With the New Year looming, I thought now would be a good time to reflect on what you have learned this year about getting and staying organized. A great blog on this has been started at Real Simple’s web page.  Visit the link to add your own comments!

A friend shared the following quote with me. It rings true and contains a powerful awareness for how you choose to live your life.

Watch your thoughts: They become your words.
Watch your words: They become your actions.
Watch your actions: They become your habits.
Watch your habits: They become your character.
Watch your character: It becomes your destiny.

–Author Unknown

Question from Amy: Have you discovered some great stacking baskets or trays for storing several set of napkins and placements? Alternating pulling out the holiday and everyday sets, when stacked upon each other can leave a bit of a mess.

Harmony At Last Response: When I received this question, I too was going through my drawers, taking out all my holiday linens. I’ve found a great way to keep my drawers organized without having to spend a lot of money is to group all like napkins or placemats together and tie them like you would a present with some decorative ribbon or twine. Place them in your drawers by category, i.e. seasons or holiday. When you go to pull something out, the whole bundle comes together without messing up the entire drawer. Table runners can also be rolled and tied together to make for easy storage and eliminate wrinkles.

Another idea that can be used if you store your napkins and placemats on a shelf would be to use a rack or shelving case. The Container Store offers a great undershelf placemat rack for quick access and easy visibility.They also have a wide assortment of storage boxes for linens you may not use very often. They come with labels and can easily be stored in closets, shelves or drawers.

Want free organizing asistance from Harmony At Last? Ask your question today!

Julie Cubino, owner of Harmony At Last, was selected as a “Top-Idea Maven” by The Woman’s Advantage and will be featured in the 2009 Woman’s Advantage Calendar. The calendar will provide advice for women business owners from influential women leaders across the US and Canada.

Julie’s quote that will appear in this calendar is:

“Time management is more than scheduling. It’s freeing time so inspiration can flow.”

The calendar can be purchased online at The Woman’s Advantage website.

If you will be going out of town for the holidays, make a master packing list early.  If you will be flying, do not bother wrapping gifts.  They will be unwrapped at the airport.  It is best to mail presents ahead of time, so they will be there when you arrive.

Source: Associated Content (Margaret). (2007, September 15). Organizing Tips for the Holiday Season.Retrieved October 24, 2008 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/374074/organizing_tips_for_the_holiday_season.html

We’ve all been there… you are right in the middle of working on that project (due tomorrow) when something else lands on your desk or a coworker needs a hand.  So, is it better to stay focused on your project and push these things off until you are finished with the task at hand, or should you just take care of them? 

Time management is a tricky thing.  If you push off a whole bunch of small tasks they can create a quite large “to do” pile!  This is where the 5 minute rule can help.  Each time a task finds you ask yourself one simple question, ”will this take less then 5 minutes?”  If the answer is yes, don’t push it to the side (vowing that you will do it later).  Take the few minutes (or seconds) to clear the task so it is not lurking in your inbox or piled on your desk to be forgotten.  It may seem that this would distract from the project you are working on, but it actually clears your mind so that you can focus more clearly on the larger tasks. 

The 5 minute rule is useful at home also.  For instance, you get home after a long day of work, soccer games, and a quick grocery stop (because dinner isn’t going to just appear) and the first thing you do is kick off your shoes at the door and drop your keys on to the closest surface (where they will get knocked off by the dog and kicked under the sofa).  You are a busy person! Dinner has to be made, baths drawn, and bedtime stories read.  You are in a hurry, you will take care of it later.  However, if you took the 2 minutes needed to place your keys on a hook (or in your purse), and take your shoes up to your closet, think of the calm you would find (and time you would save) when you went to leave the next day and you didn’t have to spend an extra 10 minutes looking for you keys! 

So, even if its just for a day, try implementing the 5 minute rule.  I promise it will create calm amongst the chaos of your life.