Season of simplifying…

[see the original at www.ManifestationCoaching.com]


Spring is on the way, and that means it’s getting to be my least and most favorite time of the year.  I love Spring weather, especially here in Los Angeles.  Clear sunny blue skies with brisk cool breezes is my idea of heaven on earth.

The rebirth of beautiful weather is the basis of the tradition of Spring housecleaning, starting over with a clean slate so to speak.  While I love a clean house and orderly office, I detest what it takes to get one and keep it that way.  I suppose you could call me a supremely lazy neat freak.  So I look for easy ways to get or stay organized.


Here’s a few of my discoveries:


Go Paperless.  This is the 21st century; it’s time to give up on paper. 
Continuing to receive paper means you have tons of mail to deal with.  You bring in the mail when you get home from work.  It sits there until you open it.  Then you open it, read it, and it sits there until you either file it or shred it.  Then you put it into the file or shred pile, and it sits there some more.  Stop the madness!!
Going digital with your important records means they take up almost no space at all, so you can get rid of most of those ugly file cabinets.  You save time and money because there are no file folders to buy, and no labels to write.  Filing is a snap; simply name your files properly and the computer sorts them by any number of ways.


More importantly, it’s easy to duplicate digital records to safely store copies offsite in case of disaster.


Get e-bills.  Most utilities, credit card companies, and phone service providers all offer their bills in digital versions so that you can stop receiving paper bills.  Take them up on this offer.  When you receive your e-bill by email, simply save it to a folder on your computer named for the biller.  I have a master folder named File Docs, and I keep them all there.


Scan what you can.  What you can’t get as electronic documents, scan.  Scanners used to cost of lot of money, but now you can get them inexpensively incorporated into printers, or standalone.  What you choose will depend on your needs, preferences, and budget.



Get a photo-quality scanner so that you can preserve photos as well as documents.  If you have a lot of paper to scan, consider a scanner with a sheet feeder.  If you have a lot of photo negatives, there is equipment specially designed for that use.


Whatever you choose, you’ll find it makes a world of difference.  Go here for a selection of scanners to review.


Standardize.  Take a lesson from WWII tank warfare.  The Germans used a variety of designs of tanks.  The Russians relied on two basic designs.  German tanks were probably superior, but all the different designs meant tons of different spare parts to stock and keep track of when the tanks inevitably broke down.  The Russian tanks won.


Think about that the next time you’re frustrated because you can’t find the right size lid to that storage container for tonight’s leftovers.  You have a container for every use, in every size.  You’re totally prepared for anything.  But you can never find what you need when you need it.
Forget that. 


Use only two sizes of inexpensive clear food storage containers.  One container should snugly hold two servings.  The other should hold about twice that.  Make sure they both use the same size lid.  If you have less than one serving, combine it with something else or don’t bother saving it.  Most people don’t use the more expensive storage containers enough to justify the added expense.  Supplement with plastic sandwich bags that seal and that’s all the leftover storage most people need.


Exploit your crock pot.  Or, if you’re like me, find it first, then exploit it.  It’s probably buried behind the wok, the bread maker, the espresso machine, the roasting pan, and assorted sauce pans.  If you don’t have one, seriously consider purchasing one.  If money is constrained, a refurbished or used one works quite nicely. 


The wonderful thing about a crock pot is that it takes so little to accomplish so much.  Create entire meals from one pot, without standing over the stove all day.  Now experiencing a resurgence in popularity because people have discovered that you can do much more with a crock pot than simply simmer stew, a crock pot can be your friend too.  Simple recipes can make meal preparation satisfying and simplified.


House the Homeless.  Disorganization is a combination of things with no home, and things not in their home.  Don’t support homelessness.  Make sure everything you own has a home, a place to rest out of the way and preferably out of sight.


On your desk, use storage containers and organizers to make sure that everything can be put away.  Then, develop the habit of putting things back in their home when you are finished.  You probably remember hearing the admonishment to put your toys away?  Well, some things never change!





“Getting organized” has such an intimidating sound to it that many people are defeated even before they start.  Instead of deciding to get everything organized, consider starting to use these three simple strategies – not all at once, but gradually,  the way real behavioral change is created. 


Good luck!


[see the original at www.ManifestationCoaching.com]