How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time!

This idea applies to time management and organizing your life. Recently,  I've been chatting with friends about organizing and the number one frustration that I hear is "I have no idea where to begin!"

Well the answer is simple! One step at a time. Ultimately, the BIG goal is to have an organized home/life. Thinking of where to start can overwhelm most of us!

So the solution is to start small. Here are a few tips:

• Begin with a small project....and I mean small. One pile of paperwork that has been sitting on your desk for months.
• Take the pile of the desk and wipe down the area it was sitting. Just having a clean surface will help you feel like you've accomplished something. (Trust me on this!)
• Make two piles one a shred/toss pile and the other a keep pile.
• Go through the pile and immediately shred/toss paperwork when done. (My ten year old loves to shred so she assists me with this process.)
• Either file "keep" paperwork immediately or make a neat home on your desk labeled "To File".
• Another effective way to start small with an organizing project is to set a timer. Here's how:
• Pick a room/project to organize.
• Take a trash bag and your damp cloth to wipe down surfaces.
• Choose a reasonable amount of time that you can devote to this project with minimal distractions. (If the kids are coming home from school in an hour then do 45 minutes.)
• Set a timer and when the timer dings....STOP...you're done! Finito!
• Take your trash out and before you walk out look at what you've accomplished in a short amount of time....pat yourself on the back!

Try incriments as little as five minutes and try and avoid longer sessions more than an hour. Too many distractions can pop up the longer you go.