Blog | Regain Your Space

Tackling Large Jobs or Tasks

June 30, 2014 By Lita Daniel Leave a Comment

Are you easily overwhelmed with the thought of tackling a large job or task? The key is to break the job down into smaller manageable pieces. I give my clients this advice all of the time. If you go in with the mindset that the job or task has to be finished in one day you are sabotaging yourself. I’m going to use myself as an example. I work with clients 5-6 days a week so usually Sunday is the only day of the week I have to try and get caught up on household chores like laundry, yard work, etc. One job I absolutely dislike doing is cleaning windows so I scheduled someone to clean all of the windows, outside and inside, on August 4th. My blinds also need cleaning but it’s not in my budget right now to hire someone to clean them for me so I decided to do the job myself and want to have all of the blinds cleaned by August 4th. So I’m breaking the job down into smaller manageable pieces. Yesterday, 6/29, I cleaned the blinds in my master bath and bedroom. Every weekend between now and August 4th I’ll tackle at least two sets of windows until all of the blinds are cleaned.

Is there a job or task you’ve postponed doing because you don’t know where to start or what to do? Or have you successfully tackled a large job or task. Please share your thoughts, frustrations, or strategies that worked.

Filing Cabinets – Out of Sight, Out of Mind?

July 9, 2012 By Lita Daniel Leave a Comment

Is filing papers in a filing cabinet like filing in a big black hole, the papers are lost forever? Or maybe you need to have all of your files where you can see them but don’t want them on your desk? Filing cabinets just don’t work for you? Consider using a rolling file cart that can easily roll out of the way when you don’t need it, or maybe even tucked away under your desk. What I like about a rolling file cart is that you can take it outside on a nice day or roll it to the family room and file away while enjoying nature or watching TV. Besides it takes the monotony out of filing if you’re doing something fun at the same time. Take a look at these rolling file carts at OfficeMax http://tinyurl.com/86oeegs.

Here are some tips to cut down on paper accumulation: 1. Trash junk mail immediately (credit card offers, blank checks, or any document that can be used to steal your identity should be shredded). 2. Sign up for paperless statements for bank statements and monthly bills. 3. Stop magazine and newspaper subscriptions you’re no longer interested in or don’t have the time to read. 4. Don’t make copies of any document unless you absolutely need it. 5. Instead of printing a document save it electronically on your computer. Keep in mind that a lot of information is readily available on the internet.

We know how quickly a small pile of paper can quickly grow into a mountain of paper which is why it’s important to deal with papers a minimum of once a week. This includes going through incoming mail, filing, paying bills, and handling other action related papers. Remember that File 13, “AKA Trash Can”, can be your best friend.

Garage Sales – Worth Your Time?

December 5, 2011 By Lita Daniel 4 Comments

My neighborhood had a garage sale this past Saturday so I decided to participate instead of donating my items like I usually do. Was it worth my time and effort? Absolutely not. It was my first and LAST garage sale. I’ve always felt that it’s just not worth the time you have to spend sorting and pricing the items and still have to deal with the items you don’t sell. I spent about 3 hours on Friday putting the items out and pricing them and then had to be up early on Saturday because the garage sale started at 7am. At noon on Saturday I decided to call it quits and packed up the many remaining items that didn’t sell to donate to charity. I know that some people make a lot of money on garage sales but the little I made was just not worth my time. I was better off donating everything to charity and taking the tax deduction. What’s your opinion on garage sales?

“I Don’t Have Time” Syndrome

October 16, 2011 By Lita Daniel 1 Comment

How many times have you said or heard someone say “I don’t have the time”? I’m guilty of saying the same thing. The thing is, if you don’t take or carve out the time to do a task that needs to be done, it will probably never get done. Put the task on your calendar and/or write it down on your “To Do” list. I tell my clients all the time that we only have so many hours in a day to do the things that we need or want to do so we have to prioritize. Are you putting too much on your plate? Are your kids involved in too many activities? Ask yourself what’s really important to you & your family. Look for ways to simplify your life.

The holidays are around the corner along with the stress and hustle & bustle that comes with it. Start planning from now instead of waiting until the last minute. If you have family coming to visit for the holidays & your guest bedroom is a disaster, dedicate at least a couple of hours once a week (more hours if time allows) starting now to get the guest bedroom ready.

So the next time you say “I don’t have the time”, ask yourself “Why don’t I have the time?” & “How can I find the time?” and then dedicate the time to accomplish whatever it is that you want to do.

