Q: Why can’t I get organized? #@$&*%!

A: Trying to get organized often proves frustrating and makes you want to give up before you even get started. Rest easy, there’s a very promising solution!

Getting stuck in “Why can’t I get organized?” stops you from being all you can be physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and more.

Not only does it kill your motivation for organizing, it ruins your:

• Quality of life
• Energy and productivity levels
• Ability to be fully present
• Amount of space in your home and life for the things that really matter

In all likelihood, you already get the reasons why clutter and chaos are problematic. After all, you personally experience the consequences every single day.

But what about the reasons why you stay trapped there?

You Can’t Get Organized Because…

External Factors

1. You can’t break free from the daily grind.

   Whether you have one small organizing project to tackle or you want to organize your entire house, it’s hard to fit organizing into your busy life.

   Maybe you can squeeze it in somewhere between commuting, working, parenting, and cleaning? Ugh.

   Being perpetually trapped in the day-to-day could mean another year (or two, three, or more) passes you by – and still you are no closer to your organizing goals.

2. You are not prepared for common situations.

   There are some spots that need organizing regularly, like mail, toys, and clothes.

   I bet if I ask you to list off the clutter hot spots in your home or the ways in which you waste time, you could list them 1, 2, 3 – without much thought.

   You likely know the moments that make you disorganized, and if you let them, these moments will continue to steal away all your hopes of finally getting organized.

3. You have too many negative influencers.

   Negative influencers are anyone or anything that hinders your organizing progress, either intentionally or unintentionally. Think: spouse, kids, and pets.

   Despite your best efforts to get and stay organized, these guys just get in the way.

   Not understanding how to deal with negative influencers will have a punishing effect on your ability to get rid of clutter once and for all.

Internal Factors

4. You are not connected to your why-power.

   Just telling yourself that you want to get organized will not sustain you. Why?

   It shows that you are interested in enjoying the many positives that organizing affords, but you aren’t fully committed to doing what it takes to realize those positives in your own life.

   If getting organized – whether it’s your kitchen or your attic or your files – is not connected to your why-power (aka your deepest motivator), then you’ll easily fall off the get-organized wagon.

5. You don’t know what you don’t know.

   In order for getting organized to work for you, you need a complete organizing system, or know-how.

   Know-how generally consists of more than just tips like “to organize your books, do this” or “to tidy up your closet, do that.” These are what I call surface tips, since they tend to repair the surface of things, and often just for a short time.

   If you don’t have the know-how or don’t have access to the know-how, then getting organized can be an uphill climb.

Good News! Your “Why Can’t I Get Organized?” Problem Is Totally Fixable

Will you ever be able to get off the seemingly endless can’t-get-organized ride?

Yes, BUT…

Here’s the thing. There are not just five reasons why you can’t get organized – there are 26 total.

I don’t say that to cast doom and gloom on your situation, but simply to say that it’s important that you are familiar with all of the possibilities so that you can get the best results.

Plus, the good news is that all of the 26 potential clutterbugs can be easily exterminated…er, solved.

I’m sure you can appreciate that a deeper discussion is necessary to explain all 26 reasons why you can’t get organized – and their simple fix.

To join that discussion and get the answers you need, register for the Free Webinar: How to Declutter Your Life (Finally!), Even if You Feel Hopelessly Disorganized.

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Q: Please tell me how to stop procrastinating! And…maybe I’ll do it later. 😉

A: If you are a card-carrying member of #ProcrastinationNation, then discover the key to pushing past procrastination so that you can finally get stuff done.

When it comes to getting organized, simplifying, saving time, or any goal in life, getting started is half the battle.

If procrastination is what’s hindering you from taking those first steps, then you can fight back with the ol’ one-two power punch. Here are the CliffsNotes for how it’s done:

• ONE: Find out what motivates you to dig deep and to do the things you don’t like.
• TWO: Hit procrastination head-on with your motivator(s) as soon as it arrives.
• PUNCH! 1, 2, 3…procrastination is out for the count. And the crowd goes wild! You are a time-management champion.

