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ORDER - Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
[Click here to see this week's Bliss Initiatives!]  

Hi everyone!

I'm sending this out mid move. I am knee deep in boxes and the organizing is underway.  The new house is going to be great... in a week or two once we get everything situated! LOL actually it is great now. I love this part. Packing to move is no fun but unpacking at the other end can be really great. Maintaining order after the move is part is where I start to have problems... we'll worry about that another time.

Since I knew I would be very busy this weekend I have a little treat for you. I asked my friend Aaron, a professional Designer/Organizer to write today's post for you. She is a wizard in the world of organizing has been nice enough to share some insights with us:

Getting Organized – Just Start 

(add a little more Bliss to ‘your’ life) By Aaron Bartlett

OK, if you’re anything like me, there are things you’re good at, not so good at, don’t want anything to do with (for me - changing the oil in my car), and things you’d like to do, know you could do, but feel overwhelmed and just don’t know where to begin.

 

Getting organized may be one of those things you plan on doing ‘someday’ to have your life be more workable. We all know it saves time, stress, money, and more, when we can find the things we need, when we need them, and how frustrating and time consuming it is when you can’t. (Those papers for the IRS, the Christmas gift you bought in June – feeling so pleased to be ahead of the game, that special photo you were going to send to your friends.)

 

Often, it’s that little voice in our head that stops us:

“I don’t have the time.”

“I should wait until I have a few hours (to clean the house, garage, do the filing).

“I’m not THAT kind of person (organized).”

“I don’t know where to start.”

 

STOP! Pay it no mind - it’s just the mind-chatter anyway. Thank it for sharing and then, pick one or more things to do from the list below, set the timer for ten minutes, and go:

 

Ten things you can do in ten minutes (or less) –

1. Grab a bag (brown paper grocery bag is fine) and dash through every room in the house and find 10 things to throw or give away (really – take no more than ten minutes for this, so you don’t ‘think’ too much about it).
2. Clear everything off the dining table (EVERYTHING) and put back only something lovely to look at – vase of flowers; candle holders with pink (insert favorite color here) candles; your favorite tablecloth; etc.
3. Clean the kitchen sink until it sparkles (tip: after you’ve cleaned it thoroughly, take a dry cloth and wipe away the remaining water in the sink and fixtures – umm, so satisfying).
4. Set up automatic bill pay with your bank for some of those regular monthly bills.
5. Pick one drawer to clean in the bathroom.
6. Find a container to put near the door for your mail (even if it’s just a bag or a box, until you can find the esthetic one you like).
7. Go through your clothes closet and take out (3) things you haven’t worn in a year and donate them to charity. (In Berkeley, we leave things on the sidewalk for someone who wants to take them away and they’re usually gone in a few hours.)
8. Spend ten minutes on your car: take out any trash or things that shouldn’t be in there; clean out the trunk or the glove box (so you can find the registration, insurance or the manual when you need it).
9. Call a friend and set a date to get together for coffee.
10. Create an inspiring future; take a pen and paper and write down 30 goals and dreams you have (floss nightly; visit Paris; etc.), put a deadline on each item – it can be a few hours or a few years.
    

This is just the beginning. We’re planting the seeds of inspiration and creativity. They will take time to germinate, grow and blossom into a work of beauty, grace and ease.

Thank you so much Aaron.  Those are some great tips! For those of you who are lucky enough to live in the bay area Aaron is also available to help you with your organizing projects.

Here's what one of her clients had to say: “I would never have gotten to this if you hadn’t been here. I feel like there’s ‘space’ now to focus on the things that really matter to me. I feel freed up.”

If you think you would like help cleaning up your whole house, organizing one closet or just help getting started towards some added order, I invite you to give Aaron a call.  She really creates miracles in this area.

Aaron Bartlett

Designer/Organizer

“Experience the freedom of organized living.”

510-318-2237

* Remember - bring love, laughter and play to your day - these ARE the good old days!

Here are some other resources Aaron recommends to get you started:

www.flylady.com

www.missioncontrol.com

www.dressforsuccess.org

Next Post: More about big move and final thoughts on Order!
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My 13 bliss virtues: joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, surprise