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Olympics Rings

Opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics are on Friday, July 27. Can you guess the common bond between the Olympics and organizing?

To become an Olympian, athletes must be the best of the best in their sport. To be among the very best, athletes must train with a coach and practice hard every day. Their goal is to achieve perfection.

Conversely, achieving perfection is not a goal of getting organized. (In fact, perfectionists see fewer results because the fear of not doing something perfectly overrides the desire to accomplish something.) The process is about getting organized so all aspects of your life function well, or well enough.

Ignore the perfect images on TV and in magazines where bookcases are limited to a few framed photos, a couple of small plants and knickknacks, and, oh yeah, a few books with lots of empty space. I don’t know anyone who lives like that. Do you? Bookcases I’ve seen (including mine) are filled — with books!

So what’s the connection between organizing and the Olympics? If you guessed training and practice, you are correct! Like a coach, I teach you everything you need to know to get and remain organized. While we work together, you are in training. To change old habits, you must practice consistently what you learn. It takes 28 days to create a habit. In about a month, new habits will replace old ones.

Here are 5 tips. The most important one I saved for last.

1.  Things that are not useful or enjoyable — that serve no real purpose at this point in your life — are clutter. Donate, recycle or toss them. You want to live in the present, not the past or future!
2.  Break down overwhelming projects into smaller pieces. If they still feel overwhelming, make the pieces smaller. Keep doing that until they feel doable. Example: If organizing your kitchen makes you want to go to bed and pull the covers over your head, focus on doing the cabinets. Still too much? Focus on one cabinet or even a shelf.
3.  Put like things together. Paper pads are throughout your house but not at your desk where you use them. You keep buying more. Instead, gather them and put them in your office. You may even discover you have a lifetime supply!
4.  Purge the instant you realize you no longer need or want things. Don’t toss them aside to decide later.
5.  These are common-sense tips, not rocket science. You know that. But, knowing and doing are two different things. You know that too. This tip is to motivate you to practice the above tips consistently for 28 days so they become your new habits. If four are too many, do three, two or one of them. Let me know how it works for you!

 

Product of the Month

Doorganizer
Doorganizer

Similar to Do Not Disturb signs in hotel rooms, this door organizer hangs from an inside door knob and says Do Not Forget. Three pockets in front hold things like a cellphone, tickets and other small items. There is a clip at the bottom to hang your keys. The other side has a strip to hold a folded newspaper or envelopes. It’s available here at Amazon for $14.00. What a great idea!

 

Quote of the Month

You wont’ be happy with more until you’re happy with what you’ve got.  ~Viki King

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