to you.

The "Wandering Butterfly Clean Up Technique" is a wonderful way to make it easy to clean up. It is excellent to use when you don't feel like cleaning up, yet you get something done! To receive the free document, click here http://www.easykeytoclutter.com Many clutterers benefit from the gentle, easy and empowering process of hypnotherapy, especially with a hypnotherapist who specializes in clutter. Beverly E. Taylor, the "Clean Up Queen" is the only person in the world who has written a book using hypnosis to help people easily clean up clutter. She was the featured hypnotherapist on the TLC TV show, "Help! I'm a Hoarder."

Organize Life - Change Your Life Positively Through These 8 Steps

Today's world is full of lies, negativity and road which ends in darkness. Most of the time, people find themselves sometimes in lives when they know that they are living negatively, when they know they have to change. Sometimes people think that they are living positively but in fact it is not how they think, it is not always as simple as it seems. It doesn't matter in which growth stage we are we can always push the button for positive change and give our best.

The first step - Realize

The realization is the first step, when people realize that they are walking the wrong way of life, they have the chance to change. Also the strength of the realization is important, the stronger the realization, the stronger will to change will be created. Although the realization itself can't start the change, but it is the crucial thing to have. People can't change something that they don't even know they have. "Sometimes realization comes by itself, sometimes by ourselves, no matter from where it came, it is our responsibility to either start to work on it or to forget about it."

The second step - Accept

Realization can sometimes be connected with acceptance but in majority of cases it is a different term. Without acceptance of the negative realization and negative self we also can't start the change. People must accept something that they have to fully start changing. It is in many cases hard to accept something negative in ourselves, but it is also a crucial thing to do. "The difference between successful and the rest is that successful people are not afraid to accept themselves."

The third step - Check the present situation

Checking the present situation is a important thing to do. Look at things that are advantageous to you and the things that are not. Look at what you have, look at what you can have and don't have. Check your situation on anything you are doing, school, job or relationship with the partner; anything. "We can't see what we can do if we didn't even check what there is possible to do."

The fourth step - Organize

After you checked all the things present in your life, you should organize them. List the things which are beneficial for your development, for your relationship with the persons you love or should love. List the things which are not important for you, which are "a waste of time". Time goes by really fast and we never know when we will get into the position when we think that it is late. "The computer needs to organize itself to work properly, it is same with humans."

The fifth step - Push the start button

Firstly look at the things which are most important in means of time. Either it is a positive thing or negative, just do the thing you should do, for example a important homework or finishing an important article. After we fixed the most crucial things, it is important to start on the things which are damaging for our lives. Most of the time they are addictions which are hard to get rid of depending on our will or self-control. There is no ultimate formula to get rid of negative addictions right away but these steps can also be used in getting rid of the addiction, just it needs more power of will and a stronger realization about the negative influence which are continuous and infinite if we don't start to control it. "If you don't start to change yourself, who will?"

The sixth step - Don't give up

It is hard to control ourselves and giving up is the easiest thing to do anytime. We should keep the mindset that the harder it is to control, the more benefit will we have after. We still can't see the whole picture of the benefit after but the truth is that it is always greater than we think. We shouldn't give up because we never know when the addiction will disappear. We shouldn't give up because life is precious. "For every change there is the first step, the second step, the third step and after you don't even count."

The seventh step - Look at the improvement

Look at the life you had before and the life now, don't you feel proud of yourself? People should know that sometimes they should reflect on their past to see the improvement and feel happiness rather than looking at the long way they still have to go. If we put a group of successful people, some are happy and some are not. The difference is the mindset, the unhappy people think of the way they still have to work on to get to the ultimate success when the happy people look at the past and the improvement they made possible through time. "Sometimes changing the way we look can change our mood."

The eighth / last step - Forget about it and continue

The last step is really simple, there are no steps. Our mindset should totally change so that it is automatic that we fix the negative things and continue on things which are beneficial for us. It should be a habit, a positive habit. "Changing thyself is very hard but also very beneficial, depending on the change."

Some people say that life is all about self-pleasure and some say it is about constant development. Both are important but we should have the skill to distinguish pleasure and real happiness.

My name is HyunSoung Kim. When I grow up I will be an positive psychologist who helps people choose the positive road. If you have any problems or questions about your life, future and frustrations please feel free to ask me by sending a e-mail to kim_h_soung@hotmail.com, it is always my first priority to fully help others.