Here’s How To Stop Procrastination Before It Even Starts

Our purpose here today is to help you discover your motivators (ONE). The other bits (TWO + PUNCH) are not easier or more difficult, but they don’t require any how-to – just action.

Keep in mind that I’ve applied the below motivators specifically to getting organized, simplifying life, and finding time. But you can relate these same motivators to other areas of your life where procrastination persists.

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #1: Enjoy More Free Time

  It’s well-established that if you simplify life, you save time.

  US News and World Report recently demonstrated that the average American spends one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items.

  1 year = 365 days = 8,760 hours = 525,600 minutes = 31,536,000 seconds

  Any way you put it, that’s a lot of free time you could have been enjoying if you hadn’t been procrastinating.

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #2: Save Or Have More Money

  Think about your biggest organizing problem. Let’s just say, for example, that it’s your home office.

  Assume that you’re losing $21 a week, or $3 a day, in personal resources – lost time, energy, productivity, sanity – because you don’t have effective (or any) home office organizing systems in place. It’s probably much more than $3 a day, but we’ll wager conservatively.

  Imagine you decide against decluttering your home office and continue down the same unorganized path for the next five years. You will lose over $5,400 of resources!

  Although that $5,400 is just a hypothetical figure, it puts procrastinating about your clutter in a whole new light.

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #3: Set The Tone For A Positive Life

  According to the book The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People by Dr. David Niven, it’s important to establish a schedule to take your tasks from to-do to to-done.

  Dr. Niven writes: “We often feel overwhelmed by the chores that have to be done on a regular basis. We clean the kitchen, then the living room needs to be vacuumed…and 16 other things need to be done. With a routine, you will not be lost in wondering what’s next.”

  Precisely how much will a household routine boost your level of happiness? 100 Simple Secrets explains: “In a study of families, regularity in household routines improved daily personal satisfaction by about 5%.”

  This may seem a small percentage, but when compounded over time, it will grow exponentially – only if you don’t procrastinate!

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #4: Shape Your Destiny

  Maybe for you, home organization is just about as fun as boot camp. But in this day in age, when life keeps getting crazier and crazier, you can’t afford not to be organized!

  Dr. Wayne Dyer once said, “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”

  If you know you have to get organized, you can choose to procrastinate, and your disorganization will just cause you more frustration. Or you can choose to get motivated, get organized, and truly know the freedom that comes with it.

  It’s always your choice.

• Stop-Procrastinating Motivator #5: Give Yourself Some Tough Love

  There can be some very undesirable consequences that accompany disorganization.

  • Can’t find your keys in the mornings = late for work
  • Forget a birthday = guilty feelings (you) and hurt feelings (birthday boy or girl)
  • Neglect to declutter the house = embarrassing mess to explain away
  • Pack a suitcase without a purpose = too many socks and too few unmentionables
  • Pay a bill after it’s due = excess late fees
  • Overlook expired car registration = traffic ticket and possible fines

  These are all results for which you (normally) have no one else to blame but yourself. Channel that “Doh! How did this happen?!” feeling you get during these lousy circumstances to attack procrastination once and for all.

It’s time to get organized, simplify life, and save time – and stop letting procrastination force you into situations where you wish that you had made these goals a priority. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Q: There are so many time management tips, apps, and tools. Where do I start? How can I uncomplicate time management?

A: The answer is simpler than you think. Better yet, the effects are immediate. Even better still, it will take your time management and productivity to new heights.

When it comes to time management and getting things done, would you say that you are:

• Rarely productive?
• Sometimes productive? Or
• Always productive?

Now, here is the cold, hard truth about your answer, no matter which it may be: You can be BETTER.

But how?

In today’s hectic world, demands on your time fly about you like mosquitoes on a hot Southern summer night. It’s too bad that there’s not a to-do-repellent, bottled up and ready for purchase at your nearest Container Store!

