Organized Information on iTunes

I ran across these quick and dirty tips for organizing your life from the Savvy Organizer on iTunes. I especially like her tips on photographing your clutter and viewing it later in a different light. I have also been listening to other podcasts on decluttering and organization that are nice little tidbits of information which keep me motivated:

Taste and See: Organized Living
The Neat Organizer

"Don't Think It, Ink It"

Here is another tip from professional organizer and life coach Hellen Buttigieg that I wholly believe in. Going back to my One Book concept, she also recommends keeping a notebook to write down every thought, list, idea and plan that rattles around your head. Her idea was "Don't Think It, Ink It". Granted that not every person is a writer, but almost everyone jots down thoughts or things to remember on sticky notes, scraps of paper or the backs of envelopes. Some people find it easier and more efficient to use their PDA or cell phone for their lists, but actually taking the time to physically write it down seems to do wonders for clearing the mind.

I like to use the phrase, "The Brain Drain".

Time for the Smaller Car

The nation's gas situation is not going to change. We will be living the rest of our lives with high gas prices and that will need to be accepted. So, if you don't want to pay the price, or you can't ride a bike, motorcycle or scooter. Getting a smaller car might be in your future.

The best thing about a smaller car (besides better gas mileage) is there is not a lot of room for storage or clutter inside the minuscule trunk or the tight back seat. Keeping a clean and tidy car will not only save you personal space, but it will help your overall gas mileage by not adding extra weight to the vehicle. In a post from Unclutterer it might also be unsafe to you and your passengers to drive with junk in your car.

One Place for Important Documents

My husband and I have a fireproof safe hidden in our house that has all our important documents. If there were ever a fire or another disaster. Grabbing just one item would save us a whole lot of trouble.

Consolidate your important documents (marriage licenses, birth certificates, SSA cards) and put them into a safe, or easy to grab and carry plastic box with a lid and a handle. The Container Store carries some stylish document boxes.

Other information such as credit card information, tax information and bill payments are most likely stored in accounts online. So these are not so much of a worry. Think mostly about the items that would be hard to replace if destroyed.

Stay Organized While Traveling

I recently got back from a trip to Florida and Bonaire and I realized that one reason I am able to enjoy my vacations so much is that 1) I don't bring too much stuff and 2) I stay organized, even when I am traveling and living in another location other than my home.

Taking only one suitcase on any trip is going to simplify your life and make your traveling so much easier. Making that one suitcase just a carry-on will simplify it even more. I know, I know...how do I fit all I need in one carry-on?

Enter the plastic zip close space saver bag. I am able to fit about two weeks worth of clothing in two of these bags. The rest of my items (shoes, underwear, toiletries) also go into their own Ziploc bags. Keeping each item, or group of items separate is the best way to stay organized and have more fun on your trip.

TSA will be proud!

Dumped

The BBC America Channel is showing Dumped, a show about eleven people living for three weeks in a dump to highlight the mountain of trash thrown away needlessly in Britain. They are encouraged to find new ways to use trash and to recycle and make money from as much of it as possible. It is interesting to watch them become excited when a truckload of "new" items are dumped on their home. It just goes to show, that even when living in a trash heap, people still desire more.

If you don't want to throw it away, don't buy it in the first place.

The Comfort of Clutter

I have an old teddy bear (who is missing both his eyes and is full of holes with stuffing coming out) who has traveled with me around the world, AND I would never give him up for the world. No matter how beat up and battered he gets.

There are some items in our lives that contain great memories or feelings of comfort and losing these items could greatly affect our feelings. Hopefully this attachment is limited to just one or two items instead of twenty. Sometimes we feel more comfortable if we are surrounded by items of comfort, like a nest.

But what happens if a fire or other destructive force were to take these items away? The loss of that comfort could be drastic, depending on your dependence.

Comfort should be found in a well-lived life, good friends, loving family members and a respected career ... not things. Keeping the comfort items to a minimum eliminates the feeling of having to constantly watch after and care for these items that seem to protect us from the outside world.