Staying organized....even in the summer

It’s July…and I’m feeling it today with above 80 degree temperatures here in Indianapolis.  I often hear my clients say that this is the hardest time of the year to stay organized.  There is so much more to do because we are working in the yard, taking longer lunch breaks, out late at night with fun summer activities, etc.  Why would we want to come inside and shuffle papers?

What can we do to make it easier to organize during these enjoyable summer months?

1. Realize that organizing is a way of life, not a destination.  I’ve had clients tell me that once I come in, set up systems, and help them get all of their office items in order that the process should be complete.  They are now organized and life is good again.  Well, yes it is, but not for long.  The physics of clutter tells us this:
• Clutter comes into our lives with no assistance on our part.
• Clutter will not go out of our lives without some assistance on our part.

How true!  So although we spend time setting up systems, if we don’t maintain them, they will not last.  Make organizing a part of your daily life.  Set aside 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon or evening to go through your papers and keep them flowing through your systems.  It will be a lot easier than spending a couple of hours on a weekend when the rest of your family and friends are at the pool!

2. Choose the right tool.  According to Barbara Hemphill, author of the Taming the Paper Tiger books, "half of any job is having the right tool."  Do you have systems set up in your office or home that you can easily maintain?  Or do you just organize one day and then try to organize again 3 months later when it gets out of control?   Hire a professional organizer, read an organizing book, or attend an organizing class and pick the system that will work best for you.  Organizers spend their lives developing and learning about other systems to assist their clients (and themselves!).  Use their knowledge to set up tried-and-true systems that are easy to set up and easy to maintain when you’d rather be outside. 
    
3. Get motivated!  Make organizing fun.  Motivate your employees to get organized this summer by giving them an afternoon off if they can complete the job.  Have them help each other so that everyone can enjoy some free time.  Tell your kids you will take them to the pool in the afternoon if they help you in your office in the morning.  Make a deal with your spouse…organize the garage with me, and then I’ll make dinner tonight.  The point is, be creative.  Figure out what it takes to make you or your employees tick and then reward them…and yourself!  The final reward will be walking into a clean, organized office each morning ready to work so that you can get to the golf course by 5pm.