MineZone Wiki

Notes on Organizing From the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern

creating a system on your personality, needs, and goals

1. analyze
   1. Where you are?
   2. Where are you going?
   3. What's holding you back?
   4. Why it's important to get there?
2. strategize
   1. create a plan of action for the physical transformation of the space (including a realistic schedule for making it happen)
3. attack
   1. methodically dive into the clutter, sorting and arrangin the items to reflect the way you think, making sure you see visible dramatic results as you work

WHAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK

1. technical errors
   1. items have no home
      1. take the time to evaluate what you have and assign each item a single consistant home
   2. inconvenient storage
      1. rearrange storage to make it more convenient
   3. more stuff than storage space
      1. reduce the number of your possessions by getting rid of any excess items
      2. add storage units to accomodate your volume of belongings
      3. stretch storage by making better use of all that unused space between shelves, in extra deep drawers and cabinets, underhanging garments, and the vertical area on walls that's currently being wasted
   4. complex, confusing systems
      1. keep it simple, broad, and very visual
   5. out of sight, out of mind
      1. create a more reliable reminder system, usually in the form of a todo list or planner
   6. organizing is boring
      1. add a sense of personal style and flair
2. external realities
   1. unrealistic workload
      1. track time spent
         1. tasks as you do them and time to complete
         2. tasks you didn't get to and guess of how long they would have taken)
      2. delegate responsibility
      3. hire an outside service
   2. speed of life, technology
      1. apply the brakes from time to time, think before you jump and be willing to say "No" occasionally
         1. each new tool costs you time and money to maintain (let the need drive the purchase, not the other way around)
   3. in transition
      1. it may be best to wait until you have a clearer picture of your new priorities and needs before starting to organize, if you can tolerate the chaos a little longer
      2. or set up a temporary system that may change as you learn more about your new situation
   4. uncooperative partners
      1. confront the situation directly and try to motivate the person to cooperate with you by appealing to their own priorities, not yours
      2. take the time to show exactly how you want things done and explain the importance of adhering to your system
      3. be sure your system is easy to understand and simple to maintain
      4. get them to identify the cost of the clutter to themselves
   5. limited space
      1. signs of the limits of your space
         1. you have no excess items, you actually use everything you own
         2. you are very organized; everything has a home and you know where to find every item
         3. you have made the most of every inch of space by going vertical with bookshelves and cabinets, using furniture that stores, and using space savers and dividers to make the most of closets and drawers
3. psychological obstacles
   1. need for abundance
      1. organize what you have rather than trying to force yourself throw stuff out
      2. once organize, it may be easier to see what is excessive and part with it bit by bit
   2. conquestador of chaos
   3. fear of losing creativity
      1. design your system to be simple, fun, and visually appealing so it reflects your creative personality and fuels it
   4. need for distraction
      1. need to substitute a more head on approach for dealing with the larger more perplexing problems that you are evading
   5. dislike the space
      1. consider moving to another space more to your liking
      2. brighten the space by decorating and giving it some of your personality (artwork, photos, plants)
   6. sentimental attachment
      1. limiting the amount of memorabilia that you keep (create a treasure box out of a trunk or basket and fill it with selected items for periodic trips down memory lane)
   7. need for perfection
      1. commit at least six months to a system and then evaluate if it's working

ANALYZE

1. taking stock
   1. What's working?
      1. saves time and energy
      2. gives credit where credit is due
      3. learn what appeals to you and what you want to replicate
      4. study your environment for your natural habits and tendencies and see if you can work with rather than fight against them
   2. What's not working?
      1. list everything that's frustrating you
         1. I can never find _____.
         2. I have not place to put _____.
         3. There's no room for _____.
         4. I'm tired of _____.
         5. The cluter is stopping from from _____.
         6. I'm losing a lot of money on _____.
         7. The disorganization is making me feel _____.
         8. When people visit, I _____.
   3. What items are most essential to you?
      1. think in terms of your big picture goals
      2. stick a red dot on every object you handle, file you refer to, or knickknack that makes you feel good when you look at it
      3. keep a log of every item you look for in the month, but can't find
   4. Why do you want to get organized?
      1. post the resulting motivation sheet on the wall of the area you want to organize and refer to it when you need reminding and inspiration
   5. What's causing the problems?
      1. using the diagnostic tools in the "What's holding you back section" identify what issues are at the heart of your organizing challenge

STRATEGIZE (creating a plan of action)

1. the kindergarten model
   1. divided into activity zones
   2. easy to focus on one activity at a time
   3. everything you need for each activity is right there because items are stored at their point of use
   4. everything item a clear, well labelled home in a container that is the perfect shape and size to hold it
   5. offers a visual menu of everything that is important to the people who inhabit that space
   6. transformation
      1. define your zones
         1. create a chart with three columns: activity, supplies, storage unit
      2. map out the space
         1. draw a map and sketch out some idea for rearranging the room to create each activity zone (be sure to include what storage units will go in each zone)
         2. tape measure helpful to test for fit
         3. build zones around natural habits and preferences
         4. think of relationships between activities
         5. consider architectural configurations and restrictions of the room
      3. rearrange furniture
         1. consider temporarily boxing up some of piles
2. estimate the time
   1. most rooms take 1 to 1 1/2 days to complete (the average one person office takes 2-3 days)
   2. decide when you will work and establish a work schedule
   3. show your commitment by scheduling appointments, write them on your calendar, and honor them

ATTACK (S.P.A.C.E.)

1. Sort
   1. group similar items and see what you have
   2. handle ever item
      1. Do I use this?
      2. Do I love this?
   3. What category does it belong in?
   4. identify what is important to you (now)
   5. group similar items
   6. keep categories as broad as possible
   7. sorting secrets
      1. attach what's visible first
      2. quicksort for quick results (identify and categorize); keep a running list of unfinished todos, but don't do them
      3. avoid zigzag organizing (work one section at a time); create a "belongs elsewhere" box
2. Purge
   1. toss
      1. pick favorites and give the rest the boot
      2. think about the benefits of getting rid of the items
         1. space
         2. time
         3. money (cost of housing items)
   2. giveaway
   3. sell
   4. put elsewhere
   5. store
3. Assign a Home
   1. decide precisely where within each zone you're going to keep them
   2. give each item a single and consistant home
   3. match the size and number of items to the size of the storage unit
   4. don't mix categories within the storage unit
   5. make it easy to retrieve
4. Containerize
   1. helps limit how much you accumulate in any given category
   2. choose containers that you love, that are sturdy, manageable, and the correct size
   3. prepare a shopping list (measure before you go shopping)
   4. label
      1. white labels with bold black lettering
5. Equalize
   1. about two weeks after you finish, make an appointment to evaluate how your system is working
   2. reevalutate your program
   3. create a maintenance program
      1. daily cleanup
      2. periodic tuneups
         1. make adjustments
         2. purge elements not working
         3. keep it fun and engaging

See also:

• Book Notes -- my notes on lots of other books
• Getting Things Done -- my notes on "Getting Things Done"
• Julie Morgenstern Enterprises