How to get organised and declutter

Cory Cook is MD of Cory Cook Professional Organising Services, specialising in residential and office organising and time management. “What this really means is that I specialise in removing the chaos that can creep into our day-to-day lives, whether at home, at work or in our diaries.” Here, Cory gives her best tips for getting the clutter out of your life and getting more done.

Ah, the clean slate of a new year. An opportunity to start fresh and get organised once and for all. Being organised reaches far beyond neat stacks and tidy cupboards. Rather it is an ongoing state of mental and physical efficiency. It’s having only items that are useful, meaningful, and loved and giving them a place for easy retrieval. It’s also how we spend our time, having a structure to our day that ensures the important things get done both personally and professionally. Also that we allow enough restorative time for balance. If your home or office was better organised, how would it look and feel? How would your day flow?  The tips below are designed to get you ship-shape for an organised 2014 and beyond.

1. Divide and conquer

If you’re feeling disorganised and out of control, the prospect of organising may seem daunting. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Break the project down into bite-sized chews and start with an area that will make an immediate difference. For example, if work commitments are falling through the cracks, sort your home office first before tackling the wardrobe or loft. Schedule doable blocks of time and allow for tea breaks.

2. A good cull

Nothing is quite as cathartic as a good clearing out of all things obsolete. The excess coffee mugs, the unflattering clothes, old projects you’ll never start or finish. Things unused create stagnant energy and slow you down. Be ruthless. Free yourself and create space for new ideas, new things, new experiences.

3. Assign a home

If you’re constantly shifting stuff around, ask yourself “Where does this live?” No dedicated home? Then it’s time to assign one. Be sure it’s logical and convenient to the activity. For example, place a filing cabinet near your workspace to house frequently accessed documents. And don’t overlook creative containers. Consider decorative boxes, baskets and tins you already have to house your computer leeds, batteries, stationery items, and the like.

4. Consistency is key

Once homes are assigned, the trick is to develop the habit of consistently returning items where they belong. Think “ready for next use”. Place scissors back in their drawer, passport back in the Important Documents envelope, plug adaptor back in the travel bag, DVD back in the case. Always be ready for next time.

5. Tame the paper tiger

If you want a truly liberating experience, tackle that backlog of paperwork. According to a study, 80% of what we file is never accessed again. Be ruthless. Ask yourself: What is the document and why am I keeping it? Do I need to keep it for tax or legal reasons? What would be the circumstances for which I’d need to access it again? Shred or recycle anything you don’t need. File the rest using filing titles you identify with, e.g. investments, marketing, bank statements, etc. *Tip: Never label anything as ‘Miscellaneous’.

6. Your daily hot card

Be realistic about your time and your priorities. Using a stopwatch or timer will help you know how long it takes to perform certain tasks. Planning 14 hours of work when only 6 hours are available is a recipe for disappointment. Create a daily hot card where you select a handful of the your most important – and doable – tasks of the day.

7. Little and often

Performing tasks frequently and in small doses keeps them manageable. Filing tax receipts, say once per week will save you untold hours compiling and submitting at tax time. Follow suit with household chores, processing post, and other activities that can quickly turn into backlog.

8. Start tomorrow today

Get a head start on the day by implementing routines in advance. Lay out your wardrobe head to toe the night before. Plan out your next work day at the close of play. Leave notes indicating where you left off so resuming work is seamless.

9. Daily maintenance & mantras

You’ve culled, organised, and set-up systems but there’s one more step. The maintenance. Essentially it should only take around fifteen minutes each day to put things away and prepare for tomorrow. But any new habit requires vigilance and sometimes a mantra can help. Repeat to yourself something like “All surfaces clear”, “Everything in its place”, “Back where it lives”, “I love a clutter-free home”, find something compelling that resonates with you.

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