But while there may not be a “protective spray” for busyness, there is a solution – and it’s simpler than you think.

Better yet, the effects are immediate.

Even better still, it is a rinse-and-repeat system that will take your time management and productivity to new heights. I promise!

The Biggest Time Management Mistake You Are Making Right Now

In life, there are those individuals who are goal-setters and those who are goal-getters.

A goal-setter is someone who likes the idea of setting goals, but doesn’t put the necessary actions behind them. On the other hand, a goal-getter doesn’t just set and believe in goals, but also has the follow-through to achieve them.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey described the secret of goal-getters in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “The key is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

Aha! Much of what comes into your day – emails, text messages, phone calls, meetings, snail mail, conversations, interruptions – they are all just vehicles for other people’s priorities in your life.

If you always schedule in “all that stuff” first, then there will always be little to no room for your own values, priorities, goals, and dreams.

This is the very reason why you should:

• Trust your priorities to help you make decisions about how to use your time wisely,
• Infuse your priorities into your daily routines so that you focus on what’s important, and
• Stick to your priorities, no matter what.

Sounds good, right? Yeah, but it’s often really hard to do.

That’s why time management and productivity are such hot topics. It can be challenging to say “no,” which is what sticking to your priorities makes you do – a lot.

How To Manage Time Like A Highly Productive Person

So let’s set you up for success by making time management easier for you. Here are three guidelines to becoming a goal-getter who is the envy of everyone around you:

1. Deep down, you are driven by a set of core values and principles like faith, family, or independence.

   From the get-go, decide what these values are.

   They will set the tone for your goal-getting success.

2. Brainstorm the wish list of objectives that you would like to accomplish, either in the short-term or long-term.

   Then, break this wish list down into manageable projects and tasks.

   What is a good measuring stick for manageable? Take your original list and cut it in half – most people overestimate what is realistic.

3. Calendar out the projects and tasks in order of importance and also set a date for project completion.

   Don’t skip that last part!

   Setting deadlines is a proven productivity tactic to keep you moving toward your ultimate goal(s).

Next: Rinse and repeat! The more you use this three-step time management system, the more you declutter your time and fine tune your schedule.

The bottom line is that your priorities act as your internal compass, helping you to stay focused, make clear decisions, and feel balanced and fulfilled. A highly productive person uses his or her values to guide every step, including how and where to spend time.

The One Time Management Tip To Always Remember If You Want To Save (Lots Of) Time

When organizing your time, act as the gatekeeper. Before putting anything on your schedule, ask if it will support your values and priorities fully, partially, or not at all.

• If the answer is “fully,” then you’ve got a green light to add it to your calendar.
• If the answer is “partially,” then it’s a yellow light, and you should only add it to your calendar after thoughtful consideration.
• If the answer is “not at all,” then it’s a red light, and you should not let it near your calendar.

While there will be surprises and unavoidable hiccups here and there – that’s life – stick to your priorities as much as possible.

If you truly want to start finding more time in your life for the things that really matter, download The FREE Ultimate Productivity Planner™, and save 90 minutes (or more) every day simply by using this 3-minute trick…even if you think time management is a myth.

Q: I feel so overwhelmed! Is there an “easy button” for simplifying life?

A: Here’s the (only real) secret to simplifying life. It’s free, and it always works, but…there’s a catch.

The trick to simplifying life is choosing simplicity (repeatedly, deliberately, willingly), not chancing it.

That sounds so poetic, right?

Well, poetry doesn’t help you do laundry, or you know, make your life easier in any way.

That’s the rub. This trick, while grounded in simplicity, is not…well, so simple.

In fact, 71% of people agree that their quality of life would improve immensely if “things” were more organized and simplified, but they struggle with making this a reality.