How to Organize a Coat Closet in 6 Easy Steps

Does your coat closet only get more cluttered with the change of seasons? Is it too packed to place the coat of a friend or two in? Then its time to follow these 6 simple steps to organize your coat closet:

Before you begin just make sure you have a good hour or more to complete the job.

1. Remove Everything From the Closet

In order to get organized you need to know what you are dealing with, and you need to start from scratch. You'll probably find coats from every season, a few missing gloves that have been lost for years, more shoes can boots than you can imagine, and who knows what else.

As you remove each item group them into piles based on each person in your home. You may find some people have much bigger piles than others by the time the closet is empty :)

2. Clean the closet

Give it a good scrubbing, dusting, even a quick paint job if you have the time.

3. Evaluate your storage system

Does your closet efficiently store coats, shoes and the other items you store in it? If not (especially if its an older closet) consider going down to the local home improvement store and look at closet organizer systems. You can spend anywhere from $20-$30 for a few new shelves and brackets, to several hundred for entire top of the line closet organizer systems

4. Organize and Store by Person

Depending on the season you want to store 1-2 of the "best" coats for each person in your home. So go to each "pile" you created when you emptied the closet and grab 2 of their coats. If its winter then for each person you may want a really heavy coat plus a slightly lighter coat. Summer time might just be a fleece and a rain coat for each person.

Each person should have their coats in an assigned position in the closet, like Dad gets the far left 2 spots, Mom's coats go next to, etc. Keep it organized as you store the items so you know exactly where to find what you are looking for and where to return them when done.,

5. Store additional items

In winter time store all of the hats, gloves and scarfs in a box. If you have a large family then give each person a shoebox to store their own season items and put the boxes on a shelf in the closet. Also store an umbrella for rainy days.

6. Evaluate what is left

Chances are you still have some piles still left hanging around from when you emptied the closet. If there is still plenty of room in your coat closet then allow each person to have an additional jacket, sweater, or fleece. Do not try to fill your closet, leave room and some extra hangers for guests.

But if you do not have much space then do not try to store all 4 season's worth of coats at the same time. You are far better off getting some plastic bins and storing off season coats in them and place them in the attic or basement. This will keep your closet more organized.

In regards to what may still remain in your piles, at this point you should consider donating them because the plain truth is you don't have room for them or they are just not as important anymore. Or they are simply trash.

So feel good about your new organized coat closet, make a donation and get a tax break! Donating something you've worn and loved in the past can be very difficult, but you will feel empowered by how organized you are now.

By Bob Hennessey

Time Management - Plan, Prioritize, And Organize Your Time More Efficiently

As many of us are painfully aware, time is a valuable but limited resource that we never seem to have enough of. In the increasingly hectic and fast-paced world in which we live, there is a pressing need to learn how to manage time as efficiently as possible. This article presents a brief overview of why you need to plan, prioritize, and organize your time more efficiently.

To develop good time management skills is to embark on a journey taken by many people in the past. This journey is simply following a path of proven principles that will help us gain control of our time. It is a journey that can begin only after a person realizes the need to use time more efficiently.

Your time can be capably managed by planning, prioritizing, organizing and knowing how to effectively deal with competing activities.

First, planning ahead is a key component to managing your time. Carefully look at every activity that you will need to do in the week ahead. Next, prioritize in ranking order the items that are most urgent or have a deadline for completion. Finally, Organize your activities by scheduling each one in your daily planner, calendar, or personal digital assistant (PDA).

By actually scheduling the things you need to do in your calendar, you have in effect reserved a block of time to do these things, and you will be more likely to get them done than if you had not scheduled them.

Time management is an art in itself that includes arranging, organizing, scheduling and budgeting time. This helps us become more productive and efficient at work, school, and all other activities.

When it comes to learning about how to manage time more effectively, you will find many self-help books, articles, and other written material on the topic of time management. In addition to written material, there are many time management classes, workshops and seminars specifically designed to equip people with time management tools. With a plethora of information available, there is really no good reason not to educate oneself in the fundamentals of time management.

In conclusion, we have seen that time management can be accomplished by planning, prioritizing, and organizing your activities. The list of people who can benefit from better time management is a long one, and includes students, teachers, factory workers, managers, business owners, artists, musicians, contractors, engineers, clergy, and countless others. The fact is, nearly everyone can benefit from learning the principles and techniques of how to be better stewards of time.

By: Jesse Whitehead