Toastmasters speech #4

Tips to Lighten Up Your Organizing Project

How many of you feel that you could be better organized in your home, office, or life? It is such a common problem that there is an army of experts out there eager to help you—they are called professional organizers. I have been one for the past eight years, and I have helped countless people, like you, to get more organized. Today, I’d like to share with you two important principles and five basic steps for taking on any organizational project.

Organizing Principles

The FIRST organizing principle is SIMPLIFY. Aim for the simplest solution possible. Try to steer clear of organizational solutions and systems that are complicated or require a lot of maintenance. You will only be frustrated and possibly be even more overwhelmed than you were before getting organized.

The SECOND organizing principle is PERSONALIZE. The best organizing system for you is one designed to meet your individual needs. It should be able to accommodate your distinct preferences and requirements. Remember, it works if, and only if, it works for you.

Five Steps of Successful Organization

The FIRST step is to ASSESS & STRATEGIZE. Before you dive into your clutter you must first stand back and take an objective look at your organizational issue. What’s the problem? What’s working? What isn’t? Next, assess your own motivation for getting organized. Why do you want to get organized in the first place? What is your idea of successful organization? How would your home or office look and feel if you were to achieve your ideal? What area needs the most help right now and what would give you the most satisfaction and sense of peace if it were organized? Are there other factors to be considered, such as time, money, space, or health? Then devise a plan based on your assessment. Having a strategy greatly simplifies and expedites the organizational process.

The SECOND step is to PURGE. With a good plan in hand, you are now ready to begin the purging process. Your plan, itself, should dictate the organizational decisions you may face. An important part of the purging process is asking yourself which items are most essential to you. Then, dispense with all items that are unwanted or unneeded. You will find it helpful to have four containers with you as you purge: Donate, Recycle, Trash, and (if you’re ambitious) Sell. Continue this process until you feel you have purged all that does not serve your organizational plan. But keep in mind that you will return to the purging process on an ongoing basis. Purging is one of the most critical elements of clearing clutter and creating order because it constantly removes that which is nonessential and even detrimental to you.

The THIRD step is to SORT. Once you have removed all the things that do not serve your plan, you can begin the process of sorting. There is no correct way to sort. You might wish to categorize by placing like with like or things used in the same location. How you group things is a personal choice, but it should always be determined by your plan. Be prepared to purge more items during the sorting process when it becomes clear that certain objects are no longer necessary or desirable. Continue sorting, resorting and, when necessary, purging, until you are confident that what you truly want or need is what remains.

The FOURTH step is to CONTAINERIZE. During this step you will place each of your belongings into its proper home or storage location. Of course, you can’t know what type of storage is required until you have thoroughly planned, purged, and sorted, so don’t make the mistake of trying to guess what storage system will be needed ahead of time. As with the previous stages, keep your storage solution as simple and user-friendly as possible. There are endless storage and organizational products available on the market. Shop wisely, be creative, and always keep in mind your overall goal. Be wary of products that look nice but aren’t functional, or which require far too much maintenance.

The FIFTH step is to MAINTAIN. Now that you’ve put your organizational system into place, enjoy it! Use it. You will want to modify your system as you use it, if you find it is not meeting your needs in some way. Be prepared to alter any aspect of your plan that is no longer working for you. This routine maintenance and modification will keep your system tailored to your changing needs.

 

Remember that organization is an ongoing process in which you will constantly simplify, personalize, assess, strategize, purge, sort, containerize, and maintain. Make organizing a continual part of how you relate to the things in your life. It is guaranteed to make your experience of your belongings more meaningful and efficient.