Back to School

August 21, 2011 By Lita Daniel Leave a Comment

Lots of kids are heading back to school this week or shortly after & some are back to school already. Have you made any changes to your routine so that you’re starting off the new school year more organized or is it MOTS (more of the same)? You have to ask yourself “what can I do to make things easier & less stressful”. I say this all the time, get everyone in the household involved to help. Even younger kids can do age appropriate chores. Prepare and do as much as possible the night before like pack lunches & choose clothing to wear the next day which will save time in the morning. Place backpacks at designated area before bedtime so that time is not wasted in the morning looking for it and that homework and other papers are already in it. A family calendar is a must so that everyone knows what’s going on with other family members. Communication is vital especially when everyone is running in different directions. Everyone’s household is different so you have to decide what works best for you and your family’s lifestyle.

New Year, New You

January 8, 2011 By Lita Daniel 3 Comments

A new year has arrived and I’m still trying to figure out what happened to 2010. Where did the time go? We all have the same amount of hours in each day but why is it that sometimes it seems like 24 hours in a day still is not enough time? Is it because we try to do too much or maybe we don’t use our time wisely and/or efficiently? Whatever the reason let 2011 be the year that you start to make new positive changes in your life.

Some of the popular resolutions that people make every year are to lose weight, start exercising, quit smoking, pay off bills, and last but not least is to get organized. I want to focus on getting organized because January 2011 is the 7^th year that we’re celebrating National Get Organized (GO) Month. GO Month was started by NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) seven years ago to spread the word about the benefits of organizing and hiring a professional organizer. A professional organizer will guide you through the process, help you to make decisions, & teach you the skills to maintain your newly organized space. I think that one of the biggest benefits of getting organized is how much stress is relieved when you can walk into a calm & serene space without having to swim through a sea of clutter. You can find what you need when you need it.

Let’s face it, organizing can be very frustrating and overwhelming. It is not a quick process and requires time and patience. Clutter does not appear overnight and will not go away overnight. The task of organizing needs to be broken down into small manageable pieces, organizing one room or area at a time. The first step in the organizing process is the de-cluttering step which means going through your stuff to decide what to keep, donate or toss followed by setting up a system that’s easy to follow and maintain. Simple systems work best. De-cluttering, organizing & streamlining will help your household run more smoothly.

Getting & staying organized requires us to change the way we think and do things. In other words, getting rid of old habits and learning new positive habits and routines. For example, if you take something out put it away when finished; if you bring something into the house like groceries or shopping put them away immediately or as soon as possible; pick up and put away stray items as much as possible on a daily basis; wash, dry, fold & put away each load of laundry. These are simple things that will make a big difference if everyone in the household does their part.

So, is 2011 going to be a year of change for you or MOTS (More of the Same)?

Gift Giving

December 6, 2010 By Lita Daniel Leave a Comment

I think most of us can agree that gift giving is not only expensive but also contributes to an already cluttered space. Kids receive too many toys, most of which they’ll probably never play with. Dad may receive that tie he’ll never wear or mom may receive another kitchen gadget she’ll never use. Try & stay focused when shopping. Don’t let sales distract & trick you into buying something you don’t need or want. When shopping for others buy things that the person would appreciate & use.

Some suggestions for gifts that will not add to the clutter or take up valuable space are:

Movie passes
Amusement park tickets
Cleaning service
Savings bond towards a college fund
Gift card to a favorite store
Floral or fruit arrangement
Donation to a charity
Restaurant gift certificate
Health club membership
Concert tickets

Why not rethink this gift giving thing. Save the money you were going to spend on gifts and put it towards the family skiing trip or cruise you’ve always wanted to take.

Instead of Christmas being a time when we receive a lot of presents, let’s get back to its true meaning, which is about appreciating what we have and helping others. As a family, donate some of your time to volunteer at a shelter, soup kitchen, or other organization that’s in desperate need of volunteers. Ask your kids to donate some of their gently used unwanted toys to a local charity or organization so that a less fortunate child can enjoy them.

We have so much to be grateful for in this great country of ours. Blessings, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, & Happy Organizing.

Preparing for the Holidays

November 26, 2010 By Lita Daniel Leave a Comment

The holidays are fast approaching. The wonderful aroma of pies, cakes, turkey, ham and other dishes start to fill the air of your home. School plays, family gatherings, and holiday parties are non stop. You have family and friends visiting throughout the holidays. The stores are filled with holiday decorations, shoppers are frantically running around looking for the perfect gift, and yes, the stress starts to build. You realize that there’s clutter everywhere and you can’t find anything; there’s no place for your guests to sleep; the holiday decorations you want to put up are as disorganized as ever. Why not reduce the stress and get a head start on preparing for the holidays?

Finding precious time to clean, de-clutter or organize is almost impossible between work, family, shopping and other commitments, but maybe it’s time to reassess your constant long list of “TO DOs”. Focus on what you want to accomplish during the holidays.

