Don’t Agonize, Just Organize!

This may seem like a strange subject for an organizing article.  Some readers may be thinking, “What’s the big deal?” while others are shuddering at the thought.

In my almost 12 years as a professional organizer I have become aware somewhat of a phenomenon, “fear of opening the mail.”

It’s more like an avoidance of opening the mail. Prior to seeing clients for all these years, not opening the mail daily had never even occurred to me. It was just something you do. But then I met client after client with a “mail issue.”

Attempting to get at the heart of it, the following reasons have been given:

• “I am afraid of what will be in it.”
• “I can’t stand receiving bills.”
• “I already know what’s in it.”
• “I got so far behind after I was ill that now it is too overwhelming.”
• “I don’t know what to keep or what to throw out so I keep it all.”
• “It’s just not important.”

Many of these people literally have bags or boxes of mail, sometimes 4-6 years old. That is a long time to be saving, gathering and not opening mail.

Fortified with me by their sides, the clients and I meticulously open and sort each piece of mail, beginning with the most recent envelopes. We sort by bills owed, items needing action, things to read, things to file, papers to toss out. The older the bill, the easier to toss as most likely we have already come across the most recent one and saved it.

What is your “attitude” toward mail? Why do you think some people don’t mind opening the mail, while others dread it?

If you are an avoider, my advice is to shift your thinking. Change the story in your head. Look at the mail as a treasure hunt. You never know what you’re going to get. Someone may be sending you money, a refund, a reimbursement, an adjustment or a gift. You never know, it is worth looking for. Or maybe you’ll receive an invitation to a wedding, a party or a great event. A long lost friend or relative could be trying to reach you. There are any number of happy occasions you may be receiving mail. One recent client of mine found over $4,000 in reimbursement checks in an hour!

Although I always hold out hope for something like that when I open the mail, there is another benefit. I get rid of paper in my house, off my counter, and I feel the completion of a task. Little completions daily feel good and tie up loose ends. My kitchen counter or desk area stays under control which enables concentration on other issues.

Whether you ignore, avoid, or open the mail, you ARE going to receive bills. You OWE people money. There are consequences for paying bills late, worse ones for not paying at all. You want to be a responsible adult, and you know that includes paying bills on time. You are in control of doing that, so why bring worse issues upon yourself? It all goes hand in hand.

Here are some tips to make the process simpler:

• Open the mail daily.
• If you can’t open mail daily due to illness, travel or just too busy, set a date to catch up (ex.-by Friday night, or by the end of the weekend.) Write it in your calendar so you don’t forget. Just don’t let it go more than a few days.
• Throw out all outside envelopes.
• No need to refold the contents and put them back in the envelope.
• No need to refold the contents at all. Lay it open flat so you can read it as needed.
• Have a designated place to work when opening the mail.
• Resist the urge to feel like you need to read everything before tossing. Letting mail accumulate practically assures it will NEVER be read anyway.
• If you do need to read mail, do so in a timely manner. Many items are time sensitive.
• Throw out all junk mail you did not request.
• Reduce the amount of junk mail. Go online to www.the-dma.org. Or write to the Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 282, Carmel, NY 10512. It will cost you $1.00 and may take up to 90 days, but you’ll see a big difference.

If you need more guidance, assistance, motivation or someone to help you catch up, stay focused, advise on what to keep and for how long, set up a bill paying system and general paper handling, just give Time-Savers Professional Organizing Services, Inc. a call at 954-252-7511 and schedule an appointment.

There needn’t be any negative consequences to opening the mail. So pull yourself up, get comfortable, and start opening. Soon, the new habit will feel good, and you will have resolved a major issue. You ARE in control of your mail!

Does your home or office look like a tornado just blew through?

Do you spend hours looking for something you know “is around here somewhere?”

Do you have paper piles all around your office, desk, floor or home?

Then you may have the characteristics referred to in the Professional Organizing industry as Chronic Disorganization (CD).  Although it is not a medical or psychological disorder, it can cause you real problems.  You may be shaking your head in agreement at this point, because you or someone you know may fit this description.

Chronically disorganized people can have adverse effects on their quality of life or those around them.  They are rarely prepared for meetings, appointments, paying bills on time, deadlines, finishing things they start, filing papers or any combination of these.  They may feel they have little control over their lives, as life tends to control them. (Visit www.nsgcd.org for a more comprehensive checklist of characteristics).

Is this the kind of pattern you want your children to learn from you? We all know “children live what they learn…” Your bad habits will be noticed and assimilated by your children. How are you going to get them to learn to clean up after themselves if they live with the disorganized clutter you’ve created all around them?

A person can be chronically disorganized at work but not at home, and vice versa.  Once one gets so backlogged with mail, paperwork, clutter or disorganization, he/she tends to avoid the situation even more.  This willingness to endure the clutter causes further stresses and frustrations due to the overwhelm generated by the thought of addressing (or avoiding) the issue.

Disciplining ones self to get organized can be as simple as taking the time to do so.  Ironically, this can be one of the most valuable uses of a CD’s time.  Instead they spend it compounding the problem.  In the “being busy,” they avoid attacking the situation head on.  While in their office, the avoidance is compounded by working around the piles, not realizing the stress they feel is due to the surrounding disorganization.  The vicious cycle continues until intervention is sought.

The good news is, getting organized does not have to be a painful process.  It is a matter of breaking old habits and establishing new ones.  We, as professional organizers and productivity consultants are available to guide you through the process.  We not only help clean up, we teach you the systems and solutions that save time and help you maintain the organization. 

Soon, a newfound sense of freedom and control is realized.  This rejuvenation then positively impacts other areas of one’s life.

The following tips can get you started:

• Commit to putting in a few hours at a time to get organized.
• Find an appropriate place (a home) for each item.
• Place papers and items in those homes when they are brought into the home or office.
• Set up systems that save time.
• Purge files, drawers and closets annually at a minimum.
• Make a daily To-Do list, the evening before.

Benefits of being organized at work include providing you with more time for customer service, increasing sales or to spend with employees at your business.  At home, there will be more time for enjoying family and leisure-time activities.

You can also try the Do-It-Yourself Method after reading our book, Don’t Agonize, Organize Your Office Now! It works for office and home and even covers issues such as packing for trips.

If you still find that too overwhelming, give us a call. We will come out to assist you, or if you are out of the Ft. Lauderdale area or money is an issue, we can set up phone coaching sessions to assist you. Suffer no longer, we CAN help you!

Think about simplifying your life.  Busy is great, but isn’t being organized worth the benefits?

Diane Hatcher, CPO®, the only Certified Professional Organizer® in South Florida, owns Time-Savers Professional Organizing Services and is the author of Don’t Agonize, Organize Your Office Now! She has been organizing paper and clutter in offices and homes since 1998. Contact her at (954) 252-7511 or at www.timesaversUSA.com.