Don’t Agonize, Just Organize!

Between busy schedules and lots of email messages that can clutter your inbox, we thought you might have missed some of our past articles. Here’s a year in review, plus some! Just click on a title below to read the article.

Choosing Your 2013 Calendar

How You Can Benefit From Virtual Organizing

What Would Be Possible if You Were More Organized?

FAQs for a P.O. and More FAQs for a P.O.

There’s an App for That!

Don’t Let Your Taxes Take You to Task

An Organized World of Resources- Paper Edition

Organizing for the New Year

Motivation from Time-Savers USA Clients

Using Time in the Car to Your Advantage

Is It Collecting Or Hoarding?

Saving Hassles with Creative Packing Tips

The Agony and Ecstasy of ADHD

The Agony and the Ecstasy of Neat Ideas

by Diane Hatcher/ Time-Savers Professional Organizing Services, Inc.

Last month we began a dialogue regarding how a professional organizer can assist you. We continue that conversation in this month’s issue.

Q. My whole house is a disaster. Where do I start?
A. The P.O. helps you with those decisions. Which area is interfering with your lifestyle the most? Is it the papers all over your kitchen, making it difficult to cook or eat? Are you embarrassed for guests or even your own children to see your house? If you can’t even walk into your clothes closet, then this may be the place to start.

Q. I am too embarrassed for a P.O. to see my home. I’d need to work on it myself first.
A. These are two different issues. First, P.O.s are the people who should see your home or office just as it is. We see situations like this all the time. You wouldn’t be embarrassed to ask a personal trainer to help you work out. You just don’t know which exercises will work most efficiently for you or you need more accountability. It’s the same here. We exist to get you past that situation and help you progress.

Secondly, if you wait to work on it first, it may never get done as that’s how it got like it is. You may get overwhelmed or not know where to start, then you’ll continue the cycle of feeling badly and getting nothing done. (It’s called procrastination).

Q. Do you just consult with me or do you work hands-on?
A. After a brief consultation, we work hands-on, along side you. Within a few hours, progress will be evident, whether it is on your desk, in your files, your closet, your kitchen, etc. We guide and coach you as you decide what things to keep, throw away, give away or move to a more appropriate area.

Q. But that’s part of my problem. I can’t decide what to do with anything.
A. That’s okay. We’re going to guide you through the decision-making  process and help you stay focused. By asking you a series of questions, we will get you to think past the point where you might normally set something down just anywhere. Through conversation with the P.O., the two of you will consciously make a decision about each item.

Q. How will I ever maintain what we accomplish?
A. That’s easier than you think. Several factors come in to play here.  First, you will be so pleased with the transformation around you, you will be motivated to maintain it. Second, you will feel a sense of satisfaction, some people describe it as control or peacefulness, which further serves to motivate you. Third, during the process, systems were established that are easy to use and access. Now all your items have a home, so you easily can put things back where they belong. Finally, during the process, your P.O. pointed out habits that need to change. One major habit is to always put things back after use.

Q. How much will this cost me?
A. More than a cleaning lady, less than a psychologist, often expected to do some of both. Professional organizers in the South Florida area charge anywhere from $50-$125 per hour. They are independent business owners. Compare the time you spend searching for lost and misplaced items, versus the time you’d save if you were organized. Multiply those unproductive hours by your hourly rate at work. This is a tangible way to calculate what disorganization may be costing you. If you take time to organize, you save time and money in the long run, like maintenance on a car. You will also find more free time for family and friends (or relaxation).

Q. How do I find a P.O.?
A. Search the yellow pages, the internet, ask your friends. Interview the organizer to make certain your personalities mesh as you will be working very closely with this person. Ask for references, insurance, licenses, experience, training, chamber memberships, etc. You will be on the road to one of the most fulfilling projects you have ever attempted.

Diane Hatcher, CPO® is a certified professional organizer and owns Time-Savers Professional Organizing Services, Inc. in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She can be reached at 954-252-7511 or diane@timesaversusa.com. Visit www.timesaversUSA.com for more information and to sign-up for a free monthly e-zine..

by Diane Hatcher/Time-Savers Professional Organizing Services, Inc.

FAQs, sound familiar? That’s computer talk for Frequently Asked Questions. In this column, we will address the most frequently asked questions that we get as Professional Organizers. This column will be a two-parter, concluding next month.

Q. What does a professional organizer do?
A. The official definition is that a P.O. provides ideas, information, structure, solutions and systems which could increase productivity, reduce stress, and lead to more control over time, space and activities. In other words, we help people get organized. Each person’s needs are individualized, but it mostly encompasses the areas of productivity, paper management, time management, and clutter control. That includes homes, offices, desks, and filing systems.

