Everyday Cheapskate

I won't try to kid you into thinking I'm some kind of organizational expert. I am the most disorganized person ever. My professional office is a mess. My home, remarkably, appears to be orderly, as long as you don't open a cupboard, drawer or closet. Being disorganized steals my time, energy and money. I buy things I have already because I can't find them, or I spend too much time looking for things I need. That is going to stop. I am declaring before each and every one of you, my dear readers, that this is my year to get organized.

I have consulted several professional resources and done a lot of thinking, and I've come up with the following steps I will take to achieve my goal.

Step 1. Commitment. I've tried to get organized before, but I never have been fully committed. I trust that making my commitment open and public will make all the difference. Do you hear me? I am going to get organized.

Step 2. Identify the space. Lumping my office and home into a single organizational project is overwhelming. To overcome this, I have divided the task into 12 projects, or spaces, one per month in 2010. My home studio — where I write, sew, knit, craft and basically create things — is a sight to behold. It is huge and filled to capacity. Mark it "Project No. 1."

Step 3. Identify recipients. I am committed to getting rid of everything that I do not use on a regular basis or that I do not find to be incredibly beautiful.

Step 4. Three containers. I have labeled these boxes "Keep," "Trash" and "Give." That seems simple enough, but to make sure, I did a practice run on the desk in my home studio. Out of six drawers, I ended up with seven things in the "Keep" box and zero to give away, and everything else filled the trash container to overflowing. My desk is clean and nearly empty. The three-container plan worked.

Step 5. A place for everything. I don't practice it, but that doesn't mean I don't know this secret for being organized: There should be a place for everything and everything in its place. Once I have identified what I will keep in each project space, I am determined to identify a specific place for each thing I own. Then I'll get into the habit of returning things to their places.

I have cut out a big job for myself in the coming year. Think I can do it? I do. And I plan to take pictures to prove it. I'll keep you posted!

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her latest, "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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