Background A family member decides to organize the hallway closet or the laundry room or the family office. Of course, there are going to be questions for other household individuals regarding stuff, time, and intentions. How do we ask our questions so as not to distract, irritate, or continually interrupt Read more…
Background I hear these sentiments all the time: “I can’t believe that organizing is so hard for me – everyone else can do it.” “I should be able to just put things away, like normal people do.” “Every time I turn around, I’ve lost something. No one else ever struggles with this!” So Read more…
Background What does your brain find interesting? Understanding the answer is important because this understanding can help us take action. Story Here’s a little story that demonstrates the importance of this question. I have a client who loves the way his refrigerator functions: things flow easily in and out, the Read more…
Background Some people’s holidays are brimming with merriment. Others’ holidays are not. Personally, I know that not everyone is happy at this time of year, but my actions don’t always reflect this knowledge. I tend to punctuate my year-end conversations or emails with “happy holidays” or “happy new year.” But Read more…
Background Terry Matlen, writer, blogger, and ADHD consultant, recently wrote a blog post re-imagining the distinctions between a luxury vs. an accommodation. I liked this idea so much that I decided to play around with it a bit. Accommodations for ADHD Having been a teacher before I became a professional organizer, I Read more…
Background Getting started on an organizing project is half the challenge. What’s the other half, you wonder? It’s putting away the leftovers. In organizing, starting can be incredibly hard, sorting can be okay, making decisions and finding homes can be empowering (although yes, challenging, too), but dealing with the leftovers – the stuff Read more…
Background Happy fall! I love this time of year. Besides the rust-red leaves, the thick-necked sweaters, and the pumpkin-spiced everything, autumn also means the annual Institute for Challenging Disorganization Conference, where we wacky organizer types learn a lot and laugh a lot and connect with organizer friends, new and old. This Read more…
Background Another school year often means another frenzied rush to buy school supplies. But which ones to choose? For your supply decisions, I have constructed a chart that lists the pros and cons of three-ring binders, zippered three-ring binders, and accordion folders. You can use this chart beforehand to help your child think Read more…
Background Have you ever just wanted to pick up the bedroom, and five hours later it’s worse than when you started? Here are some thoughts about that common frustration. Getting sucked into a bigger project Let’s say that one task is to put your shoes away. You go to start and Read more…
Background This past week, organizer Nia Spongberg and I gave a talk to a Small/Tiny Homes meet up group here in Ann Arbor. The topic was downsizing. Here’s how we tackled it. Think Big First It’s important first to do some philosophical thinking about downsizing. As with any organizing project, you must Read more…