How to make your frantic times more manageable

Have you ever read any of Stephen Covey’s books? If so, you are familiar with his quadrants. Covey explains that there are 4 quadrants of operation:

1. Important and Urgent (crises, deadline-driven projects)
2. Important, Not Urgent (preparation, prevention, planning, relationships)
3. Urgent, Not Important (interruptions, many pressing matters)
4. Not Urgent, Not Important (trivia, time wasters)

Even the most organized person can be thrown for a loop in life and be forced to operate in the 1st quadrant. Things just explode and you are basically just surviving. But if your life is generally organized, than not only will you weather the storm with less fall out, but you will also recover more quickly.

Why not schedule a little time out of a 2nd quadrant day to do some organizing? Take a day that is less hectic then the rest and take a half hour to get some things in your life in order. If you do this on a regular basis, then 1st quadrant fall outs won’t be so stressful.



Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/

Organize that Garage!

It is spring and as it warms up, it is a great time to get that garage cleaned out! Always begin any organizing project with the process of elimination. The best way to eliminate clutter in your garage is to do small sections at a time. Pick either a corner or a shelf and work on that area only. Focusing on a smaller area is less overwhelming. Take everything out of that space and divide it into three piles: keep, throw away, or donate/sell. After everything is sorted, put the “keep” pile away in an organized manner. Do not put things away as you sort or you are likely to get sidetracked from your main focus. Immediately discard the “throw away” pile, and then either drop off donations or start the selling process of the remaining items. Stay focused until the space is entirely done.

Next, consider your storage space. Shelving is always a great option. Using clear plastic storage bins to hold categorized items, such as holiday decorations or camping equipment, is the way to go. With clear bins you can see what you have inside without having to pull the bin down and rummage through it. Make sure to label all bins with the general content of the category. Another option is ceiling space. There are ceiling hanging shelves for items infrequently used or there are hooks that hang from the ceiling and hold bikes or sporting equipment.

Finally, install your storage items and put everything away in a neat and categorized way. Now that everything has a home, keep it there. Enjoy your clean and usable space!


Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/