Welcome to our very first edition. My hope is that you will be inspired–as well as motivated–to improve your personal and business life by turning over a new leaf. I want you to live your ideal life.

I invite you to share our newsletter with your friends and family. As well, I welcome your feedback and suggestions.

So let’s get started and turn over the first leaf!

“Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris (1834-1896), English Designer

Do you need to get more organized in 2012?

Ask yourself the following questions:

•  How much time does it take you to look for your car keys or other misplaced items?
•  Have you bought something because you couldn’t find it?
•  Are you afraid to open your closet because of a possible avalanche?
•  Has it been a long time since you’ve invited company into your home?
•  Is your clutter causing problems in any of your relationships?
•  Have you spent a whole day or weekend attempting to sort through your clutter and ended up with a worse mess?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, don’t worry—you are not alone. It’s never too late to start!

Everyone has clutter to some extent. There are many reasons for clutter. Our lives are so busy. Overscheduling ourselves and our children often doesn’t leave much spare time. Procrastination, perfectionism, traumatic events, indecision and illness are only some of the reasons that clutter collects. It’s easy for things to get out of control over time. Why does this happen?

It happens because we (North Americans) like to accumulate stuff. Why is there such a high value placed on having so many possessions? Are you trying to keep up with the Joneses? Are you drowning in debt in order to do so? This compulsion to accumulate causes clutter. How do you deal with that clutter?

A frequent complaint is that people never seem to have enough storage space. Did you know that buying in bulk is only recommended if you have sufficient storage space for your items? More storage space is often an important consideration when buying a new house. Before moving, a major purge usually takes place—it’s an opportunity for a new start. However, a bigger house just means more space to fill up.

Unfortunately, other than when people move, a major purge doesn’t usually occur unless there’s a good reason. When I tell people I’m a Professional Organizer, a frequent response is: “Could I ever use your help!” Often it is obvious that their clutter is causing them some stress. When you come home at the end of a busy day, you want to relax. It’s easy to understand why sorting through clutter isn’t at the top of your to-do list. There are many more fun things you can find to do with your time.

Did you know…

•  80% of paper that is filed is never looked at again?
•  Most people only wear 20% of the clothes in their closet 80% of the time? Do you have an outfit hanging in your closet that still has the price tag on it?
•  There is an Institute for Challenging Disorganization in the United States?

To quote Peter Walsh, the well-known professional organizer, you need to “Imagine the life you want to live.” Simply clearing out the clutter won’t solve the problem. While change can often be difficult, it’s not impossible.

Are you overwhelmed and don’t know where to start? I tell clients to start with the area that causes them the most stress. Determine which area you would like to organize. The next thing I do is break an overwhelming project down into smaller more manageable chunks. Get out a pen and a piece of paper and make some notes. List the action steps you will need to take. Plan a block of time in your schedule to get started. If you write it down, it is much more likely to happen. When your designated time period arrives, don’t procrastinate. As the Nike slogan says, “Just do it.”