No matter how hard you try, you feel cluttered at home, disorganized at work and time-challenged everywhere. You’re not alone. Eighty percent of Canadians feel that way, according to a survey conducted by Leger Marketing for Professional Organizers in Canada (POC).
Thirty-four percent of Canadians polled said they lacked the necessary skills to effectively manage their time and that their personal and work schedule was the most disorganized area of their lives.
Perhaps even more alarming is how being disorganized affects us. Ninety percent of respondents who describe themselves as disorganized also reported that it negatively impacted their lives. Forty-three percent said they felt stressed; 39% felt frustrated; 14% reported being upset; and 11% claimed that their disorganization made them feel like failures.
“We have seen first-hand how being disorganized can wreak havoc on all parts of a person’s life,” says Kristie Demke, president of POC.
Of those surveyed, 81% said they have tried to become more organized, but most say that their efforts didn’t work and that this simply caused more stress and negative feelings.
POC says hiring a professional organizer is a sure way to start 2010 off on the right path. “When people have car troubles, they hire a mechanic. When something is wrong with their health, they go to a doctor,” says Demke. “A professional organizer helps individuals and businesses by organizing their space, time and information in order to create functional spaces, increase productivity and reduce stress.”
Tips and tricks
In addition to hiring a professional, here are some other organizing tips and tricks from POC.
Set daily priorities. Make sure the most important tasks are at the top of your list. If you don’t determine what is most important, you may spend the day being reactive instead of proactive and find that you haven’t completed any important tasks by day’s end.
Know how you like to work. Take advantage of your “power hours”: whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, schedule the most important tasks for your most productive time of day. If you work best with a clean desk, spend a few minutes getting your desk cleared before you start work – you’ll get more accomplished.
Put it in your schedule. Determine which rooms or areas you want to organize and schedule one per week until the list is complete. Start with something easy like a linen closet, decide how much time you can devote to the project and put it in your calendar.
Prepare for tax time. The beginning of the year is an excellent time to go through your file cabinet and prepare your taxes. Review your files, tossing anything that is outdated or obsolete like instruction manuals for items you no longer own. While you’re doing this, consolidate your tax records and receipts so that you are not in a panic on April 30.
Consolidate tasks for efficiency. Return calls or respond to e-mails at one time, pay all your bills, even group your errands together by geographic location. You’ll get more done in less time when you don’t have to switch from one activity to another.
Everyone should pitch in. Make sure that all members of the household know where items are kept – the closet for sporting equipment, the box for photographs and the rack for incoming mail and newspapers. Make sure that storage areas are kid-friendly so that even the younger members of the household will be able to help return items to the proper home.
Edit your wardrobe. Does everything fit, look good and make you feel good when you wear it? If not, should it really be taking up valuable closet space? Remember: we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time.
Courtesy of Professional Organizers in Canada (POC), a non-profit association representing more than 500 professional organizers.
