Organize + Energize: 5 Reasons It’s Time to Get Organized

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalWorcester Organizing Expert

Are you living a chaotic life? Are you always looking for more time in your day? Take a look at your surroundings and ask yourself if you think your disorganized ways are adding to your chaotic life.

Here are 5 reasons it may be time to get organized:

You spend countless hours searching for things. Whether it’s a pair of shoes, money, batteries, or important documents; how much time are you wasting throughout the days, weeks, or months searching for these items? It’s time to get organized if you walk around in circles wasting precious time.

You’re wasting money. How many times have you looked for an item in your home, couldn’t find it so you went out and purchased another one? If you’re disorganized, you’re going to have misplaced money in the form of cash, checks, and gift cards all over your home. Also, if you’re paying late fees or bounced check fees due to your disorganization, it may be time to get organized.

You have one room in your home where you can’t see the floor. There is one room in your home that you drop items in and then get out quickly and shut the door behind you. The door to this room usually stays shut and nobody is allowed in. I bet there are some things buried in that room that you’ve been looking for or forgot you had.

You have piles of paper throughout the home. You have mail exploding out of drawers, in cabinets, on the top of your desk and flooding the dining room table. You probably leave it there because the process to tackle it is just too overwhelming. Are you tired of looking at these piles? Wouldn’t it be nice to actually sit at an organized, clutter free space?

Mentally, you feel like you’re moving in 10 different directions. You feel like your head is going to explode. You may be a little anxious and stressed. Start using a to-do list. Clear the mental clutter. Get it out of your head and onto paper. It’s impossible to work on your time management skills if you’re disorganized. Once you get organized, you can work on these time management skills.

Think you can’t get organized? Anybody can get organized and at any time! It just takes a little patience, skills, hard work and you have to be ready. If you can relate to what I’ve mentioned above, it may be time to make some changes. Think about how much of the disorganization in your life is depleting your energy levels. Is this lifestyle you’re living holding you back from living your life to its fullest potential? Evaluate how you’re functioning and decide if it’s time to get organized.

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, is an organizing & efficiency expert and owner of Organizing in RI. Kristin teaches her clients that living an organized lifestyle will save them time and money, decrease their stress levels and help them become more efficient and productive. Her articles have been published in local and national magazines. She has also given over 70 presentations throughout the state. Watch Kristin LIVE every Thursday at 3pm here on GoLocal LIVE with Molly O’Brien.

Related Slideshow: Organizing Products For Your Closet

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Flip flop organizer

How many flip flops do you own? Are they thrown all over the closet floor? How long does it take you to find a match to one of them? Bed Bath and Beyond has a $9.99 flip flop organizer that holds 6 pairs of flip flops and hangs nicely in your closet. This is a must-have if you have more than 5 pairs of flip flops. I’ve purchased these for my clients and they work great!

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Scarf organizer

You love your scarves, but it takes you forever to locate one and you have to throw 5 around to find the one you are searching for. Use a scarf organizer and you will be able to see all your scarves and find them at a moment’s notice. Bed Bath and Beyond has a few different types of scarf organizers, including this one for $9.99.

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Belt organizer

How are you storing your belts? Are they in a tangled mess? Purchase a belt organizer for a cheap solution—they can be as inexpensive as $6.99 from the Container Store.

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Tie organizer

Keep your ties organized and hanging on a tie rack, or keep then rolled in a drawer organizer. Whichever way you choose to organize them, treat them with care. To take care of both your belts and your ties in one fell swoop, check out this organizer from the Container Store.

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Drawer organizer

This is a must for your underwear, socks, bras, nylons, etc. Drawer organizers will help to maximize space in your closet. You won’t believe the amount of space you will have once you contain these items in drawer organizers!

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Jewelry organizer

Are you always trying to detangle your necklaces? Think about how you grab your jewelry and then purchase an organizing system according to how you function. Before you purchase your container, take inventory of what you own and purchase accordingly.

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Shoe rack

Did you know people who didn’t own shoe racks were 7 times more likely to show up late for an event? Are your shoes in piles on the floor? Get them off the floor and contain them in a shoe rack. There are many options out there, like this one from Bed Bath and Beyond. Choose the shoe rack that is going to fit what you need to hold and fit in the space you are working with.

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Hangers

Are you hanging your clothes on the wire hangers from the dry cleaner? Those hangers will ruin your clothes. Get rid of them and store your clothes on the hanger of your choice, but be consistent and stick with one type of hanger.

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Handbags

How are you storing your handbags? Are they stored all over your closet? Are they in bins or crumpled up on the floor? It’s time to organize your bags. There are many options depending on the space you are working with. You can stand them up on a shelf, you can hang them, or if they are small, you can store them in a canvas bin. The choice is yours. Think about how you function and develop a system from there.

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Baseball cap organizer

How many baseball caps do you own? How are they organized in your closet now, and how long does it take you to find one? The Container Store (pictured here), Bed Bath and Beyond, and other stores sell this baseball cap organizer. I have a few clients that have purchased them and they love them!

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Function over flash

There are many variations on these products. Choose the product that is right for you. There are some organizing products I would never use, but other people might choose to use them. Choose the one that is going to be the most efficient and productive product for you and your family. Don’t choose a product because it’s pretty, choose it based on functionality. Search online for different products before you rush out and purchase a product. You may find that one store is more expensive than another. Don’t forget if you are going to Bed Bath and Beyond to use their 20% off coupons. If you don’t want to purchase these items, get creative and re-purpose items around the home, or make your own!

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Kristin MacRae

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on Mondays at 8:30am on www.talkstreamradio.com.