Welcome to Real Life Organizing!

Some people think that, as a Professional Organizer, my life just hums right along, but I have my challenges just like everyone else. In this blog I hope to share my successes, my challenges, and life in between.

My hope is that "Real Life Organizing" will give you a few laughs and also tips and ideas to help shift your thinking to be more organized so you can enjoy life more.

Blogs

Reduce Stress and Improve Health with a Sharpie

Posted on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 05:13

I’m sabotaging stress with my Sharpie!  To reduce stress and take care of my health, I’ve made a commitment to do an exercise routine and walk regularly each week.  Frankly, it’s been a hit-or-miss effort.  I even bought stars to paste on a calendar to keep me on track, to no avail.


What is finally working for me is to make a mark on my makeup mirror with a blue Sharpie each time I walk.  I love seeing those lines add up, and, because they wash off, I start with a clean “slate” each week. 


Ju

Do You Hate Filing?

Posted on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 22:30

Honestly, I hate filing just like you do. Last week I realized my personal stack of insurance papers, receipts, etc…. needed filing. So I had to practice what I preach:  I wrote it on my calendar to do Saturday morning. If I hadn't made that commitment, I would have kept letting the stack get bigger. Next I figured out a way to eliminate the boredom and the pain of doing it. I timed the filing so I was listening to Car Talk on NPR. Now don't get me wrong.

Time Management When Children Are at Home

Posted on Thu, 02/11/2010 - 07:01

Did I have a big reminder of how little you get done with a 2 year old at your feet!  My granddaughter Ava and I were spending some special time together.  By 11 o’clock I finally had the kitchen cleaned up. I had a big laugh when I thought about what I teach on procrastination. You may have heard me use the illustration about emptying a dishwasher – a 3 -5 minute project, so Do It Now!  Make that an hour project or more when you have a little one helping, interrupting, and causing you to stop and play. About the time the kitchen was cleaned up it was time to start lunch.

Snow Day - No car day!

Posted on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 07:08

 

What did you do on your snow day? If you don’t live in East Tennessee you may be saying, “What snow day?”  Yesterday we woke up to 5+ inches of snow. Which was okay, it was predicted and it was Sat. – good timing. Really, it is nice being home, feeling good and not have a choice to leave. One of my clients with young children says she tries to plan “No car days.” We definitely had a “No car day.” That would probably do a lot to reduce our stress as adults if we did that regularly.

How to De-Clutter and Save Money at the Same Time!

Posted on Tue, 01/26/2010 - 08:06

This combination really works! I decided that instead of buying new make-up, I had to first look in my stash. You know - the one we all have, but put in a bottom drawer. My goal was to decide to use it, toss it or donate it depending on the condition. I found items in all of the above categories. So then I decided to use the same criteria for not replacing hair stuff. Why do I have a stash of mousse?

Getting Unstuck on Projects

Posted on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 01:56

Many of you have read about or visited my  cute little country office.  (See photos on my website http://www.clutterfree.biz/about.htm). Last week, though, I was really stuck on a project – organizing the information for my new website, Exceptional Productivity Now!  I took the file box with all the information I had gathered and moved it from my office to the dining room table in my house.  It isn’t finished, and papers are covering the table, but at least I’m working on it.  Try changing locations from where you usually work to see if it will help you, too.

Are You a Hoarder?

Posted on Thu, 12/31/2009 - 22:14

With all the TV programs on hoarding, I hear many people calling themselves hoarders, or a family member may use the term to describe relatives.  While I think it’s good that we feel more comfortable talking about our overload, the term may often be used when it does not fit.

Cleaning Out the Garage

Posted on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 07:55

My oldest son came and we purged the garage. Really, you could call it a carriage house because in the past that is all it would hold. Thankfully, it is not attached to my 100-year-old farm house, because it has become the storage space for everything besides a carriage. So on this day that the cleaning out took place, if you could have been a mouse in the corner, I am sure you would have had lots of laughs. This went like one of the TV organizing shows – he wanted to discard what I felt was important.

Don't Let Car Clutter/Cleaning Drive You Crazy

Posted on Thu, 12/10/2009 - 06:38

I finally cleaned my car. As a budget cut, I decided to do it myself. Learned something: The carwash really has strong stuff in it to get off grease and grime. Are you saying "duh...didn't you know that, Mary?" Well, for years I had a beige car and one session at the car wash with the sprayer made it look just fine. Not so, now that I have a white car! One session just rearranges the dirt and makes it show up better.

Reclaiming Your Office

Posted on Fri, 12/04/2009 - 03:44

I bet you are wondering if a Professional Organizer ever needs to reclaim her own office. Yes.  Uh-huh.  Here’s how it went.  Even Pros need to work at being Clutter-free & Organized.

I had been working pretty nonstop with clients – in their homes and offices. Plus, I had been traveling with my business. Also, after every speech there is a certain amount to undo and put away.  Unfortunately, I came home and didn’t follow my own advice to allow for an office reentry day.

Contact info:

Call Mary today! - 423-581-9460, 865-607-9460, or 888-835-6335

Email Mary - mary@clutterfree.biz to schedule a get-acquainted phone call.

Mary works with clients in person and on the phone all through the US. She lives in upper east Tennessee, which allows her to conveniently work with clients in Knoxville, Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, TN and Asheville, NC. 

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