Organizing for the Type C Personality

Do you ever find that (no matter how hard you try) you can't STAY organized? Do you ever fret about how your room can only stay clean a maximum of 2-3 days before it gets dirty again? Are you ever overwhelmed by trying to clean up you things - so much so that often you just don't try?

If you could identify with any of the above statements, then you are reading the right blog post! My room at home is usually horribly messy and I struggle to even make attempts at cleaning it. However, my mom came to the rescue and brought home a book from the library called, Organizing Solutions for People with ADD by Susan Pinsky. Of course, I naturally laughed at the title and immediately thought that the book wouldn't be right for me, but I was proved wrong. This list of 14 rules have become the key to my success in room cleaning. Try a few and let me know how it turns out!

The 14 Rules of Organizing*

1. Give everything a home
2. Store things on the wall or on a shelf, NEVER on the floor.
3. Take advantage of vertical storage space by using tall shelves and bureaus. 
4. Wherever possible, use hooks instead of hangers. 
5. Don't increase your storage - reduce your inventory.
6. Touch it ONLY ONCE (File or toss mail as soon as you open it; don't add it to a pile you'll have to sort again later). 
7. If you haven't used it in a year, discard it. 
8. Duplicate when necessary to store things where you use them (toilet bowl brush in every bathroom).
9. Eliminate items that unnecessarily duplicate functions (hand can opener or electric can opener, not both).
10. Arrange your possessions within activity ares or zones. 
11. Don't overcrowd shelving, cabinets, and drawers. 
12. Make your things easy to access and easy to put away. 
13. Name your cabinets and shelves (dish cabinet, sock drawer) to remind you that only these specific items are stored therein. 
14. Make sure the "rough storage" areas in your home are well lit and easily accessible. Guard these areas well - they are more valuable than any other living area. 

*From Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder by Susan C. Pinsky 

This list can also be found online at www.organizationallyours.com Visit this link find out more about her book and how to organize effectively.