In answer to the question, “What are you struggling with (in organizing)?” in a previous post, one reader responded:
I’m struggling with piles and piles of letters and other documents going back 8 months that need weeded, shredded, filed,….. ! I spend more energy agonising about getting it done – because I know it will demand a fairly full day of my life – that I likely would just doing it.
The reader mentioned she liked the suggestions mentioned here at My Organized Biz.  Hopefully by following some of them…what about 20 Minutes a Day of Organization…will help her make a dent …read more

We’re back on track with organizing and back to our various jobs.  The refrigerator is running again, is spic and span clean, and everything sorted and put back.  That’s one way to organize our two-family refrigerator…of necessity.
Do other things get organized in your life…by necessity?  You put it off and put it off until there is no option.  Or you may be forced to change course a bit, but find it’s in a good direction.
Look at challenges as ways to organize, change your plans, declutter, or head in a new and great direction.  I’m not sure the refrigerator set us …read more

As we look through books, research the Internet, and listen to friends and colleagues, we’ll come across numerous methods of organization.  Then we try to decide “what’s “best?”
However, is there a “best” way to organize?  Is there one method that will miraculously clear the clutter and keep us on a fast track toward productivity and profitablilty? 
We all long for that one miracle cure to our clutter and keep us on track, but what works for one person may not be the total answer for another.  Also, our situations vary, our space varies, our ability to utilize technical organizers is different, …read more

Are you generally dissatisfied with the speed of your decluttering and organization, so come up with a new plan frequently.  As a result you’re likely to stay pretty much in one place even though you flit from one plan to another. 
One lady been decluttering this way.  She has gotten rid of some of her accumulation, tried a weekend at a flea market, has given some to a community thrift shop, moved stuff from room to room in her house and now is moving it to a rented storage unit so she can bring it home box by box to sort.  This has gone on for …read more

When we get organizing and decluttering, we often find a great deal of “stuff” we no longer need, nor have used for quite some time.  Instead of simply tossing it out, utilizing a yard sale is one possibility to get some money back while getting rid of the items.
To some, the idea of organizing a yard sale may seem overwhelming, but it’s mainly determining prices that aren’t too high, being willing to bargain, and even offering some items for free.  Making and placing attractive, eyecatching and easy to read signs is important, too.
You also can place items in consignment shops, …read more

Clearing your closets and getting them into an organized arrangement helps to get you on the road to better time management and peace of mind.  Since I don’t have a lot of closet space, I have to bring out only clothing and shoes in season.  I also have to try to find ways to organize my writing and office materials on shelves and file cabinets since I don’t have a big closet to store the items out of sight.
Yesterday, I put away cool weather clothing and arranged my summer clothing in my closet.  (We’re finally getting warmer weather in NH!).  …read more

Sometimes when you’re organizing, or seem to have a mountain of it to do, you get discouraged because you don’t do more in between the other demands of your business and family.  One friend said she gave up on the 20 minutes of organizing per day because she was frustrated at the end of the day when she didn’t see more accomplished.
I realize that’s probably why I gave up other times I started this process.  Even though I know I’ve been accomplishing, I still see clutter, boxes to be filed, stuff to go through and eliminate.  Yet I must go …read more

Why do we allow junk (postal) mail to accumulate?  Even when we know it’s not something we’ll ever be interested in?
I’ve learned to deal with it immediately, throwing out what I definitely don’t want as soon as it comes in.  If it’s a “maybe,” I generally toss it, too.  I’ve discovered these” maybe’s” simply accumulate and are never anything of importance.
Then I’m learning which mail I must deal with immediately, which bills to put into a file according to dates they are due, which letters to be answered now and those to get to in a day or two but are not …read more

So many of us suffer from the clutter affliction. We have too much paper, too many gadgets, and basically just too much stuff crammed into our offices. What are we to do?
Some people live with the clutter, never quite able to find what they need. Others upgrade their space, thinking that just a little more room will help. And many of us buy more containers to better organize all that stuff.
It’s all too much! That’s precisely the point of Walsh’s book. We have too much stuff. We don’t need all of it. We’re too attached to things.
While the book is …read more

Reader Karen asked a great question. And since I was starting to type a book in the comments in response, I decided to write a quick post. Maybe it will help someone else, too. Karen states:
… I think the solution is not to keep so much paper “just in case.” I never get asked to review things again, so after a week or two of the project’s completion, I should throw away most of the paper and move on to the next thing. (Any other ideas?)
If you feel you absolutely MUST keep some documentation, Karen, think about keeping the last …read more