You asked, and iVillage's organizing pro answered! Professional organizer Jamie Novak tackles the top 10 organizing dilemmas posted on her message board, Real Organizing for Real People. Now there's no excuse to postpone your clutter crusade. Plow through the mess with these 10 organization tips, and get your home in tip-top shape!
1. How do I find the time? Stop waiting for a huge chunk of time to get organized. It probably won't come, and even if it does, you'll squander it doing something else. The solution: Lose the all-or-nothing attitude. Instead, break up your organizing tasks into 18-minute segments that can be managed easily while your infant is sleeping, the laundry is spinning or dinner is finishing up in the oven. But Jamie, you wonder, what could I possibly get done in just 18 minutes? You'll be surprised. Set your timer for 18 minutes once a day, and dive in. After a few days you'll realize how 18 minutes of focused work is as good as 45 minutes spent multitasking.
2. What if it's not perfect? Don't bother. Once you get close to what you think is the perfect solution, situations change and you wind up modifying your system anyway. The solution: Go for good enough. Does it really improve your life dramatically if your towels are folded with perfect edges? Wouldn't you rather save time and effort by relaxing your standards a little or allowing someone else to take over the task, even if it's not done exactly as you'd like?
3. How do I store artwork and supplies? Noodles, glitter and the creations they become can quickly overtake your home. The solution: Store art projects in unused pizza boxes, which are cheap and stack well. Store craft supplies the way teachers do — keep crayons, markers and colored pencils in coffee cans. Put sequins and other little things in plastic baggies, then toss those into plastic containers alongside glue, pipe cleaners, etc.
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