Holiday Decorations

Now is the time to donate or toss any unwanted holiday decorations. Donation organizations usually have an area devoted to holiday decorations and would love to take them off your hands. As you go through your decorations, sort them by putting like items together and then decide which ones you want to keep or donate/toss. Then based on the ones you decide to keep, designate containers for them. Clear plastic containers work best but if you already have other containers use them first before purchasing new ones (you do have to watch the budget). The important thing to remember is to label the containers (lights, ornaments, wreaths, pumpkins, table decorations, etc.). When it comes time to take your decorations down and put them away you’ll already have labeled containers to put them into.

Helpful Hints

Schedule your cleaning over a period of 3-4 weekends instead of waiting until the last minute to do everything. Focus on one room or area at a time. Pick up clutter and give the space a good cleaning. If you don’t have time to clean, hire a cleaning service to do it for you if your budget allows.
Pick up stray clutter every night. Put items where they belong. Get the whole family involved. It’s never too early to start teaching kids to be responsible and to pick up after themselves. It’s easier to keep up than it is to catch up.
Set a realistic shopping budget and stick to it. Save money by drawing names in large families so that you only have one gift to buy.
Shop early, especially for those gifts that have to be mailed, to avoid paying overnight shipping charges.
Wrap gifts as you bring them home.

Fall Into Organization

November 10, 2010 By Lita Daniel Leave a Comment

The energetic cooler winds of fall provide a great opportunity to tackle those outside jobs you’ve put off because of the summer heat. It’s also a time to take stock of those things on the inside that you’ve put off as well. Open up those windows, let the fresh air in, and jump right in. Make it fun. Get the whole family involved.

On the Outside:

Declutter, clean, & organize your garage.
Do maintenance on your lawn & garden equipment. Give them a good cleaning and sprucing up.
Clean out the flower beds of debris & dead shrubbery to give the outside of the home a fresh look.

On the Inside:

Go through your closets when transitioning from summer to fall/winter clothing. Only keep clothes that fit, are in good condition, and that you wear on a regular basis.
Organize the pantry or food cupboards to make room for holiday food shopping. You may be surprised to find out that you already have some items on hand.
Start preparing your guest room for holiday guests. Go through dresser drawers and the closet so that your guests have room to store their things.

Technology & Time Management, Friend or Foe?

July 23, 2010 By Lita Daniel 4 Comments

Is technology stealing your time instead of helping you manage it? Are you sabotaging yourself by letting interruptions get in the way of accomplishing tasks? Are distractions putting you and others at risk? We have so much going on in our lives like social media (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, MySpace), iPhones, texting, email, apps to remind us to do this and that. You name it it’s out there. We’re multi-tasking trying to do so many things at the same time, running to different activities, attending meetings, running a household and/or a business. So much to do in a certain amount of time yet we waste a lot of time with distractions that can be avoided.

Maura Thomas of RegainYourTime.com gave her presentation “The Future of Communication & Attention in the Age of Social Media” at my monthly NAPO-Austin chapter meeting this past Monday. Some of the things she said that made an impact on me are: “It’s difficult to control our brain if we sabotage ourselves all the time”; “If you’re doing two things at the same time physically you’re only doing one of them mentally”; and “We voluntarily give away our attention”. Boy did she hit close to home and gave me a lot to think about. I let too many distractions consume my time which makes me less productive. So instead of keeping the TV on in my office when I’m working at my desk I now turn it off. The only thing I have going on is soothing music playing in the living room. I spent half the time watching TV instead of concentrating on the task at hand. I even kept the TV on while listening to a teleclass by phone. Who says we have to constantly check our email or answer every phone call? If you’re working on a project at your job or a task around the house let phone calls go to voice mail and check email when you’re done unless you’re expecting an email or call that relates to the project or task you’re working on. Turn off alerts that may be distracting.

Here’s another question. Are you stealing your employer’s time by constantly checking personal email, tweeting on Twitter or posting on Facebook while on the job? Are you texting all day long on your employer’s time? There was a story on one of the TV networks (I don’t remember which one) a couple of weeks ago about moms who ignored their kids because they were constantly texting. How sad is that? Are you texting while driving? Is it worth risking yours, your passengers and other lives because you’re distracted while driving? Gosh, even social etiquette is being ignored. People talking on their cell phone or texting during meetings, at the dinner table, or even worse, at church. It also seems like we’re forgetting how to interact with other people face to face. For example, texting someone who’s in another room in the same house instead of going to that person and talking to them. This absolutely blows my mind.

Don’t get me wrong. I think technology is wonderful. We have information at our fingertips which makes life easier and it can also make us more productive. But we have to know when to draw the line. We need to be more in control of how to effectively use technology to our advantage and not let it control us.