So you are not alone if simplifying life seems out of reach – and not just a little, but like go-go-gadget out of reach. As you look around your home and life, you…

• Can’t imagine anything really changing.
• Are resigned to the fact that clutter and chaos are here to stay.
• Feel like an utter #SimplifyFail.

Not so fast, my friend! I’m here to demystify the simplify-life process.

If you would like to start choosing simplicity, instead of chancing it, then take the FREE 3-Day Simplify-Your-Life Challenge™. You’ll get more organized, find more time, and enjoy more simplicity in your life…in just 3 days!

Q: Is there a professional organizer near me?

A: Yes, thank goodness, there is a pro organizer near you! Even better still, for help getting organized, you don’t even have to get out of your PJs.

If you are thinking that it’s all too good to be true, then I’m about to make you happy dance because…

You can ask me anything about organizing your home, life, and time – for free!

I solemnly pinky-swear promise that I’ll do my very best to answer each and every question in upcoming blog posts, videos, podcasts, webinars, and more.

Plus:

When your answer’s in, you’ll be notified via email so that you can get quick access to the information you need.

To ask your question, you can either submit it by talking to me or writing to me.

So ask away! Help getting organized, simplifying life, and saving time is just a mouse click away.

x,

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

P.S. Did you know that 71% of people agree that their quality of life would improve immensely if they were better organized? If that resonates, then let me be the professional organizer near you – ask your question about organizing your home, life, and time today!

P.P.S. Remember, it’s absolutely free for you to participate! ♥

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Hi there, I’m Carmen Coker, professional organizer and creator of The Clutter Cleanse®, and let me ask you…how many times have you bailed on getting organized because you felt unmotivated to keep going, or even get started?

There is more to organizing and decluttering than sorting and storing. In fact, your lifestyle choices heavily influence how engaged you feel during the organizing process and, as such, heavily influence your organizing results as well.

Here are five science-based solutions that will boost your motivation to reach your get-organized goals.

Number One: Get restful sleep.

And that doesn’t mean sleeping in front of the TV or with your cell phone, but sleeping like your dog sleeps – soundly, deeply, and for a good while.

Too little sleep hinders your productivity and focus, amongst other serious health consequences. [Source: Sleep Foundation]

Make sure you go to bed early enough, tonight, to get the right amount of sleep you need for organizing, tomorrow.

Number Two: Wear bright colors.

Warm colors like red and orange stimulate your mind. One British study found that, when evenly-matched Olympic athletes competed, those in red won significantly more. [Source: Health Magazine]

Wearing these colors will supercharge your energy levels to achieve more while organizing.

Number Three: Fuel your body properly.

Evidence points to the fact that your diet impacts your brain chemistry, which in turn, impacts your personal energy and mood. [Source: WebMD]

Drinking lots of water as well as eating fresh fruits, leafy greens, and lean meats – instead of all the fatty, greasy, and sugary options available – are all smart choices to fuel your body for high-performance and organizing success.

Number Four: Turn up the music.

Music energizes you. OK, well, maybe not the pots and pans kinda music, but clinical music therapy uses music to connect people to movement and motivation. [Source: American Music Therapy Association]

By turning up your favorite tunes, your energy, intensity, and big decluttering results are sure to follow.

Number Five: Have a positive attitude.

Human beings have a strong mind-body connection, and because of this, the psychological benefits of attitude often manifest into physical benefits. [Source: Mayo Clinic]

Using positive self-talk like “I can get organized” is a must-have resource in your organizing toolkit.

There you have it: Five get-organized power tips. To learn more about how you can declutter your life finally, even if you feel like it’s a hopeless cause, then follow the arrow [to http://www.carmencoker.com/free-get-organized-webinar] to register for my free webinar.

This is Carmen Coker, signing off, we’ll see you next time.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Hi there, I’m Carmen Coker, professional organizer and creator of The Clutter Cleanse®, and I’m here to talk about making lists that work.

Generally speaking, a list is a good thing because when you write a list, it helps you focus. When you follow a list, it keeps you on track and moving toward list completion. And when you cross off list items, you feel productive.

