S.O.S. Blog #5 - 05/07/10

Are you a procrastinator? Maybe you just need to create a specific time in your schedule to get things done. Benjamin Franklin said, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Believe it or not, that’s all you really need to know about organizing: You make a place for things and then put them away!
When you consider your To Do list, you may ask yourself, “When am I going to do this?” or “How am I going to get all of this done?” Since the answer is probably, “I don’t know,” it’s easy to put things off until Later. Ben’s advice pertains to time, as well as stuff. “Make a place” in your life to focus on certain activities. Enter blocks of time - even 10 minutes (be realistic) - into your planner or calendar to really address those things you want to accomplish. Then, stick to your plan to “put them away.”
The same is true for the stuff we accumulate. Unfortunately, we want things put away but forget to first make places for them. Clutter and procrastination are signs that we don’t have enough designated places.
When we look at a document or other item and ask ourselves, “Where does this go?” the answer is often (usually!), “I don’t know.” So, we put it on a pile of other undecided paper or stuff it into a drawer or closet until we decide what to do with it. Clutter is really just a symptom of indecision. “I’m not sure, so I’ll put it here until I figure it out.” Again, it’s a matter of making enough places, which brings us to.....

Positive Spin Tip #5: The next step in the G.I.G.G.L.E.™ process is to GIVE IT A PLACE. You’ve already done the GET MOVING, IDENTIFY, and GROUP steps, so now it’s time to make places for those items you’ve identified and grouped together. Gathering like items into one place makes it easier to see what size or type of container you need for them. Measure the cupboard, closet, or drawer where items will be placed before purchasing boxes or other storage containers. Having a dedicated container (file folder, basket, box, etc.) helps to both give you boundaries or limits to what you save and makes it simpler to find things later on.
Wish you had someone to guide you through the G.I.G.G.L.E.™ process? I’d love to help you - in person or over the phone. It’s amazing how much we can accomplish during one phone session! Just send your request (or desperate plea) to Susi@MessDistress.com - we can G.I.G.G.L.E.™ together:)