New Years Resolution: Getting Organized

do you have a resolution to get organized in 2009? whether you have a drawer, a closet or a whole house to reorganize, or you just want to get your schedule under control, here are some fabulous tips for doing it, as well as amazing websites that will give you inspiration and keep you on track!

**clean out your belongings before you think about organizing (organizational tools, furniture, etc.). don't do it the other way around. you can only really accurately know what space you have when you've cleaned up. if you don't really take a hard look at what you're stuffing in your spaces, you'll waste time and money organizing stuff you don't need anyway.




**to organize your makeup, first, get rid of what you know you'll never use again (be honest!). then separate the products you use most into a basket or other easy to get to place. sort the rest into categories (foundation, blush, mascara, etc.). you can use more generalized categories of you have very few products (lips, eyes, cheeks, etc.). keep your less used items in a train case or separate them using any type of drawer organizer.

**use timers. setting a timer for how long you think an organizing task should take will make it a little more fun, so you can work like crazy to get it done in the allotted time. if you don't get it completely done, well you're a lot closer than you were before! tackle it again the next day.

**use a planner. planners are especially useful if you have a lot of appointments and your days are so varied that you have trouble keeping track of your schedule. if you happen to travel a lot or attend classes at various times of day, it's much easier to carry a planner with you to consult frequently-- you can't do that with just a calendar. if you prefer a more tech-savvy approach, let that PDA (palm pilot, iphone, blackberry) do it for you!



**if you're not a naturally organized person, you can change your habits by starting with one small area of your living space and focusing on keeping that small area organized. by keeping that small area organized, over time it will become easier to do. after about 2-3 months of keeping it looking good, you'll want to expand your new-found organizing instincts to other areas!

**put things back right away. instead of setting things on your kitchen table, throwing them into a drawer or piling it on your desk, put it where it belongs as soon as you don't need to use it even if it's the trash). putting things like this off creates clutter and can start to get out of control. designate certain places for your keys, your cell, coats, books, etc., and always put them there-- trust me, this works!


fabulous helpful get-organized sites:

lifeorganizers.com
plannerpads.com
organizedhome.com
containerstore.com
flylady.net


start small, do a little everyday. if you need help, ask your super-organized friend to help you. i'm sure they'll be relieved you finally asked- lol! in any case, you can do it! :)

xo