Ask the expert

— This year, I have resolved to get organized around my home - and stay that way. What advice do you have for me?

“There are really two parts to the answer,” says Becca Clark of Hot Springs, professional organizer and owner of Creative Convenience/Creating Efficient Spaces. “The first step is to offer some helpful tips on planning, and the second is to find realistic processes to stay organized.”

Clark, who says she prefers the term “goal” instead of resolution - “it feels more positive than ‘resolution,’ which seems like a boring heavy burden” - offers a few key concepts for setting goals. They include:

Concentrate on just one or two fairly specific goals now to stay focused. Instead of a blanket statement like getting organized this year, set a goal such as organizing paper in a home office and developing a system that can be maintained.

Putting goals in writing and posting them where they can be repeatedly seen causes new habits to be created subconsciously.

“Keeping commitments requires accountability, so find a goal buddy, or hire a life coach or a professional organizer, and tell family and friends your intentions to make this positive change,” Clark advises.

For many, getting organized is easy, but it’s more challenging to remain on course. Clark offers these tips to help maintain an organized system and space.

Muscle memory. Just like working out or learning a new sport, staying organized requires some discipline and adopting new habits. For instance, toss out your junk mail immediately when you bring it in every day for a week or so. Deliberately perform the action you want to adopt, and it quickly becomes ingrained and a simple part of your everyday life.

Wide open spaces. Leave some room in your new organizing system - open spaces in shelves and closets feel luxurious. Having an easily accessible place to put stuff also makes picking up and clearing away much easier.

Set standards. Promise your-self to get rid of anything stained, broken, outdated or redundant anytime you find it. Who really needs four can openers or three pairs of faded black pants?

Set limits. Determine that you will keep only a certain number of any item - particularly clothes and toys. Make room for 10 scarves, three golf caps, or one set of holiday dishes based solely upon your space and your actual use.

One in - one out. Diligently practice this rule so that your nice open storage spaces don’t become crowded again. You bought a new sweater? One goes back into the universe.

Easy donations. Keep a box or bag in a convenient area to toss in the things you are ready to share.

Routinely drop items off at your favorite charity. Keep the tax deduction - lose the clutter.

Change happens. Remember that things and lives move ahead. Just because you enjoyed something in the past does not give it superpower significance or require you to house it forever. Make room for the new and exciting in your life.

Evaluate. Organizing is an ongoing process. Your stuff and your systems need to adapt over time, and some tweaking will be needed. This doesn’t mean the organizing process did not work, just that flexibility is necessary and expected.

Do you have a decorating or remodeling question? We’ll get you an answer from an authority. Send your question to Linda S. Caillouet, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or e-mail: [email protected]

HomeStyle, Pages 33 on 02/23/2013

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