Let’s Get Organized for 2022

let's get

Ready for 2022

The start of a new year is the perfect time for new beginnings! Especially if you are looking for a “reset” button to get your habits back on track.

I made this video below in March 2019, and thought this would be the perfect #throwbackThursday to get us ready for 2022!

author

Gayle M. Gruenberg

Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD® is the Chief Executive Organizer of Let’s Get Organized, LLC, an award-winning professional organizing firm based in Bergen County, New Jersey. Gayle is the creator of the Make Space for Blessings™ system. LGO works with busy families to help them find more time, space, money, and energy and connect their lives to their core values through being organized.

Getting Organized is Good Self-Care

DECLUTTERING IS GOOD

Self-Care!

decluttering is good

Self Care!

Self-care does not mean the same thing to everyone. To one person it may mean the assumed mani-pedi, bubble bath, or massage. To another, it may mean taking a 5-mile run. To me, good self-care encompasses the entire person: body, mind, and spirit. What someone is experiencing internally is often reflected externally, in one’s environment. Good self-care therefore must include getting organized.

Self-care means valuing yourself, your needs, and your desires. It means acknowledging that you are important and worthy. It means honoring what you hold dear and living according to your core values.

So does getting organized.

take control

Getting organized means taking control of your life. It means making conscious decisions and being mindful and purposeful. It means creating and maintaining systems for doing everything. That doesn’t mean your house has to look like a magazine shoot. It means that your systems need to support your life, so you can live easy and have the time, money, and energy for what matters most to you. It means deciding what is essential and what is extraneous.

create space

Getting organized means creating physical, brain, and heart space. It means identifying and keeping the things, people, and activities that are most important to you and letting go of the rest. It means having the clarity and openness to bring into your life what you value. It means making space for blessings – eliminating anything that contributes to physical, mental, emotional, time, or spiritual clutter from every aspect of your life. Just as water can’t get through a clogged drain, blessings can’t come into a cluttered life.

soothe your soul

Getting organized soothes the soul. Having space, time, personal care, and financial systems and routines in place supports our basic human needs for security, consistency, and reliability. Systems take the guesswork out of life. We don’t have to worry about making a new decision on the same thing every day. We have a good idea of what to expect on a daily basis. We know what to do, where to go, where to put things, and who we need to interact with. We can rely on the future, but we’re prepared for the unexpected.

free up time

Getting organized means freeing up time. Chances are you want to spend as much of your free time as possible doing things you enjoy, which, unless you’re a professional organizer, may not be processing paperwork, rearranging cabinets, or clearing out the garage. Having systems for everything streamlines daily living; less time is spent on mundane tasks, freeing you up for the activities that feed your soul.

facilitate happiness

Getting organized eliminates stress and frustration, facilitates happiness, and preserves relationships. “A place for everything and everything in its place,” applies. You can find what you need when you need it. No more blaming other members of the household for taking something and hiding it. No more coming home and crying because everything is a mess. No more feeling inadequate because your partner screams at you to clean up. Systems are in place. Peace reigns.

Original article published in CYACYL Magazine

author

Gayle M. Gruenberg

Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD® is the Chief Executive Organizer of Let’s Get Organized, LLC, an award-winning professional organizing firm based in Bergen County, New Jersey. Gayle is the creator of the Make Space for Blessings™ system. LGO works with busy families to help them find more time, space, money, and energy and connect their lives to their core values through being organized.

Organize now for Holiday Ease

ORGANIZE NOW FOR

Holiday Ease

ORGANIZE NOW FOR

Holiday Ease

The end of the year is almost here, and the holiday season can get chaotic! Now is a great time to start organizing for the holidays.  Here are some tips to think about as you start planning.

Manage time and expectations

How do you want to celebrate? Would you rather go away for the holidays? Eat out on Thanksgiving? Who goes to whom when? What will you make? Which friends and neighbors will you invite? Plan menus, make a shopping list, and create a schedule.

Put everything on a calendar: standing appointments and activities, special events, parties, and anything else that affects your holiday season. Schedule when you will shop, cook, wrap, visit, or travel. 

Spend the holiday volunteering. Note: many people volunteer during the holidays, but remember that others need our help all year.

Discuss family traditions

Keep the old? Create new ones? What works for your family? What no longer serves you? Do a little research or learning before a holiday to (re)discover the meaning behind it. While everyone is gathered together, ask extended family about health background, legal documents, what each member wants from Grandma’s house. Some discussions may be difficult, but will be worth the effort down the road.

Put in requests now

for days off from work during the holiday months, if applicable. Make transportation arrangements for students away at school, out of town family and friends. Prepare guest rooms for visitors: clear out space in closets and dressers, remove anything that doesn’t belong in the room.

Manage stuff

It’s a great opportunity to go through holiday decorations. Weed out what is no longer wanted. Group ornaments and supplies together. Organize them into themes. Have a “grab & go” supply of ready-made decorating schemes. Replace or repair anything that has worn out. Store everything for easy access. Untangle lights. Polish the menorah. Check your supply of candles or oil. Pare down to what is loved and used. Pass the rest on to others who may not be able to afford lavish displays. Clean out stuff now and make space for blessingsTM. 

Manage money

Set a gift budget. Shop online now and avoid the craziness of the mall. Take your time and find sales. Avoid gifts that contribute to clutter. Give a donation in the recipient’s name to his/her favorite charity. Think about giving gifts of experience, such as tickets to movies, a sporting event, or a live show; spending a day with the recipient doing whatever he/she would like to do; plan a special trip. For senior members of a family, gift certificates for services they need but may not want or be able to pay for may be very appreciated, like a handyman, lawn care, or cleaning service.

The benefits to starting now are myriad. Save money, time, and stress during the crazy holiday season. Keep things simple and calm. Avoid overwhelm. Create a meaningful celebration. Make memories and actually enjoy each other’s company during the holidays.

Original article published November 2016 in CYACYL Magazine

author

Gayle M. Gruenberg

Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD® is the Chief Executive Organizer of Let’s Get Organized, LLC, an award-winning professional organizing firm based in Bergen County, New Jersey. Gayle is the creator of the Make Space for Blessings™ system. LGO works with busy families to help them find more time, space, money, and energy and connect their lives to their core values through being organized.