Tips N Tricks

• "Like with like" is a phrase that we constantly use here at WY Enterprises when we are working to help a client get organized.
  
  Basically, like with like means just that - keep like items with like items. When you are sorting your belongings, which is the first step in any organizing project, keep like items together. Doing this makes the next step, purging, much easier because you see how many, and in what condition, of each type of item you have.
  
  For example, you can readily see how many blue pairs of socks you have and in what state each pair is currently in so that you can better make the decision about what needs, should be and can be purged.
   

• Feeling overwhelmed by a room in your home that is nothing but clutter? Some of us don't have the standard "junk drawer", but instead have "junk rooms". It's the room where everything that doesn't have a place seems to end up.
  
  Eventually, even these rooms become so cluttered that we can't think when we are in the room, or worse - we can't even get into the room itself!
  
  Don't panic. There are several keys to making the tasks of sorting, purging and organizing these rooms easy.
  
  First, create a realistic visual of what you want the room to be. Put your vision down on paper and don't be afraid to "go big" with your vision - just remember to keep it realistic.
  Second, break the room down into smaller pieces. Once the task of organizing a cluttered space is broken down into smaller pieces, the task becomes more manageable and easier to complete. Divide the room into sections and focus on one section at a time. Don't try to do too much at once. Keep it small but complete the section you are working on in one sitting if possible. Then stop for the day. Take a moment to give yourself credit for what you have accomplished and walk out of the room, returning only when you are ready and have the time to work on the next section.
  Before you know it your room will be transformed and your vision will have come to life!
   

• When setting goals, personal or professional, keep them simple and reachable - you'll have a better chance of reaching them that way. And don't forget to take time to celebrate when you have reached a goal, no matter how small or large. You've accomplished a goal - that is a big deal and worthy of a celebration.
   

• Work with your natural habits and tendencies.
  - Many organizers will create a plan for organization based upon what they have learned works, instead of creating a plan that takes your personality, habits and lifestyle into account. At WY Enterprises we build an organizing plan for you based on YOU. Using you as the guide, we build and implement plans that will ensure your future success and manageability for a lifetime.
  When planning your own organizing project, one step to keep in mind is to observe where your piles tend to accumulate and then create storage solutions there.
   

• To get more enjoyment out of your piles of photographs, try one of these tips:
  - Buy acid-free archival binders for your photos and have a few empty ones around all the time.
  - Put photos into binders immediately. Once they get in a drawer, they most likely won't come out again.
  - Make little notes about the occasion and the people for reminders in years to come. It makes for a much more interesting book when there's a story behind the picture.
  - Add making scrapbooks to the things you do with your kids on a rainy day. You'll all be laughing till the sun comes out again.
  - Buy photo books and fill them up for friends and relatives at gift time. With little added notes, it's a personal gift everyone will love.
   

• Keep a running list on or close to your refrigerator of items that you need to purchase at the grocery store on your next visit. Be sure to remember to take the list with you when you go to the store!
  An updated version of this tip is to keep your list on your computer and print it out when you make your next trip. OR, use an online grocery delivery service - you can keep your lists online and active, update as needed AND have the store deliver your order to your home for a small fee.
   

• If something has been lying around your house to be fixed for over a year, commit to repairing it within the next seven days - or let it go.
   
• Recycle your unused possessions. Instead of leaving your unused items in the back of your closet or stacked in your garage, have a yard sale or donate those items to charity. Not only will you be opening up space to create better organization for yourself, you'll feel good that your once dormant possessions are being loved and used by someone that wants and needs them.
   
• Think about the "why" behind getting organized. When we are organized, our home, offices, and schedules reflect and encourage who we are, what we want, and where we are going.
   
• Study your space (office, bedroom, kitchen, garage, etc.), identify what in that space works and ask yourself why it works. Your answers will help you design an organizing system that will appeal to your inner core. Once done, it will be easier for you to maintain an organizing system.
   
• A great organizing solution comes from Organizing guru Julie Morgenstern. Julie recommends using the S.P.A.C.E. formula for organizing:
       Sort - see what you have
       Purge - keep only what you use and love
       Assign - make a home for everything
       Containerize - separate and beautify
       Equalize - refine and maintain
   
• Organizing is not about getting rid of things. It's about identifying what is important to you and giving you easy access to it.
   

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