What Is Organizing?  Read all the books (and ezines) you want; defining these things is still ultimately up to you. Roseanne Barr said she considered her housewifely duties complete if the kids were still alive at the end of the day. Martha Stewart has different criteria. What is your criteria for an organized space?

Pick One Thing.  If it feels like everything is disorganized and it will take years to get organized, pinpoint one thing you can change now. Choose one simple but significant thing, such as training yourself to put your house keys near the door.

Quality Wins Over Quantity.  Go for quality rather than quantity. Find a pen your really like and buy two or three and keep them in a pencil jar on your desk. This will eliminate hunting through a drawer full of pens that don't work, are the wrong color or you just don't like but can't seem to get rid of. Having lots of something doesn't necessarily mean it's easier to find it when you need it.

Mindfulness.  Cultivate an attitude of valuing and attending to every aspect of a project. Too often we get excited about a new undertaking and then burn out or become resentful about finishing it. Each step has a beginning, middle and end.

You Deserve It.  Getting organized is a way of respecting and honoring yourself, being good to yourself. Tasks such as entering phone numbers into your address book instead of scribbling them on scraps of paper are favors you do yourself to make your life easier.

A Great Organizing Tool.  Keep Safe hanging file bags by Monaco. These clear plastic bags are attached to tops that fit the rails of your file cabinet. They're sealed on three sides and they snap shut at the top, so small items such as receipts can't escape into the bottom of the file drawer. Great for filing diskettes, photos or any non 8-1/2 by 11 inch items. Find out more at www.hangupbags.com/filebags.htm.

Take Care,
Claire