Even though my dog has only a couple of toys, I was excited to discover this adorable product at the Container Store which is actually meant for a completely different purpose.

These Animal Drawer Organizers are intended to organize children’s things inside a drawer.  But they are perfect for organizing your pet’s toys.  They come in two designs — pink with a cat face, and brown with a dog face — and in two sizes (in the photo, the brown one is a small, the pink one is a large).

I have the small brown one for my dog’s toys.  It sits in my living room underneath one of my end tables, which makes it very easy for us to grab a toy when we need one, but also easy to clean up with company is coming.  And it’s so cute!

They seem to be selling out, so if you like them, act quickly.  (The web site indicates that the pink ones are not available online anymore but may still be in stores).

If your dog or cat has a lot of toys, you may want to try the Animal Storage Stool.   At approximately 11 inches in each direction, it’s bigger than the drawer inserts and has a padded lid.

This feeling often prevents individuals from contacting a Professional Organizer, even when clutter is bringing down the quality of their lives.  So I’d like to share with you my experience with two professionals that I hired to do something that “everyone else” can seemingly do on their own.

For nearly five years, I have been exercising with the help of a Personal Trainer.   My current trainer, Stephen Flam of Pinnacle Fitness and Wellness, comes to my apartment twice a week and makes me work out.  Are other people able to go to the gym and work out on their own?  Certainly.  Would I work out if Stephen didn’t come and make me do it?  Very unlikely!   Not only does his presence ensure that I work out regularly, but he pushes me harder than I ever would on my own, and he comes up with innovative ideas that keep me interested and ensure that my capabilities improve over time.  Every time he brings in a new piece of equipment for me, or introduces a new exercise, I moan, “I can’t do that”.  But within a few weeks, I can.

A few months ago, I hired another professional who changed my life.  Silfath Pinto of Stylosophy is an Image Consultant who advises clients on how to dress to maximize their physical assets.   I had known Silfath for a year and a half, and I kept telling myself that I would hire her as soon as I lost some weight.  Well, that was not happening, so I decided to just take the plunge.  While I thought I knew what looked good on me, I had been frustrated by the changes in fashions and found it difficult to shop.

For our first appointment, Silfath came to my home and reviewed my clothes, letting me know what was working for me and what wasn’t.   For our second appointment, she took me shopping and I discovered that there really were clothes out there that would work for me.  Our last appointment was back at my home, where Silfath combined the clothes she had helped me buy and the clothes I bought on my own into interesting outfits, along with accessories.

For years, I have been saying that I hate shopping.  Now, when I have a free day, I can’t wait to search for more clothes that make me feel fashionable and sexy!   By the way, I ended up donating about half of my clothes to charity.  Now everything in my closet is something that looks good on me.

Do other people know how to shop for clothes that look good on them without help?  Absolutely.  Did I?   Apparently not.

I’m so glad to have these professionals in my life helping me to become a better version of what I could accomplish on my own.  I’ve got my own “Team Sharon”.

I hope my experience will encourage you to reach out for help where you need it.  And if you need help with clutter — you know how to reach me.

I’m about to break with tradition even further by advocating for monthly goals rather than quarterly.

I like monthly goals for several reasons:

1. You are most likely very passionate about achieving them.
2. You can stay focused on them since it’s only 30 days.
3. They are harder to procrastinate because the timeline is more abbreviated.
4. Seeing monthly “wins” keeps your motivation up for achieving more over the course of the year.

If you decide to work on monthly goals, then I recommend setting only a few at a time.

Even though your time horizon for each goal is only 30 days or so, it’s still important to list out the steps needed to achieve the goal, put due dates on each step, and incorporate them into your task list or your calendar.  For more details on this process, see my earlier post.

Whether you decide to set monthly goals or quarterly goals, let me know how it goes for you.

When I visit clients’ homes, I often find ugly metal file cabinets.  So ugly that they are kept in a closet.  Not only does it make it inconvenient to access the paper, but it also cuts down on closet space.

It’s time to come out of the closet with our file storage!

Luckily there are many places to purchase beautiful file cabinets that will fit into your decor.  My favorite is Home Decorator’s Collection.  I purchased two 3-drawer hand-painted Chinese-style file cabinets from them a few years ago (see photo).  They sit in my living room, and visitors are often surprised when I walk over and pull paper out of them because they are not what people envision when they think of file cabinets.

I suggested Home Decorator’s to a client recently, and when I arrived at her home a few days ago to continue organizing her paperwork, I was bowled over by the beautiful file cabinet she had ordered.  It fit perfectly into her bedroom decor.

While we are at it, what’s up with those ugly khaki file folders?   Doesn’t everyone know by now that file folders come in colors?   When I help clients order supplies, we order file folders in their favorite color.  Every time they open their file cabinets, they smile.  I’ve set up filing systems in red, orange, yellow,  purple, pink, turquoise, aqua, navy blue,  and in multiple colors for those who can’t choose.  Take a look at some of the options at Staples: http://snipurl.com/2122acu

So say goodbye to ugly metal file cabinets and ugly khaki folders.  Introduce some beauty into your file storage system.  I guarantee you’ll feel better about managing your papers when they’ve got a beautiful home to go to!