Q. Sounds like something everyone could use.
A. While it is true that anyone could learn to be more organized, some people do not desire help. Many people believe it is something they should be able to do on their own or with the help of a book. While the books are good, they only provide a “cookie-cutter” solution for each problem. Many people find it difficult to transfer the information from a book to their own situations.  Or they may not have time to read the books. With a P.O., solutions are customized for your needs in an efficient manner.

Q. Is this really a profession?
A. It is definitely a profession, growing daily exponentially. More than 3,000 organizers are members of NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers, which has been in existence for 26 years.

Q. Can you give me examples of what P.O.s do?
A.  Each P.O. offers a different variety of specialties. We may help people pack and unpack for moving, help decide the most appropriate places to put things in a new house or a closet that has been renovated, help teach how to de-clutter, help with downsizing to a smaller residence, organize garages, teach time management, work with ADD clients or chronically disorganized, design customized filing systems, organize business owners and their employees’ desks, provide seminars, offer gift certificates, write articles or books, do consulting, do phone coaching and some incorporate feng shui. There are actually 41 specialties listed by NAPO.

Q. No one could get me organized. Why do you think a professional can?
A. No one is hopeless. We can improve anyone’s organizational level. You will be instructed by a specialist who has studied the topic and understands organizing in a systematic manner.  A P.O. is not overwhelmed by your situation, as you may be. We know where to start and where to go next. We break projects into small segments, working on them methodically with you. As the job gets done, you learn organizing techniques in the process.

Q. Shouldn’t I be able to do this on my own?
A. For many people this is very difficult. It is like trying to change a tire on a car without having the proper knowledge or tools. You can try to wing it, but it will be stressful and frustrating. There is no substitute for being efficiently guided by someone who has specific knowledge in the field and can calmly guide you without judgment or criticism. Additionally, we keep you focused and on track, and provide motivation.

Next month we’ll conclude with more emotional questions, costs and locating an organizer.

Diane Hatcher is a certified professional organizer and owns Time-Savers Professional Organizing Services, Inc. in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She can be reached at 954-252-7511 or diane@timesaversusa.com. Sign up for a free monthly e-zine at www.timesaversUSA.com.

Keeping orderly records for tax-filing purposes is perhaps just as important as making sure you claim the appropriate tax credits, deductions or filing status.

Without the right paperwork, you could miss out on important money-saving benefits for the 2011 tax season such as tax benefits for businesses.

Diane Hatcher, Southeast Florida’s first Certified Professional Organizer® and member of The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) is offering tips to help sort, categorize and organize tax documents and thus end the stress of trying to find W-2s, medical and business receipts and online IRA contribution records.

Step 1: Designate a place for all your tax documents
Disorganized rooms, desks and filing drawers can be distracting plus lead to lost documents and wasted time looking for them. (The shoe box method is inadequate, and your accountant probably charges extra to sort it out for you).

Step 2: Sort, file, save
-For each potential tax record, ask yourself the following questions:
-Do I need to keep this? Yes, if it is tax related or a business deduction.
-If I need to keep it, where would its home be? A labeled file folder works well.

Step 3: Categorize your records for tax purposes
-Be sure to keep records and a separate file for papers you’ll need for your tax return. Don’t miss out on claiming expenses and deductions because you misplaced them or don’t have a copy of a key invoice.

-Sort your paid bills by subject, such as office expenses, home improvements, health expenses, donations, credit cards, investments, etc. (See Schedules A and C for a more complete list of allowed deductions that apply to you).

Step 4: Assemble your records for this year’s return
With your files in order, it’s much easier to gather what you need for your 2011 return – whether you are preparing the return yourself, or sending your documents to a tax preparer. Use the worksheet your preparer provides.

Step 5: Schedule time to stay organized for future tax seasons
The best way to get and stay organized is to schedule a regular time and day each month or one hour a week to sort through new documents and organize your record keeping. (Using prepared software such as Quicken or QuickBooks makes it even easier once you have it set up properly).

What is a professional organizer?
A professional organizer enhances the lives of clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring organizing skills. Professional organizers help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper, clutter and their systems for life. Hiring an
experienced professional organizer/productivity expert such as Diane Hatcher, CPO ®, can save you lots of time, stress and money.

Retention Guide
For the IRS description of what documents to keep and for how long, send a brief e-mail to Diane Hatcher, CPO® at diane@timesaversusa.com with “IRS Retention Guidelines” in the subject line.

For personal, professional assistance, contact Diane Hatcher, CPO® at 954-252-7511 or visit www.timesaversusa.com.

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