Organizing – It’s All About Systems

Kim Wolinski, MSW
“Dr. DeClutter” www.drdeclutter.com

Organizing – It’s All About Systems

I have worked with many people who were just beside themselves with layers and layers of what I’ve come to call… “horizontal hell.” You may have this dilemma too. It’s heaps and stacks of clothing, shoes, linens, towels, paper, sports equipment, food… it can be anything… stacked, falling over, tumbling out of closets and off stools, chairs and tables.

SOLUTION: Systems. All that’s missing is a good “system.”

Organizing systems are the foundation of aligning anything and everything. When a system is not in place to manage and control the flow of stuff and things, they will inevitably go the way of gravity.

"Organizing is the process by which we create
environments that enable us to live, work, and
relax exactly as we want to."
~ Julie Morgenstern, "Organizing From the Inside Out"

Your home, office and even your life/work/event/activity schedules should reflect and encourage the best of who you are, what you want, and how you spend your time and dime.

EXAMPLE: MAIL SYSTEM
One organizational problem many people stress about is mail. What to do with all of that incoming clutter called “mail.” And, sadly, mostly “junk mail.”

First, make sure you have a “system” for the flow of how mail comes into your house. Leaving it on the dining room or kitchen table or counter in a heap is just asking for problems!

If you’re not going to deal with the mail as soon as it comes through the door, then it’s imperative that you create a Mail Holding, or Communication Station. The simplest system to use is some sort of container; a basket, nice looking box or such. Put your mail in the container letting everyone you live with know that that’s where it “lives” until it’s sorted.

Then, sort it out, daily. I’ve had people tell me how frustrated they are with their mail, that they just don’t know what to do with it. I ask how often they sort through it and route it. Sometimes the answer is, “Once a month, from grocery bags.”

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No!!!

Sort daily, at least every couple of days. But once a month? You’re just asking for pain!

Most people’s mail consists of a few basic things:
1. Bills: Cull out all the paper you don’t need and recycle. Have another “system”/container/file/place where bills are held for payment. This needs to be easy to get to and use so that bills get paid on time if not auto-paid.
2. Correspondence: With email, there’s sadly few letters anymore, but certainly cards and letters do come. Open, read, show, enjoy. Put in a “system” for returning correspondence so that you don’t forget to reply if necessary.
3. Business items such as contracts, leases, etc.: Have pre-labeled files and folders for them in a file cabinet or other “system” where they “live” for easy access, use and finding when needed.
4. Medical Papers: Like Business items, Medical Papers don’t necessarily have to be seen again, or ever, it depends on your situation and if you need to keep them handy for future Doctor appointments.
5. Archive Information: Insurance Policy updates, Bank Statements and the like need to be read through and checked, but mostly “live” in archive files and are never looked at again, but need to be kept for taxes mostly.
6. Read: Magazine, journals, etc. that need your sit-down reading time. Put by your reading chair and enjoy when you sit down later. If you just don’t have time to ready them or have too many subscriptions, cancel them or give magazines to professional offices, senior centers or to the library until your subscription is out.
7. Junk Mail: Sort through straight to recycle bin. Call or send back with CANCEL written on one’s for which you can use “their pre-stamped envelope!”
8. Shredder: Shred anything that has your SS#, credit card numbers, bank numbers, etc.

So, pretty much, to create a more stress-free life, take the time to create SYSTEMS for everything in your environment. Give everything a “HOME.” If it doesn’t have a “home” it is “homeless” and will wonder around your house and life and gets lost a lot causing you unnecessary stress and loss of time and energy.

Oh, one last thing… there is no “perfect” organizing system. If you have a system in place that does 80% of what you want (like a job, relationship or car!) you should consider this very, very good!

©2005 Kim Wolinski – Dr. DeClutter 303-485-5280

Need help getting your space (house, office, barn, backyard – thoughts, mind, time, schedule, priorities, or life) decluttered and re- organized? My new video “BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN, AND OTHER ORGANIZING TIPS AND TOOLS FROM DR. DECLUTTER” is a great help. You can find out more or order BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN at http://www.redecisionsinstitute.com/kims_store.html

Editors and publishers are free to reprint blog articles as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and the signature line remains intact.