That word is “should”.

As we go through the piles of stuff that have cluttered their lives, I often hear such statements as “I should read that” or “I should answer that letter” or “I should take that back to the store”.   As soon as I hear the word “should”, I know that there is guilt or shame involved because this task has remained undone.

That puts a lot of stress on a person.

Here are some words that I suggest instead of “should”:

• “Want to”, as in “I want to read that”.  “Want to” implies enjoyment in, or satisfaction by, completing the task.
• “Must”, as in “I must answer that letter”.  “Must” implies that there is no choice in the matter  — such as replying to a letter from the IRS.
• “Will”, as in “I will take that back to the store”.  “Will” implies that a definitive decision to do it has been made.

Unlike “should”, these three alternatives imply commitment.  An important next step in all three cases is figuring out when it is going to happen, and putting it in your calendar.   Otherwise this undone task continues to cause stress.

If you find yourself saying “should” about something, ask yourself whether any of those three alternatives could be substituted.  If not, then assume that you will not do it, and let it go.

Let me teach you a few tips about mail that will make you want to rush over and tackle that pile right now!

Through Thick and Thin

Suppose you have an unopened piece of mail sitting on your desk, containing a one-page bill. One page isn’t very thick, is it?  But it’s folded in thirds, so it’s actually three times as thick as it needs to be.  And it’s in an envelope, which adds an extra two thicknesses, plus there’s a reply envelope, which is another two, for a total of seven.

That means this piece of unopened mail is at least seven times thicker than the one page you really need to pay attention to.  If there are any folded inserts, or a cover letter — also folded in thirds — you’re looking at 10 to 12 times thicker.

By opening your mail, recycling all the unwanted parts, and smoothing out the important pages so that they lay flat, you can reduce that pile of mail by 90%.

Barriers of Entry

Sealed envelopes are very intimidating.   That’s why one of the best organizing purchases you’ll ever make is a letter opener.

With a letter opener in your hand, you’ll feel empowered.  You will know that you are the master of your mail, and not vice versa.  Even if all you do every day is reach for your letter opener and slice open each of those secretive little envelopes, you’ll feel much better about tackling that mail when you have more time.

Don’t Touch My Junk

Many of my mail-phobic clients toss each day’s mail onto an ever-growing pile.  When we finally tackle it, at least one-third of it is obviously junk mail.

Don’t let the junk mail get into the pile!  As soon as you bring the mail into the house, pull out the junk and recycle it.

Carnac the Magnificent

Do you remember this gag that Johnny Carson used to do on The Tonight Show?  He portrayed a character called Carnac the Magnificent, who used to hold a sealed envelope up to his head and divine what it said inside.

I have worked with clients who said, “I don’t have to open that envelope.  I know what’s in it.”  Nevertheless, I insisted that we open it — and boy, were they surprised!  One client discovered an unexpected check that was on the verge of being uncashable because she had waited so long to open it.

Another client, an attorney, thought that an entire stack of envelopes were filing receipts from a firm that did work for him on behalf of his clients.  Once again, I insisted we open all of them, and to his great surprise, he discovered they were bills and that he was several months in arrears.  He got on the phone and settled the amount right away.

Unless you are Carnac the Magnificent, don’t think that you know what’s in your mail.  The only way to know for sure is to open it up.

.  .  .

Okay now, letter openers ready?  Go get ‘em!

We are lucky enough to have walk-in closets –  designed by California Closets before we bought the apartment  —  so it is actually possible to see everything that’s in there.  Therefore, I knew we had a few items that we could get rid of.

Frankly, I am amazed at how much stuff we are giving away!

Remember the carpet bag that Mary Poppins carried?  She was able to pull all sorts of incredible things out of it — including a wall mirror and floor lamp as tall as she was!   I think my entryway closet must be Mary Poppins’s closet.  How else to describe the piles of stuff that came out of there?

Here’s a high-level list of what we are disposing of:

• Coats and jackets
• Scarves and hats
• Hangers
• Shoes
• Umbrellas
• Shopping bags
• Gift bags, gift wrap, tissue paper
• Appliances
• Decor items
• Cooler

The closet still holds plenty of items in these categories.  But we had too much!  Too much to ever use in our lifetimes.  I’m sure there were things that I haven’t touched since we moved in here 10 years ago.

We also pulled out all the shoes and boots that live on the bottom of the closet, vacuumed and cleaned the floor, then put the shoes and boots back in a more rational fashion.  The shoes were so often cluttered in the middle of the floor that I began calling this our “trip-in closet”.

This is a closet that we all use several times a day, and I’m delighted that we can now more easily reach the things we really use and that there is now room for expansion.

Take some time to attack your most frequently used closet.  If it’s too much to do at once, divide it into sections (hanging items, shelves, floor) and do them at separate times.  Get the whole family involved.  You’ll be amazed at how much easier life will be when you’ve cleared away what you are no longer using.

Now, if you know where I can buy one of those Mary Poppins handbags, let me know.

