Based on the comments I receive from my readers, I know that people are hungry for information about organizing. So why are there so many magazines about the love lives of celebrities, but not one magazine dedicated to organizing?
When I first became a Professional Organizer six years ago, I noticed that the Container Store carried copies of Real Simple. I had once been a subscriber to Real Simple, but had gotten bored with it. (As I said to my husband back then: “I simplified my life today — I canceled my subscription to Real Simple!”) However, hoping that they were more focused on organizing now, I decided to try it again and I resubscribed.
The honeymoon was short-lived. I was happy to see a cover article about dealing with clutter, but the article never touched on how to eliminate clutter — it was all about how to contain it in pretty boxes. I was annoyed at the opportunity they had squandered, and I once again canceled my subscription.
That’s why I was so glad to discover Getting Organized Magazine, which is published four times a year by Stacey Anderson, a Professional Organizer located in Bellevue, Washington. Unlike the other magazines that occasionally feature organizing articles, everything in Getting Organized is sensible and actionable by ordinary folks. The emphasis is not on products, but on habits and actions.
For example, here is a list of “Simple Steps to Staying Organized” that appears in the Summer 2012 issue:
- If you get it out, put it back.
- If you open it, shut it.
- If you try it on, hang it up.
- If you get it dirty, wash it.
- If you don’t use it, get rid of it.
- If it doesn’t fit, donate it.
- If it’s expired, dump it.
- If it’s junk, throw it out.
- If it’s a bill, pay it.
- If you schedule it, write it down.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Other articles in the Summer 2012 issue address kitchens, moving, garage sales, photo organizing, and closets. All of the articles are inspiring and easy to follow. The included photos are not of some impossible ideal that you and I could not afford to implement, but of simple and achievable spaces.
I love this magazine so much that I became an affiliate, which means that you can subscribe via a link on my website. Check it out the articles on their web site and see what you think.
