After Hurricane Sandy

I hope everyone is ok after this devastating storm. 

If you haven't been able to communicate with family and friends, there is a Red Cross website where you can list yourself as safe and well.

https://safeandwell.communityos.org/zf/safe/add

We all think it can't happen here. I was a bit skeptical too. After all, NY usually doesn't have these severe natural disasters. Well, never say never!

Some were affected more than others. According to a friend on First Avenue, there was a river on her street from East River surges. Some of the the streets in Chelsea were flooded too as the Hudson River breached. With the subway system dark, no buses running and few cars on the road, NY was eerily quiet. Many trees were down and power lines were affected. Power was out in many neighborhoods. 

I was luckily not one of those whose power was cut off but I now advise all my clients to put together a Go Bag.  

https://www.nyredcross.org/?nd=be_ready_cross_ready

http://72hours.org/go_bag.html

Once storm repair is over, call me if you need help creating a Go Bag or Family Disaster Plan.

Be safe and be well!

End of Summer Organizing

“I’m fascinated by the mystery surrounding ‘getting organized.’ ”  ~ David Allen


End of summer last licks

I’m probably the only one you know who is happy to see the end of summer, and I’ve been using the last few days of this month to work on my own organization.

Yes, Organizers also need to organize. Clutter comes into our lives daily. I anticipate the brisk cool days of Fall when we can put away the summer gear and focus on our indoor spaces.

As we get ready to spend more time indoors, ask yourself: Is my home a soothing haven or a stressful mess? Which gets me thinking ... what does it actually mean to be truly organized? Organization is simply having what you need, when you need it. Too much stuff gets in the way of that; even too much of a good thing can be overwhelming.

Here are some ideas about organization:

Organization is not products
Often new clients ask me what to buy for the first session. They are surprised when I say nothing. Organizing products are great but most of the time, they end up as clutter because one has purchased something that looks great in the store but doesn’t function for our needs. Most of us already have all the stuff we need, or we can repurpose what we do have. It’s critical to sort and purge first; then determine the space, and only then think about what storage products to buy.

Disorganization is not deciding
Organizers say clutter is postponed decisions ...which is why it takes time to get organized. A room filled with stuff without a home might mean 5000 decisions. Should I keep it? Do I love it? Is it functional? Does it contribute to my life? How many do I have? How many do I need? Where should it live? What would happen if I give it up? Who do I give it to? Stuff seems to take over our time. Yet humans are collectors so we need to make good decisions.

Paper multiplication is a dilemma
Paper seems to multiply. If a room full objects is 5000 decisions, a box of paper can be 5000 decisions. That’s why it’s important to minimize paper. Convert to online bill paying. Contain necessary paper in an effective file system. Toss obsolete newspapers. Shred financial offers and get off the mailing lists. Minimize mail through one of the unsubscribe services. Make decisions a few minutes daily before you have that backlog which takes over your space.

Organization is having a place
You’ve heard the wise adage ... “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Where is the place your mail resides until you can read and process it? What about your current action papers? Do they have a home or are they scattered about? Your extra paper towels, office supplies, photos, shampoos, boxes of tea, sweaters ... Does every item have a proper place so you can find it when you need it? Or do you waste precious time looking, get stressed or spend money to buy items you know you already own, leading to more clutter?

What you keep adds meaning 
Figure out what adds meaning to your life and eliminate the rest. Here’s where an Organizer can help. We guide you to make the right decisions. We help you set up systems that work. We keep you accountable to the process until it gets done.

Freebies & Specials
Is there an end of summer organizing project you want to accomplish? Call for a Complimentary Phone Consultation to discuss your projects. Our rates go up in January. Take advantage of the last quarter of the year to get organized once and for all.

Have an organized day,
Anna

Clear Your Clutter; Change Your Life!

Anna Lieber, Professional Organizer Presents a Talk for Elders

Hamilton Senior Center

141 West 73rd Street

between Amsterdam & Columbus

Thursday, August 16, 2012

12:45 pm 

• Save time and money.

• Never lose keys or glasses again, or anything else.

• Reduce housework and cleaning.

• Organize bills and important papers.

• Clear your mind while you control the chaos.

Clear the way to a better life with easy tips and ideas from a Professional Organizer who helps her clients stay clutter free.

Be there for an exciting time and FREE prizes!

Living Large in Small Spaces

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”  ~ Socrates

Shoebox Living
Mayor Bloomberg is waiving current guidelines to create apartments in Kips Bay measuring 275-300 square feet. That’s half a subway car. I’m not sure people who work in cubicles all day want to live in one.

At 23, I moved from the East Village to what is now Soho. It was Little Italy then. No art galleries or shops. No markets or laundries. There was a bocce ball court at the end of my street.

My first apartment there was a shoebox: teeny-weeny tiny. Soon I charmed the landlord into giving me a bigger apartment with a sleeping loft and it’s own private entrance in an inner courtyard (very European). Still a studio but with four times the space, it seemed capacious.

