Spend a moment to write down the first thing that appears in your mind when you hear the word “organize”.

Notice if these images, words, sounds or feelings are coming from list 1 or list 2.

1.        Hard Work                   2.     Energizing
Boring                                  Freedom
Having to lose things           Finding room for new things
Waste of time                       Empowering
Non-creative                        Creative
Drudgery                              Happiness
Unrealistic                            Inspiring
Impossible                           Clarity and Focus

The First Step in Organizing Is Clearing Mental Clutter

Examine your beliefs about organizing and your ability to create an organized life.
Let’s write down a few and discover how we can view them differently.

What is keeping you up at night?

If you were organized with your time and space, how would your life look then?

The Second Step in Organizing Is Time Management

Let’s examine what issues come up with time. Everyone has the same 168 hours in a week. Where are you spending yours and how are you tracking it?

Write down a few of the ways that could work for you to better manage your time.

The Third Step in Organizing Is Personal Productivity

·    Mind dumping
Options: PDA, Voicemail, Outlook, Daily planner, Notebook, Calendar

·    Categorize

·    Assess time and difficulty

·    Do, Delete, Diminish, Delay, Delegate (Morgenstern, Time Management from the Inside Out)

·    Evaluate

The Fourth Step in Organizing Is System Management

Paper System
File System
Chore System

Organizing Space is the Fifth Step

Clutter
·    Purge (Donate, Sell, Give and Return, Toss)
o    Set a specific date
·    Sort
·    Categorize
·    Designate and Measure Space
·    Containerize and Label

Secret Sixth Step!

Create a rule for your boundaries in each area determining when and how often you will touch up area. Evaluate your systems and your rules and adjust if needed.