A Summertime Organizing Strategy
The organizer is overwhelmed. June won. Between client sessions, end-of-school activities, prepping my father’s home for sale, attending a conference, and one errant case of summer flu…I ended the month not knowing if I was coming or going. The closing of spring is like that for a lot of us, and when we’re overbooked it can be a dangerous time for staying organized. But there’s no reason why summer can’t be a fabulous time to do a little indoor, stay-cool regrouping and de-cluttering.
So, of course, I made a list to inspire myself. Here are a few ways we can all get back on track:
1. Take a day or two (or maybe even three) off. Sometimes you really do need to forget all of the day-to-day stuff and just veg. Staycations are totally appropriate for this strategy (I believe it’s why they invented Netflix).
2. Tackle the piles in the office. I get them too, and they grew exponentially this past month. Try taking one small area a day to re-file, purge, shred, or containerize.
3. Delegate. Are the kids at home, and more importantly – are they bored? Nothing wrong with giving them some of the jobs you haven’t been able to get to lately. If there are no kiddos to pass off to, use your neighborhood community announcement page to see if someone has a tween or teenager who could use some extra cash.
4. Prioritize. For some of us, summer is a down time that’s perfect for reviewing and setting goals. Get them out of your head and down in writing – or in something like Evernote – so you can follow up.
5. Work to the reward. If you can see a happier ending in sight, maybe you’ll be more inspired to take on the mundane. For example, before you pack for vacation take time to clear out the closet and assess the wardrobe.
Speaking of wardrobes, the closet is one of my favorite things to organize when I’m not digging the summer heat. On one of those hottest days (you know, when it’s too hot to even go to the pool), make yourself a big pitcher of iced tea or lemonade and start pulling out the stuff you know you’ll never wear.
Need a quick way to make it all look better? Use all matching hangers (no wire!), and make sure the clothes all face the same way. I usually suggest that if you’re right-handed the front of the garment should face to your left, and vice-versa. And if you’re folding and stacking t-shirts, jeans, or towels, use closet shelf dividers to keep everything straight and stable.
Make the most of your summer organizing opportunities. Then you can easily start back fresh and ready for the fall (which is the perfect time to organize the garage, or the attic, or…)!
