Is it Simple or Just Organized? SAGE Column August 2008
Easy – Is it Simple or Just Organized?
Sure, everything is put away and labeled. But can you get to things quickly when you need them? Do you have to move something to reach what you are looking for? Even worse, do you have to drive to the storage unit to find it? Is it less effort to go to the store and buy it again than to crawl into the attic, rearrange boxes and reach the one on the bottom left corner for the thing you needed 5 minutes ago?
Organizing is about having access to what you need when you need it. Simplifying goes further by eliminating the excess and redundant, and then putting things in the most effective place. Simplifying makes it easier to get and stay organized – you only have the items you need, use and love.
Consider how often you use an item and under what circumstances. Is there something else you already have that will do the job? A good chef’s knife and a cheese grater does the job of a food processor, without cleaning all the parts or taking up more space.
Scrap-booking is all the rage right now. Unfortunately, the time and stuff this hobby requires creates stress for all but the most dedicated scrapers – those who clean up after themselves. A quick sort of pictures, notation of people and dates on the keepers, then dropping them into an archival photo box gets the job done in a fraction of the time and space.
If your desired end result is elimination of distress and difficulty, can you eliminate pieces or steps of the process? Would your life be easier if you only had to move and dust a couple of prize possessions instead of the many items you’ve “collected” over the years? Ask yourself if it isn’t your very methods and stuff that cause you stress.
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Miriam Ortiz y Pino’s articles appear monthly in Sage Magazine, a publication of the Albuquerque Journal. Miriam is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and owner of More than Organized // www.MorethanOrganized.net // She works with people who want to simplify their lives in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico.
This article may be freely distributed if this resource box remains attached.
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Tags: Elimination of stress, organize, organized, simplify