Small vs. Big
We all want more space and more storage. But we live in New York – no attics, no basements, no barns, no garages, no sheds. No guest rooms, just sofabeds and no offices, just nooks. Storage is costly. What to do with all that stuff?

Keep or Toss?
Many of us have too much. It a problem of affluence. It’s especially true of Boomers and Seniors. Gen Xers and Millennials have a lot to teach us. They don’t save or collect. They shop carefully and say no often. They’re just not into consumption. Gen Y with fewer jobs and higher student loan debt, grew up wired, 100% computer savvy. They prize green living and simplicity over luxury and status.

“Millennials in particular seem to be embracing the concept of ‘traveling light’ as a way of life. Whether by necessity or choice, minimalism appears to be the new ‘chic’.”

http://millennialmarketing.com/2010/05/millennials-becoming-minimalists/

Small & Beautiful
I’m not advocating living in a teeny-tiny spaces or chucking everything but it’s interesting to see how some live in just 300 square-feet called home. How do they do it? Check out these YouTube videos for a glimpse of how a few creative people live large in small spaces. No clutter. Great ideas. Built ins and double duty furniture. Now, don’t we all feel abundant and spacious?

(If the links aren’t live, just paste the address into your browser)


Amazing NYC Apartment - Transformer Style..Storage in Disguise!

http://tinyurl.com/ce5w8us


Small Space, Big Style #02 (4/4)

http://tinyurl.com/7f2y58r


Amazing Unfolding Origami Apartment video - OffBeat Spaces

http://tinyurl.com/7lkdcf9


Ask About Redesign

We use your furnishings and rearrange the space for best layout, flow and function, customized to support your life. We reuse your accessories or add a few items to make the apartment beautiful. It's a cost-effective way to transform your space in one day. 

Freebies & Specials
Do you need more space and less clutter? Call for a Complimentary Phone Consultation to discuss your projects and find out about our Summer Specials.

Electronics Cemetary

“Whenever I go into a home or office, inevitably I find an electronics graveyard: obsolete or broken appliances, phones, computers,  televisions, even unopened software still in boxes. Face it. We’re all guilty of this.”  ~ Anna Lieber

Recycle
Recycle obsolete, broken, unwanted electronics at Best Buy. No matter where you bought it, you can drop off three items including TVs, DVD players, computer monitors, audio and video cables, cell phones, and more. No console TVs or large appliances. Go to this web address to check everything they accept and find locations.

http://tinyurl.com/7rc9csh

Release
Donate working items to your favorite charity, thrift shop or shelter. They often welcome your items even if obsolete. It may take some research and travel as most do not pick up small items but you’ll feel good that you’ve found a second life for these objects, a good home, and you are contributing to others. Selling on Craigslist and listing items on Freecycle sometimes works. Be prepared to wait, wait, wait. If you need the space now, better to release it quickly.

Rubbish
To some, this may sound appalling but as a last resort, trash it. If an item is broken, obsolete or useless to you, it may be to others, too. Do you want to trip over it, dust it and allow it take up valuable real estate? The trash doesn’t always mean the landfill. Some trash gets recycled as it is picked over for the gold: bottles to redeem, metals to scrap for cash, items to repair, and books to sell.

Reward
If you need help to declutter your home or office, or any space filled with hoards of items, contact me. I welcome your emails and calls. I offer a Complimentary Phone Consultation to discuss your project. When you refer a friend who schedules a four-hour session, you earn a Free Hour added to your next four-hour organizing session. I look forward to hearing from you.

Age-Activated ADHD

Sometimes we wonder where the day goes. We often lose focus in the middle of our work, especially when we are interrupted. Often, we interrupt ourselves going from task to task and room to room, without ever completing anything. I've been focusing on completion myself to get the many things I need to get done finished.

I've stopped to take a break to look at this very true but funny video. Let me know if you see yourself here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=6oHBG3ABUJU&vq=medium

Low-Hanging Fruit

Recently while helping a client organize her overflow of possessions for an imminent move, I said I would begin with the low-hanging fruit. She didn't understand what I meant so I thought I'd better explain.

The World English Dictionary online defines low-hanging fruit as:

1. the fruit that grows low on the tree and is therefore easy to reach

2. a course of action that can be undertaken quickly and easily as part of a wider range of changes or solutions to a problem

At wiseGeek.com another clue:  Low-hanging fruit is ... "usually more abundant and easier to harvest... which generally means selecting the easiest targets with the least amount of effort."

Low-hanging fruit is a term I borrowed from my marketing/sales background but it applies to organizing as well. Just as we may focus on the easy sales prospects first, it's a good way to begin any organizing job particularly for those with hoarding challenges.

I advise my clients to work on what's easy and obvious first. In a hoarder's home, there are often items in the path we can pick up and put elsewhere, trash to toss, expired food, bottles and cans to recycle quickly.

Often just starting with the low-hanging fruit will lighten the load and give you a great sense of accomplishment with little emotional angst. Let me know if it works for you.