Friday, May 21, 2010

Clearing out old electronics

Do you have an electronics cemetery in your house or garage? You know, the place where old electronics lay in rest while you ponder what to do with them? If this sounds familiar, Costco has a solution. Costco has a trade in program for electronics, gaming systems, cell phones, etc. In some cases, you can even get money for your trade ins!

Go to www.costco.com and click on electronics. Then go to “Trade in program” listed on the left menu column. It is very simple. Now you can clear that old electronic clutter, help the environment by practicing proper disposal AND possibly help your pocketbook. Win.win.win!



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/

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Setting realistic goals

Getting organized can feel overwhelming. Clients always tell me that they feel exhausted just thinking about the process. Quite frankly, any major project or life change will feel overwhelming if it is not broken down into realistic, attainable goals. So in order to get organized, break it down and get realistic.

For example, your organizational goal is to clear off your kitchen counter and keep it that way. Break it down and spend 15 minutes a day tackling one pile at a time. When your 15 minutes is up and one pile has been managed, congratulate yourself on a job well done and feel satisfied that you accomplished the goal for the day. Keep chipping away until the entire counter is cleared.

Next, set realistic goals. In some cases, it is highly improbable that your kitchen counter will stay cleared for long. Unless you live alone, your counter may have the tendency to be a catch-all location for all other residents. So set a goal that is realistic for everyone involved. Maybe put an inbox tray or basket on your counter and let everyone know that if papers must come in, they are to be put into the basket. This way, most of your counter gets to stay clean and you are not feeling like an organizational failure every time Junior plops his school papers back on your clean counter.

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/