On the one hand, making to-do lists works for many people, and there are a lot of people – not just Santa Claus – who love and believe in the power of listmaking.

On the other hand, despite proven results and positive qualities, lists don’t always work for everyone, every time because when you have to make a list, it means you have lots to accomplish. When you have lots to accomplish, you suddenly don’t want to do anything but sit on your couch, watch TV, and eat ice cream. Am I right or am I right?

In other words, making a list is making you procrastinate. At this point, you’d rather be doing anything than what’s on your list. You’ve entered into a mind game between your lazy self and your productive self, and your lazy self is winning.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to fight back by creating a NOT-To-Do List to help you get organized.

The Not-To-Do List is exactly as the name implies – a list of things you do not want to do.

For example, the Not-To-Do List for Housekeeping, which would be something like: throw shoes by the front door, let mail pile up on the kitchen counter, and forget to file bills at the end of the month. These things create clutter in your home, so you do not want to do them.

Another example would be the Not-To-Do List for Time Management. Some items that might be on this list include: hit the snooze button on the alarm more than once, check email first thing in the morning, and turn on the TV while getting ready for work. These things make you lose time, so again, you do not want to do them.

You see, the Not-To-Do List is a technique that leverages reverse psychology. Plus, you’re giving your lazy self permission to be lazy while, at the same time, giving your productive self permission to get things done.

Now, that’s not just a win-win. That’s a #WinWin.

That’s why, your Easy Organizing Challenge™ is to create your first Not-To-Do List and use it for three days. See if the psychology behind it works better for you than a normal to-do list, and then go from there.

If you want bigger and better time-management results, then follow the arrow [see below link] to download The Ultimate Productivity Planner™. It’s free, and it will help you save 90 minutes or more every day even if you think time management is a myth.

This is Carmen Coker, signing off, we’ll see you next time.

© 2007 – 2016 | Carmen Coker International | All Rights Reserved

Carmen Coker is a former US Air Force officer turned professional organizer. Thousands of busy people have benefited from her expertise featured by CBS, NBC, The Washington Post, and Real Simple magazine – now it’s your turn! Download The FREE Ultimate Productivity Planner™, and save 90 minutes (or more) every day simply by using this 3-minute trick…even if you think time management is a myth.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Hi there, I’m Carmen Coker, professional organizer and creator of The Clutter Cleanse®, and let me ask you…

How long have you been telling yourself that you need to get more organized? Honestly. A month? A year? A decade? A lifetime?

No matter how long you have been tolerating clutter in your home and life, you will likely agree on three things:

One, nothing good comes from clutter – only chaos, stress, frustration, loss, pain, wastefulness, hassles, and ineffectiveness.

Two, any amount of time is too long to struggle with clutter and the ill-effects it has on your time, space, mind, energy, money, and more.

Three, you can get started today, removing clutter and making space for the more important things in your life.

If you are like most, acknowledging these three factors is the easy part, but acting upon them, especially the last one – getting started today – is the hard part.

You may explain away your inaction with reasons like: I don’t have the time to get organized. I don’t have the money either. It’s too hard. I’m too overwhelmed. I’ve gotten by so far, so what’s the point? I’m not sure where or how to get started.

No matter the reasoning, the reality won’t change. Your reality won’t change. Tomorrow, you will either be one day closer to your organizing goals and the home and life you desire, or one day further away from these goals.

The question is: What will your tomorrow reveal about your today?

It’s time to face the stories you are telling yourself about getting organized and set your excuses aside. Here are 10 easy ways to help you get more organized today – in 15 minutes or less – and anyone, absolutely anyone, can do them.

Pick one chore that you’ve been doing but that could be done by another person, like a spouse, older child, or assistant – then delegate it permanently. Doing so will free up some “me” time or some time to get organized.

