At the end of each year, we have the opportunity to take stock of where we’ve been, what we’ve accomplished and where we want to go next. We also have a chance to look at what we have. By assessing in this way, we see what worked, what didn’t and what needs changing. So often we don’t take stock of the things we own and they start to own us by taking over our garages, closets, cars and offices.
By seeing our clutter daily, we can become immune or blinded to what’s all around us. We walk past the pile of mail on the entryway table. We create a pathway through the garage to get to what we need. We live with broken handles, doors, cupboards, water faucets and don’t question that it’s broken. We don’t question that we can’t sit at our dining room table or that we no longer have access to a closet door and we have no idea what’s in there. We learn to adjust to our stuff rather than having our stuff adjust to us.
Year end assessments are critical in the area of organizing for they help us determine how are spaces are functioning and if they are serving us in the best way. Most often they aren’t. Many clients I work with have too much stuff on their desks. They can’t see what they have. They have piles of horizontally stacked papers with papers buried beneath others. I see printers and computer towers and all sorts of books, mail and tchotchkes littering their desktop. I want clients to clear off as much as they can so they can actually be productive and creative. When space around us is cluttered, there is little hope for us in doing our best work. Some may say they work best this way only to find themselves repeatedly losing papers and wasting valuable time looking for something they need. Active papers need to be in an active position–upright, not lying down asleep. Using a vertical hanging file folder system keeps the papers organized into groups where documents are easily seen and located.
Closets and garages, cupboards and car trunks are all great hiding places. We put stuff in them and close the door, thinking the stuff is hidden and unseen. Yet behind the door lurks the Clutter Monster, only to rear its head when the door is opened and light shines on the mess. By taking the time to get rid of what we don’t need and to keep just what we do, and placing our things in specific zones, we can access what we have and get to it when we need it.
Take some time before the year ends and see what’s around you. Take an honest and objective look and if that isn’t possible, then have a friend come over and look at the space with fresh eyes. If you need help, the experts at Creative Space Organizing can help you reassess what you have and make decisions about those things so you have the work and home space you desire and deserve. Call Today at 510.501.1213. Happy Holidays and Happy 2012.
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