Get Organized For Fall

As we forge straight ahead into Fall, the changing season proves the perfect time for decluttering your home and office, storing your Summer clothes, and getting ready for the coming Winter. Getting organized can seem overwhelming, but with these simple steps you can easily get ready for the season ahead.

1.    Block off time in your calendar to get organized. Break your larger projects into smaller chunks so you don’t end up trying to fit a three hour closet-cleaning marathon into a one hour time slot.

2.    Start with the areas that really bug you.  If your outdated clothes are the bane of your existence, banish them first.  Immediately place all items to be donated or sold in a box or bag, designated for that purpose.

3.    Be brutal about what you get rid of.  If you have things (and who doesn’t) that have been hanging around taking up your energy, cupboard or closet space – dump or donate them.  You’ll feel lighter and chances are you won’t ever notice the item has disappeared from your life.

4.    Change out your closet so that your Fall/Winter wardrobe is easily seen and available. Store Spring/Summer clothes in another closet or at the back of your main one.

5.    If you have the room, store off-season items in plastic containers and hanging bags. Keeping them free of dust and safe from pests, will insure that they are in good shape, come the spring.

6.    Put away all summertime garden tools and cover up any patio furniture, barbeques or other deck furniture that could be comprised by the coming rain and/or snow.

7.    Make a ten-minute appoint each night to go through any paperwork that has piled up during the past ten months and sort it out. A short period of time invested each day, will get you organized without stress for the season ahead.

For a specific steps on how to clean out your clothes closet check out my article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

For more information contact Sterling Consulting Group and check out Karen's new book Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day