Priorities, Priorities, Priorities

At this point we should all have an agenda, a designated workbag/schoolbag and our closet organization should be underway. So, now it’s time to talk about priorities. Priority management is a useful tool to use when separating the personal and the professional life.

There are a few tips to priority management that just about anyone can master. Try incorporating a few into your everyday activities to see what works best for you. With a few small accommodations into your busy lives a little priority management will surely come in handy. 

First, use your agenda to manage your time. If you set aside one hour a week to “clean you room” than spend one full hour each week cleaning your room. If you are finished in 45 minutes then so be it, you’re finished. But, don’t take advantage of the extra 15 minutes. If you continually find yourself with 15 minutes to spare than recognize that you are rushing and there is likely room for improvement.






Balance. It is important to understand the concept of balance. One must be able to balance their personal world and their professional world without too much overlap. Your professional world will benefit from your attention. 


The same thing goes for your personal world. Friends and family will appreciate your engagement at social gatherings. But don't go out with friends and spend the entire night on your phone dealing with work (unless of course there's an emergency) and don't spend your workday catching up with friends (texting, Facebook, Twitter etc.). Each world will benefit from your commitment and dedication. 




Handle interruptions appropriately. If your work and professional world tend to overlap than you must be able to handle interruptions appropriately and efficiently. Though there is a time and place for overlap between the worlds, there is no time during work hours. It's simply unprofessional. 

The Infamous Closet

Oh, the infamous closet. Oftentimes closet organization stirs feelings of anxiety and countless hours of your valuable time. Or, faces like these…

                   

Closet organization can be a little time-consuming but, it’s one of those things that is instantly worthwhile. Having an organized closet will make your life so much easier.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, times a' wastin! 

Some people use closet organizers to help keep things tidy. This is completely a matter of preference. Some closets seem like they were made for an organizer whereas others shrink as soon as the organizer is installed. So in this area, I leave it up to you to decide if an organizer is the way to go. Personally, I have never used one as I take advantage of the top shelf and often use a shoe organizer below to maximize the space.

Some closet organizers are just perfect, love the baskets on top!

A tool I use to keep my closet in order is separate my clothing in terms of the occasion at which they would be worn. For instance, I keep all coats together, and then dresses/skirts, followed by professional wear and lastly casual wear. Each of these sections is then broke down into pants, tops and sweaters. And this is what I find works best for me. It also helps keep me on time when getting ready in the mornings because I don’t have to waste time looking for that one specific shirt.

Another helpful tip for keeping your closet immaculately organized is to recycle. Recycle what you may ask? Recycle your clothes. Every six to eight months, go through your closet and take out the pieces that you haven’t worn. If you aren’t ready to donate these clothes then pack them up for storage (i.e. under the bed). If you haven’t sought out these stored clothes after two more months, then it’s time to donate them. Your local Salvation Army, Goodwill or charity of your choosing will be happy to take these items off your hands. And chances are, you won’t even miss them.

I know it’s a little tricky to get up the nerve to start sorting through your closet and get a donation pile ready but it’s a necessary step toward getting, and staying, organized. At the start of a new year and then again mid-summer, take an afternoon or an evening to de-clutter your closet.  

Keeping your closet organized will help to keep you organized. 

Organization 101

If you’ve happened to stumble upon this page you are quite possibly a textbook “neat freak”, much like myself. Though others may frown on this trait, I am a strong believer that there is no such thing. I mean, how can anyone be too neat? Or arrange their stuff too precisely? I am a self-proclaimed “neat freak” and though I have not gone so far as to arrange my books alphabetically (according to height is much more efficient), I would consider myself to be a little anal-retentive when it comes to organization.

I have gone so far as to arrange my belongings and personal life in a manner that others may find restricting. However, being organized doesn’t mean that things will never get a little messy, or that things will always go according to your plan, because believe me, they don’t. Being organized just means that there is a method to the madness. And perhaps, some of the best organizational tools won’t work well for you, then try another one. Being organized is all about finding your stride and mastering techniques that work for you. This blog will guide you through some simplistic ways to add some organization to your professional and personal worlds.

Just the thought of getting to organize a blog to my specification gives me butterflies. Can you say, nerd? Don’t judge people. Plus if you happened to visit this page you’re either a fellow neat freak or a slob desperate for some organization. Just kidding. You may just be looking for some helpful hints when it comes to getting your personal and professional matters organized into a cohesive system. But, if you happen to be a closeted slob, than rest easy, you’ve come to the right place. 

Love this - looks so bright!