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KnOw YOurSeLF, KnOw YOur OrganizatiOnaL StYLe

Set up a schedule to stay on track. If you sort through your mail on the same day at the same

time every week, you won’t have to worry about accidentally uncovering a bill two months past

the due date. Try to make time to complete one task a day at least five days a week: For example,

Mondays you can focus on laundry, Tuesdays on mail, and set Wednesdays aside for grocery

shopping and organizing your pantry.

Experiment with your schedule until you find something that works for you. It helps to make your

scheduled times as enjoyable as possible. You can make a snack to enjoy as you work, or put on

your favorite movie to make the time fly. This way you’ll actually want to accomplish some of those

“dreaded” tasks.

Selfless Susan: “I really was hoping to clean my car today, but my husband needs clean

shirts for work tomorrow. I guess the car can wait.” Most of your time and energy is spent

caring for your family and not yourself. While your kids’ clothes are all neatly folded and put

away, your own laundry hamper is overflowing.

Set aside at least 20 minutes a day to take care of your own things. The important thing here is

that this is your time. Refuse to become distracted. If your son interrupts you and asks for help finding

his Superman action figure, simply say, “Of course I’ll help, just as soon as I finish this.” You’ll be

surprised how much more time and energy you actually have for family once your own needs are

being met. Resist the urge to feel guilty about making a little time for yourself and remind yourself

that your needs have to be met before you can help others.

Now that you know a little more about your organizational style and strategies that will likely

work for your personality, its time to take a look at some ideas that almost everyone can incorporate

into their homes. When it comes to home organization, it’s important to make sure that every item

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