Consolidate half-full bottles of cleaning or laundry supplies. Doing this will make extra space in your cabinets and on your shelves.

Create a project to-do list for something that you’ve been procrastinating about. Doing so will make you feel as if you are getting things done, and boy – isn’t that a good feeling?

Go through your kitchen fridge and freezer and toss any expired food, beverages, or condiments. Doing this will inspire you to restock with some big-energy foods that will help you be super-productive. Plus, it’s a great chore for your kids – taking us back to the delegating bit.

Open your mail that’s been piling up, recycle or shred what isn’t needed, and file the rest away. Doing this will help you finally get rid of that nagging task that has to get done anyway.

Remove three pieces of clothing from your closet that bore you or no longer fit, and donate them. Doing so will help tidy up your closet – and help those in need at the same time.

Clean out your purse or briefcase or backpack, making it more orderly. Doing this will get rid of clutter you don’t need and make your day lighter, literally and figuratively.

Choose a recipe that you’ve never tried before and plan a healthy, home-cooked meal for this week. By the way, doing this – taking care of yourself and making sure you’re healthy – is the foundation of finding life balance.

Start writing your Christmas cards early, before the season catches you off guard. Now, I can feel some of you groaning as we speak. You’re saying: “The holidays are weeks away!” But not only will doing this get you ahead of the game, it will make your friends and family insanely jealous that you have got it so together.

Schedule an appointment you’ve been putting off, like one with your hairdresser or barber, auto shop, doctor. Doing so will help you feel like you are finally getting back on track.

Pick one to do today, or do them all over the course of the next week. Either way, you will feel more energized and organized.

So we circle back to this: What will your tomorrow reveal about your today? Make it count.

Are you ready to kickstart your efforts? Then follow the arrow [see below link] to take The 3-Day Simplify-Your-Life Challenge™. It’s free, and it will put you on the right path!

This is Carmen Coker, signing off, we’ll see you next time.

© 2007 – 2016 | Carmen Coker International | All Rights Reserved

Carmen Coker is a former US Air Force officer turned professional organizer. Thousands of busy people have benefited from her expertise featured by CBS, NBC, The Washington Post, and Real Simple magazine – now it’s your turn! Take the FREE 3-Day Simplify-Your-Life Challenge™, and get more organized, find more time, and enjoy more simplicity in your life…in just 3 days!

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

Hi there, I’m Carmen Coker, professional organizer and creator of The Clutter Cleanse®. Let me ask you…

Have you ever been at home, and yet thinking of something that needs to be done at work? Or the opposite – been at work, and yet thinking of something that needs to be done at home?

No matter if you try to separate them, your personal life and work life are intrinsically linked. That is to say, the parts and pieces of your life integrate less like this [straight rope line], and more like this [woven rope line].

So if you feel unbalanced personally, then that feeling can bleed into your work life and leave you feeling unbalanced professionally, or vice versa. That’s why it’s important to think of work-life balance in a holistic way.

With that in mind, work-life balance, in reality, can’t be separated into two distinct sides, where you are trying desperately to give equal attention and weight to both. It’s more like work-life harmony, where work and life have a symbiotic relationship.

Balance, harmony, integration – we’re getting into semantics here. Call it what you will, and there will be people who argue with you anyway, huh?

For our purposes here, I’m going to stick with work-life balance because, as it’s used in modern society, most people understand what I’m getting at.

More importantly, the question is not, what’s the right word to use or is work-life balance achievable, but rather…how can you stop being pulled in a million different directions? How can you stop experiencing guilt because you “should” be doing this or you “should” be doing that? How can you feel more well-rounded, fulfilled, happier? How can you experience more of these positives?

Well, here’s your starting point. When you are feeling unbalanced, in order to find relief, you must become aware of your clutter.

Now, you may be thinking: “I know where my clutter is! I trip over it every morning on the way to the closet.”

But that’s just the problem! We tend to think of clutter as “stuff” in our space: piles of paper on the desk, stacks of mail on the kitchen counter, and heaps of toys on the rug.

