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 Organizational Maintenance How an Professional Does It Reduce Junk Mail 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 love what I do and my business thrives on referrals. Please keep me in mind if you should hear of friends, family or colleagues who could benefit from my organizational expertise or who would like to take their productivity to a whole new level. I'm never too busy to help them get organized. Thanks! July 2010 SET UP A MAINTENANCE PLAN 15 Minutes a Day - Keeps the Clutter Away You may have taken your 'after' photos and bragged to friends about your newly organized home or office. There was a sense of relief when the project was completed but don't rest too long if you want to continue to enjoy the benefits.   Staying organized is a process and the secret is to develop a maintenance plan. Setting up a system may seem like a project in itself but will pay you back in time. A written plan may be helpful to keep you on track. Detail the tasks you need to do daily, weekly and seasonally. Consistent and regular upkeep is the best way to prevent the clutter from creeping back. The amount of time needed will depend on your specific situation. Pay special attention to the areas that were problems in the past. Part of the organizing process is to give things a home. Set aside 15 minutes daily to make a sweep and put things back where they belong. Remember it takes time to develop new habits - often 3 to 4 weeks. You need to be particularly vigilant during this time so you don't slip back into old habits. It is also a good idea to take time every few months to reevaluate your new system and make tweaks and changes when necessary. Share this newsletter with friends and family who will find it useful. BEHIND MY OFFICE DOORS Organized From the Start Many spend more hours at their desk than they do in bed. Whether it is only an hour or more than your care to count it is important that it be comfortable and function well. Recently I moved my office and bought a new desk. I took the time to set it up efficiently right from the start. I used the image of a bull's eye. When sitting at my desk the closest concentric circle around me is prime real estate. The items that I can reach without much movement are ONLY the things I use daily. That includes my computer, reading glasses, a few choice office supplies in my top drawer and my active files. When I was arranging the drawer I bought some clear drawer organizers to hold the items I use frequently. The drawer is neat and uncluttered. To use this system it helps to ask yourself "when was the last time I used this?", if the answer is not "yesterday" it belongs in a less-valuable location. As I worked my way out from the center of the metaphorical bull's eye I arranged items by how frequently I use them. Reference books, old project files, reams of printer paper and a three hole punch did not need to be within arm's reach. This system makes me more productive when I'm working at my desk, therefore I spend less time at my desk. And that's a good thing. Which of my personal organizing solution do you want to see? REDUCING JUNK MAIL Spend the Time Now to Save Time in the Future Recently I have been working with several clients who have boxes and boxes of paper to be sorted. Often mixed within the files and records they need to keep are pockets of junk mail. Ideally it should be dealt with as soon as it comes in. Don't let it pile up - only to add to your clutter. Open and sort your mail over a trash can or recycle bin. Keep one right by your door so the mail is disposed of immediately.   There is an article on my website that tells you how to reduce the amount of junk mail coming to your home. I followed the steps and dramatically reduced the amount of unwanted mail that makes it through my mail slot. There are many days when the mail man walks right by my house. It takes persistence but over time you will see a reduction. Spend the time now to take your name off lists. In the future it will mean less time spent sorting and disposing of the junk mail. ORGANIZING SOLUTION Concealed Cords Challenge: You have an unsightly twisted mess of cords under your computer desk and behind the tv and entertainment center. Solution: Use a concealing box to hide those bulky black AC adapters and organize your cords within one innovative product. The simply designed box comes in black or white and will blend in to most design styles. The idea after all is that it goes unnoticed. Bluelounge Design's cablebox accommodates your own surge protector or power strip with enough room to neatly hide all your transformers and wires.   Belkin International integrates the surge protector with a closing lid. Both products have hinged lids that give you easy access to your plugs when needed and neatly conceals them and the untidy pile of cords the rest of the time. Result: Not only can you hide and minimize your cord and wire clutter but you can say good bye to the dust bunnies that used to gather around a pile of cords. The flat top is the ideal place for a modem or router. DO YOU 'LIKE' US? Get Organized DC is on Facebook - visit our page and click on the 'Like' button! Check the page often 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

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