When you think about getting organized, do you resemble Homer Simpson sitting on a couch watching television?  Do you think to yourself "That is too much work.  I don't even know where to begin.  Never mind.  I'll deal with it another day."?

Well, the good news is, you don't have to be like Homer Simpson.  You can get organized!  It's as easy as 1-2-3.

Here are three simple organizing ideas for things you can accomplish on a day when you decide to stay home and curl up on the couch.  You don't need to feel like a couch potato - you can feel productive instead!  

1.  Sort through your magazines and catalogs.  Curl up on that comfy couch, gather up your large stack of magazines and catalogs and take an hour to read them.  Then, recycle.  If you decide to hold on to a few articles, rip them out of the magazine and either scan them into your computer or put them into a designated place for safe keeping.  (A binder, hanging folder or accordion file are some suggestions.)  Choose the items you wish to purchase NOW from the catalogs and mark the pages with a post-it note.  If you do not intend to make your purchase now, recycle the catalog.  I promise another issue is on its way to you as we speak!  Say goodbye to your Oprah magazine from 2010!  

2.  Sort through photographs.  Again, curl up on that couch.  This time, grab your box (or boxes) of photographs and sort them on your coffee table by date or occasion.  Use an acid free photo box and create categories for your pictures and toss them in.  Enjoy going down memory lane while getting organized at the same time!  

3.  Review your email.  Get on the couch this time and bring your laptop computer with you.  Take some time to catch up on your email.  If you have been storing your email in your "In Box" only, take this time to create categories for those you wish to save.  (Just be selective about what you are keeping or this can become clutter too.)  Take a selected amount of time to read and reduce the amount of email in your "in box" and get rid of those you no longer need or want.  You will feel so much better the next time you visit your email account and see that it is down to a reasonable number.  

Now, if you are ready to get off that couch and get some other organizing projects completed but are feeling overwhelmed and need some assistance to stay motivated, focused and clear on how to get the job done, get in touch with me at A Better Space.  I am here to help.  

Happy Organizing!    

Now, you might be thinking "Yes, I am Wonder Woman"!  I do it all!  Can you really?  Are you really a super hero?  Honestly, no offense, but I highly doubt it.  

We only have so many hours in a day and we have so many things we want to accomplish in a day.  I need to ask you, "Are you running yourself ragged"?.  If so, is being "Wonder Woman" really such a great thing?

In my opinion, a "Wonder Woman" is the Queen of delegation.  She is the type of woman who has a lot to accomplish but also recognizes that she can't do it alone.  She knows that she needs to delegate to others.  Whether it's at home, at the office or running errands, delegation is the best tool in the organizing tool box to get it all done.  

How do we delegate?  This might be difficult for some who have never done it before.  It involves trust and imperfection.  It's okay to pass off some responsibility to others!  It's okay that it will not get done perfectly.  The important thing is that whatever it is will be one less thing you need to worry about.  That is smart time management, needless to say, a great stress reducer.

You might want to start by making a list of things you want to accomplish that you either don't have time to do or don't like to do.  

Next, you want to compile a list of people to delegate certain tasks to.  They can be your spouse, your kids, other family members, friends or someone you pay to get the job done.  

Then, you match up the task with the appropriate person.  Understand that even though it might not be done exactly the way you would do it, it can still get done.  You might surprise yourself and find that the person you delegate the task to does an even better job than you would have done.  That's okay!  You don't need to be insulted; be grateful!  Everyone is good at something and some are better at certain things than others.  You have your strengths; they have theirs.

If you need assistance, having to hire someone to help you out is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about.

For example, as a professional organizer who specializes in residential organizing, I am an expert when it comes to eliminating clutter and getting others organized.  I save people time and reduce their stress by providing solutions.  This is a form of delegation.

The important thing here is to evaluate all that you have to do and find a way to get it done efficiently without having to do it all yourself.  That's how you truly become "Wonder Woman"!

If you need to reach out for some assistance when it comes to your clutter, time management, paper management or any other type of residential organizing, contact A Better Space.  I am here to help.

In the meantime, have a "WONDERful Day"!