While this is true, there are other types of clutter that can creep into your life.

For example: Do you over-commit to people, organizations, or causes? Then you have something that clutters your schedule.

Do you have someone in your life that bleeds your energy and patience, so much so that the very mention of their name causes you great stress? Then you have something, or someone in this case, that clutters your spirit.

Do you look for a distraction, like a TV show or Facebook or a video game, whenever you know you have work to be done? Then you have something that clutters your habit patterns.

You see, clutter can permeate more than just your surroundings; clutter can permeate all or parts of you. And in the same respect, organizing is more than managing your belongings. Organizing is managing you – all parts of you – so that you feel balanced and fulfilled.

So the next time you seem discombobulated…stressed…overwhelmed…chaotic…unbalanced…then your Easy Organizing Challenge™ is this:

Examine the areas of your life – both at home and at work – that need to be decluttered. Remember: It’s not just about your space. Doing this will ultimately help you pinpoint the source, or sources, of the problem so that you can find relief fast.

If you want help accomplishing this Easy Organizing Challenge™, then let me turn your attention to a challenge of another kind. To start creating more work-life balance for yourself, follow the arrow [see below link] to take The 3-Day Simplify-Your-Life Challenge™. It’s free, and it will put you on the right path!

This is Carmen Coker, signing off, we’ll see you next time.

© 2007 – 2016 | Carmen Coker International | All Rights Reserved

Carmen Coker is a former US Air Force officer turned professional organizer. Thousands of busy people have benefited from her expertise featured by CBS, NBC, The Washington Post, and Real Simple magazine – now it’s your turn! Take the FREE 3-Day Simplify-Your-Life Challenge™, and get more organized, find more time, and enjoy more simplicity in your life…in just 3 days!

You can be an encouragement to others – share this on Facebook or share this on Twitter with your family and friends!

Piles, piles, and more piles! If this conjures thoughts of your home office, then here are three ways to get rid of office clutter – fast.

1. Pull double-duty.

Books are one of the biggest space hogs in any home office. Placing risers along the back of shelves, and then situating books on top of and in front of, with a little space in between rows, can easily double the storage capacity of a bookshelf.

Done-For-You Quick Clutter Solution: Drawer Organizer, flipped upside-down.

DIY Quick Clutter Solution: Find and cover a long box (such as one for waxed paper, plastic wrap, or foil) with acid-free paper. Leave the empty roll inside of the box for extra support.

Hint: For best effect, measure the length, width, and height of each shelf before you decide upon, buy, or make your shelf risers.

2. Find a quick hide-away.

Getting cords, cables, and wires under control can almost single-handedly transform the look of any office space. The fastest way to achieve this feat is by strategically (not lazily) hiding power strips and excess cords from view.

Done-For-You Quick Clutter Solution: CableBox.

DIY Quick Clutter Solution: Find a lidded, solid-colored container with similar dimensions to the CableBox. Using the CableBox as a model, cut holes where appropriate to guide the cords and cables.

Hint: For best look, tie together the cords extending outside of the cable management box with zip, twist, or Velcro ties.

3. Focus on the underutilized.

Not making use of vertical space like walls and doors is one of the top office organizing mistakes most people make. When used appropriately (and eye-pleasingly), vertical space can store office supplies, corral papers, and create more room to work and play.

Done-For-You Quick Clutter Solution: Magnetic Bulletboard, with Mini Bulldog Clips and Magnetic Spice Tins.

DIY Quick Clutter Solution: Find a large hanging frame that matches your office decor. Hang it, mark the opening, then remove. Cover the marked opening with magnetic paint, and rehang the frame.

Hint: For best use, display only things that inspire and motivate you, that you need to use or see often, or that keep you focused.

How’d you like to finally have the organized office you’ve longed for – in 24 hours or less? Join the Totally Organized Office™ Bootcamp by clicking here!