Thus, the tale of the ballet flats.
Ever since ballet flats became popular a few years ago, I’ve wanted a pair.  This was completely unrealistic, as I’m a difficult fit for shoes, and I hate wearing shoes without socks, except for sandals.  Nevertheless, I dreamed of looking dainty in a pair of ballet flats.

MISTAKE NUMBER ONE:  Longing for something that does not match your lifestyle.

For you men out there who have no idea of what ballet flats are, here is a photo of a ballet flat.  As a matter of fact, this is a photo from the Easy Spirit website of the very ballet flats that I purchased over the summer.  (Isn’t it adorable?)  Easy Spirit is just a couple of blocks from my home, and as I passed the store, I saw a SALE sign in the window.   I happened to be in that rare state where I wasn’t expected anywhere, was not carrying anything,  and did not have my dog with me.  So I went in.

MISTAKE NUMBER TWO:  Allowing a SALE sign to lure you into a store that you had no intention of visiting.

I tried on different sale shoes, and the only ones that were comfortable were these adorable gold ballet flats.   Plus they were really soft.   My dream of wearing ballet flats glimmered before me, and I bought them.  (Did I mention that they were on sale?)

I made sure that they were returnable (yes, within 30 days) , so that I could break them in at home and then take them back if they didn’t feel good.   Within the first week, it became clear that these shoes were not as comfortable as they had seemed in the store.  Rather than accept that, I went to the drug store and bought some peds to see if that would help.

MISTAKE NUMBER THREE: Throwing good money after bad.

I continue to sporadically break them in, keeping the 30-day return limit in the back of my mind, but never feeling like I was ready to take them for a spin.  Even after the 30 days had elapsed (my bad), I didn’t wear them.  I was in complete denial.

MISTAKE NUMBER FOUR:  Getting stuck with an item simply because it’s too late to return it.

Finally, nearly two months after I bought them, I took them on their first voyage . . . and their last.  They didn’t get any more comfortable wearing them outdoors (and on the subway) than they did at home.  I vowed not to wear them again.

But what should I do with them now?  Donate them?  Sell them on eBay?  Sticking them up in the back of the closet and trying to forget about them was just not an option.  They had to GO!

The answer presented itself two days later when a younger, hipper friend visited us.  I suddenly remembered that she and I wore the same shoe size.  “Do you like ballet flats?” I asked.  She did.  She wore them for the rest of the evening, and I’m happy to say she took them home with her.

So the story had a happy ending – for both of us!  I got the offending shoes out of my life, and she got a brand new pair of shoes for nothing.

I have a feeling that a lot of the stuff cluttering up our homes got there because we bought something we thought we would like and then never took action when we realized that the purchase was a mistake.   The easiest way to avoid this is to not let things into our homes in the first place.

I hope you learned something from this cautionary tale.  I know I did.

• Keep potholders handy next to the stove
• Prevent keys from being misplaced
• Stow my coat on the back of my office door
• Store my handbag inside the closet
• Mount a shoe bag

In addition to hooks, Command™ products include picture hangers, cord organizers, and charging stations.   There’s even a new water-resistant line that can be hung in the shower, including shower caddies and soap dishes.

You can see all of the different Command™ products on their web site.   Be sure to watch the cool video!   You can buy them at the Container Store, your local hardware store, Amazon.com, and at many places on the web.

Before long, I’ll bet they’ll be among your favorite organizing products, too.

Keep It Handy

The most important factor in determining how you are going to keep your to-do list is:  which method will guarantee that you will always have your to-do list handy?

You want a method that allows you to capture tasks as they occur to you.  Suppose you run into a colleague or client, and make a commitment to find out an answer and get back to him or her.  If you don’t have your to-do list handy so that you can record that commitment right away, there is the risk that it will be forgotten.  We are all too busy to remember commitments made on the fly.

Keep It Real

Have you ever created a to-do list that is so long, you feel exhausted and defeated just looking at it?

Electronic to-do lists have the disadvantage that they can go on forever.  There’s no obstacle to adding task after task after task.   Paper to-do lists tend to be a bit more realistic because they are likely to contain the most current tasks, not every task you ever thought of over the last 6 months.

Using either method, you can keep your to-do list realistic by limiting it to the tasks that are most likely to be done in the next week.   I call that the “Now” list.  All other tasks should be kept on a “Later” list.  That enables you to focus on the short-term tasks, while still keeping track of the stuff that you want to do beyond this week.  You can transfer tasks from “Later” to “Now” as they increase in priority.

Take It Easy

Whichever method you use, make sure it’s one that you can easily maintain.  The most sophisticated task management program in the world is not going to help you if you have difficulty using it.

If you decide to go the electronic route, make sure that you are comfortable using your program.

The Bottom Line

It’s completely a matter of preference whether to use a paper to-do list or an electronic version.  As long as you keep in mind the guidelines above — as well as the ones I wrote about last time — you should be in good shape.

You’re probably wondering what I use.  For the last 20 years, I have been a Franklin Planner user.  So I’m in the paper universe and likely to remain there.   My little book contains my prioritized task list for each day, my calendar, and notes that I jot down throughout the day.

What method do you use, and how is it working for you?