Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter News and Tips to Organize Your Life from Get Organized DC WELCOME Each month in this newsletter I share organizing tips to use in your home and office. Try some projects by yourself or ask for help from my friendly professional team. We have great ideas for improving the use of all sizes of spaces and helping you become more productive. Happy Organizing, Pierrette Ashcroft In This Issue Stop Procrastinating Confessions of an Organizer Professional Help Organizing Solutions Column Facebook Links to Our Website Our Services Project Photos Recycling Options More About Us Archive of Past Newsletters Pierrette Ashcroft, founder of getOrganizedDC, has more than 20 years of business experience organizing events and providing innovative solutions in homes and offices. She is committed to continuing her education and training to best serve her client's organizing and productivity needs. As one of the inaugural class to receive credentials as a Certified Professional Organizer, CPOÆ, Pierrette earned a top distinction in the organizing industry.   In 2010 she completed her training to become a Certified Productivity Coach. Through her Productivity Boot Camp she is able to increase the productivity of busy professionals. Pierrette will clear your piles of paper, overloaded inbox and cluttered life so you can be more effective in your business and career.   To learn more, call or write for a free telephone consultation at: 202.537.9705 or Pierrette@getOrganizedDC.com. Or visit our Web site.   The hardest part of organizing is developing an attractive plan. We are happy to help you with any challenges, large or small. Expect efficient and reliable service from our team, who promise to keep your personal information confidential. Read what our clients are saying about us. I hope you will remember me when your friends, family and colleagues need to declutter or improve their productivity. I'm never too busy to help them get organized. June 2010 STOP PUTTING OFF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Tips To Help You Get a Jump Start We are all guilty of procrastination and there are several reasons for putting off a job. Take a little time to reflect on why and try developing a better approach. For jobs you don't like, consider delegating the task   to someone else, or hire someone. Perfectionists may benefit from a little shift in their thinking. Instead of trying to reach the impossible 'perfect' strive for excellence and quality. The over-scheduled procrastinator needs to prioritize. Set a realistic schedule to lessen stress as the deadline approaches. For a job that you are not sure how to complete, start with some research. What is involved? Can you plan the steps required to attain your goal? Schedule regular planning sessions to prioritize and re-evaluate what you need to accomplish. We are more likely to put off something if we don't know how long it will take. When you create your daily to-do list make the tasks short and practical. Break the project into small steps. Achieving several small goals is easier than one very large one. Think about the time of day you work best and tackle unpopular jobs when you have more energy. When you realize why you put things off you are in a better position to make changes and get started. Share this newsletter with friends and family who will find it useful. BEHIND MY CLOSET DOORS Confessions of an Organizer Pierrette's free-standing Elfa closet with fabric storage boxes. It's time for me to come clean. I have not been able to find my ATM card for 6 days. It took three days before I could admit it to myself let alone share it with all of you. I often hear "your house must be so organized." For the most part it is BUT I am not perfect. My clothes and shoes are arranged by style, season and color. My bathroom closet has labeled containers of toiletries and my email inbox is usually empty by the end of the day. My kitchen is not so picture perfect. I hate to do dishes so there is routinely a glass or plate in the sink. The counter often accumulates paper or projects I'm working on - though I try to sweep it clear every few days. Also I am not so great at scanning my receipts. Two years ago I set of goal of being totally paperless in 5 years and I am going to have to get more disciplined if I want to get there. I know many of you get frustrated by your organizing obstacles. So I have decided to start sharing my real life organizing solutions and challenges. I aim to inspire you to incorporate some solutions into your home and office. I hope my weak spots will offer you comfort. Even a professional organizer sometimes has to stash away stuff when guests are coming over. Which of my personal organizing solution do you want to see? YOU MAY NEED A PROFESSIONAL Organizers Can Help Simplify Your Life if... … You are embarrassed to invite guests and friends to your home. … You don't have enough time to do the things that you enjoy. … You want to present a more professional image to clients and colleagues. … You are not working as efficiently as you know you could. … You make duplicate purchases because you don't know what you have or can't find what you need. … You often pay bills late because you misplace them or you forget they are due. … You are stressed and feel anxious when you open a closet door, walk into a room in your home or look at your desktop. … Your papers are in piles rather than files where you can retrieve them. … You feel like you are drowning in your clutter. … You have incomplete projects around your home and office. ORGANIZING SOLUTION Discourage the Identity Thieves Challenge: You don't want those credit card offers and other personal information that fill your mailbox to end up in the wrong hands. Solution: I use this compact shredder that is small enough to sit on my desktop but strong enough to shred credit cards and CDs as well as paper - perfect for light-duty shredding. The handled bin makes it easy to empty. Result: Keep the shredder where you open your mail. In just a minute or two each day you can make confetti of your junk mail instead of letting it pile up. DO YOU 'LIKE' US? Get Organized DC is on Facebook - visit our page and click on the 'Like' button! Check the page every week for new organizing tips, photos, information about organizing products and up coming events. Plus you will also be able to ask questions and make comments. Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter