The Five Boxes Organizing Technique

The CELEBRATION news"E"letter

Number 12, May 2000

by Laura M. Stack, MBA

Published by Celebration Presentations

…your Personal and Professional Development Resource

The CELEBRATION news"E"letter is a monthly electronic newsletter distributed to our clients, human resource personnel, and colleagues. Celebration Presentations works with organizations that want more productive people and individuals who want to lead more fulfilling lives. Our programs provide the personal productivity, communication, and professional development skills needed to improve performance on the job and create organizational growth.

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Life is full and happy! Baby Johnny is in daycare full time now and doing VERY well. My husband’s (John) mom Eileen retired and moved out here from Pittsburgh. She is a godsend, working for me part time in my business and helping out around the house, allowing me more time with the kids and John. I’m not traveling more than a few days a month right now. Practicing what I preach about work and family balance is always a challenge, but one that I take seriously! My 31^st birthday is June 2, so I’ll be doing my annual goal setting and life review session. I highly recommend you take time each year to reflect, plan, make adjustments, get feedback, and set goals!

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IN THIS ISSUE:

* Article: "The Five Boxes Organizing Technique"

* Time Tips and Traps

* Words of Wisdom

* Featured Program: "Turn Your Piles Into Smiles"

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ARTICLE: "The Five Boxes Organizing Technique"

Wish you could find more time in the day? Feel so overwhelmed that you don’t think you even have time to stop and organize? You’re not alone. Consider these studies:

More than 60 percent of American families would like to eat breakfast together more often, according to a survey by Roper Starch Worldwide. Only 11 percent eat breakfast together daily.
In a Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey, 59 percent of Americans describe their lives as busy.
40 percent of Americans don’t feel they have enough time to make calls for the information they need, according to Bellcore.

Disorganization is a huge timewaster for many people. Daniel Rubenstein, an organizational consultant, estimates it takes the average professional 36 minutes a day to find things in the office. Multiply that by a person’s hourly salary, and an organization can spend thousands of dollars a year on disorganization.

Summer is practically here, and soon kids will be on summer vacation. Before things get hectic, take an opportunity to step back and evaluate where you can organize your life. Kitchen? Basement? Attic? Bedroom? It takes time to make time!

Try to tackle a single one-hour organizing project each weekend. Don’t attempt a huge task, such as the entire bedroom. Break the project down into manageable bite-sized chunks. For example, you could organize the top of the closet one weekend, your clothes another, your dresser another, under the bed next, etc. Schedule a one-hour declutter assault on your calendar every weekend so you don’t procrastinate or schedule over it.

When it’s time to begin your organizing task, don’t simply take everything out of the area, throw it on the floor, and try to put it away one piece at a time. You will run out of time and steam and shove everything back in again, only to be more disorganized than before. To avoid having an area that’s "half" organized, follow this simple technique.

The fixes boxes method helps you systematically declutter an area (drawer, shelf, cabinet, closet, box, room). Get five sturdy boxes. Label them:

Put Away—items that are out of place and should be put away
Give Away—items that are in good repair that you no longer want, need, or use. Give to charity, sell, or swap items
Store—items that are going to be used again in a reasonable amount of time, but you don’t use on a regular basis
Toss—items that are broken, old, worn, or in bad repair
Belongs here—will go back into the room, drawer, closet, or cabinet you’re organizing

Then take one item out at a time and put it into the appropriate box. If you’re going to organize for 1 hour, set an egg timer for 50 minutes. When it buzzes, use the last few minutes of your organizing session to put items away, put the charity items in the car, throw out the trash, or put boxes into storage. The time investment made in getting organized will repay you over and over in reduced stress, decreased frustration, and more time to spend with friends and family.

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TIME TIPS AND TRAPS

The secret to a smooth, sane morning is doing as much as you can the night before. Lay out clothes for everyone, including stockings, hair pieces, shoes, etc. Set out the breakfast dishes, pack lunches, and fill up the backpacks with homework, permission slips, and gym clothes. Load your briefcase, fill the gas tank, and make sure you’re ready for the next day. For women, file your nails, do your eyebrows, and shave your legs before bed. Leave as little preparation as possible until the last minute—you’ll thank yourself in the morning.

Once the kids are in bed, curl up with a good… checkbook? By devoting only 15 minutes a day to tracking, filing, bills, and mail, you can keep your house from getting buried in paper.

The easiest way to prepare meals is to not cook at all! Takeout dinners, butchers, delis, precooked, delivery services, leftovers, freezer meals, or prepared foods from your supermarket can all feed your family, nutritiously and without fuss. Or prepare several meals on the weekend, or prepare large batches and trade with friends.

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WORDS OF WISDOM

"Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth -- the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now." ---- Goethe

"The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: ‘I did not have time.’" ---Franklin Field

"Our two greatest gifts are time and the freedom to choose---the power to direct our efforts in the use of that time." ---Stephen Covey

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FEATURED PROGRAM: "The New TeleWork: Working Effectively from Home."

Course description: How many hours of your day are spent commuting? Do you ever wish you could go to work without having to go through the aggravation of actually getting there? Would you like to devote more time to your family? If so, telecommuting could be for you. Get out of bed, walk down the hall, and switch on the computer. Your commute to work is now over!

One of the major trends in corporate America today is telecommuting, which is an off-site work arrangement that permits employees to work in their homes for all or part of the workweek. The main focus of this program is the employee--who is best suited for telecommuting, benefits to the employee, likely psychological and work-management problems and solutions, and organizational and interpersonal challenges.

Course Objectives:

Understand the Benefits of Telecommuting
Determine if Your Job and Personality Are Suited for Working at Home
Negotiate an Arrangement with Your Employer
Design Your Office for Optimal Productivity
Set Up Effective Organizational Systems
Avoid Distractions and Procrastination
Establish Personal Rules for Telecommuting
Overcome Isolation and Challenges of Working Alone
Set Boundaries with Family and Friends
Avoid Burnout and the "Do-It-All" Syndrome
Preserve Your Professional Image and Maintain Visibility

"For more information about "The New TeleWork: Working Effectively from Home," please call 303-471-7401. Mention this newsletter and receive a 20% discount on this program when brought on-site to your organization.

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Visit Celebration Presentations on-line!

http://www.LauraStack.com

On-line information includes: Program Descriptions, Articles, Laura's Schedule, Live Video Demonstration, Client Testimonials, and Pricing

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to interested associates. If they would like to continue to receive it, ask them to send us their email address. Thank You!

Contact info:

Mailing address: 9948 S. Cottoncreek Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130

Phone: 303-471-7401

Fax: 303-471-7402

Email: Laura@LauraStack.com

Website: www.LauraStack.com