Get it Out of There!

Most of the time, there are some bags or boxes of things to donate at the end of appointments I have with my clients. It's great! They have successfully sorted through their belongings and figured out which things they no longer need or want. Items still in usable condition are set aside to donate to the charity of their choice.

Unless the items are too large to fit in my vehicle or my car is already filled with donations from my last appointment, I offer to take the donations on behalf of my client. Why? Three reasons:

  1. It makes instant space! After working so hard for hours with me to create brand new systems in their home or office, it's a great reward to visually see the benefits. Those bags and boxes are taking up floor space. How great will it feel to see the open, cleared room?
  2. It decreases the chance of digging something out of the bag because you're having second thoughts. You've already made great decisions. Don't second guess yourself! Be confident that you really do know what items you can live without. Someone else may love that item and use it often - unlike it's previous home at the back of your closet, being forgotten about.
  3. It saves you a trip to the charity! One less thing for you to do in your already busy schedule. It also prevents having to schedule a charity to pick items up, with you waiting around all day. And, if it's hauled away the day of the appointment, it's done; piles won't sit around for days or weeks as a reminder of something else to do.

How we Can All Ask for Help

I wrote this last week for the NAPO Chicago chapter newsletter encouraging colleagues to ask each other for help.

I'm often reminded how wonderful our group is. How "together we are better." I'm sure that in theory, we all know this is true. But, every now and then, I'm able to experience first hand.

I recently moved in to a new home. It's been a long, multi-step process. A good one, but a long one.
As an organizer, I'm sure you can relate to wanting everything to be unpacked and settled in as soon as possible. Well, to make a long story short, my belongings would be at the new place 21 days before I actually would. 

I can make do with my laptop and phone to make my business run wherever (another reason I'm thankful I have a paperless office!). But, how on Earth could I pack clothes for 20 days? In Chicago, in September, when the weather might feel like August or it might feel like October?

I tried to pack. And, I unpacked. And, then tried packing again.

I thought to myself, "This is silly. You need some help!" I went to my desk and emailed two colleagues with my conundrum. Before the night was out, I had a couple options for a solution and a well thought out packing list provided to me. What a relief! Needless to say, I finished packing that night. All has worked out as well as it sounded in the initial plan.

Perhaps others of us are having some roadblock in our own lives that are preventing us from moving on, moving in to or moving out of wherever we are now. Call another NAPO Chicago member. Maybe you need advice on what next steps to take for a client's project. Email another NAPO Chicago member. You've been asked to give a presentation, but really want to practice in front of someone who knows what you are (or should be) talking about. Ask another NAPO Chicago member at the next meeting.

Together we are better. It's because our members are helpful, knowledgeable and creative people. Who doesn't need more of that around?

Moving Time

Pardon me, if I sound exhausted! Moving is hard. As helpful as some tips are, there's no easy way around it. Moving is taxing.

I'm in the middle of a multi-step move. Which, when all is said and done, will take me 21 days to get from my old front door to my new front door. Sigh...

Yes, it will all be worth it. But, 21 days seems like forever! Especially to an organizer! So, since phase one is complete, I thought I'd share what things I've learned so far.

Phase one has consisted of moving all me belongings from my old home in to my new home. However, I'm not yet living there. That means, in the mean time, I'm living out of a suitcase. Phase two will be when a large majority of the furniture and more belongings arrive on day 21. That will be the first night the bed is there, and thus, my first night in my new home.

Definitely a Good Idea: Go through everything while packing. I don't want to pack up, move or pay someone to move and then unpack anything I don't want or won't use.

I donated a large carload of assorted things I wouldn't  need or want at my new place. A charity can make better use of these things than I can or the dumpster would.

Some things I offered to friends (like the tropical plant I have been kidding myself that I'm taking good care of), who graciously accepted. Cooking tools I don't use or had in duplicate went quickly. Linens were also scooped up pretty fast.

I had some nice things that just weren't going to fit in the new place. Fortunately, I was able to sell most of it on Craigslist. To help offset the cost and stress of moving, I was able to sell just over $500 worth of furniture! Hooray!

Definitely a Bad Idea: I waited far too long to book a moving company. The last day of the month, on a holiday weekend is apparently the most busy time. Ever. The one company that did have a truck available was about twice as much as I was expecting to pay.

I used pre-used boxes. I liked that this was very green, and definitely inexpensive (free, even!). But, the boxes had layers and layers of tape on them. Multiple labels scratched out and rewritten. And, some of the larger boxes were crumply and soft once filled. Having new or less-used boxes would have come in handy.

In short:
  • Label those boxes well
  • Move them in to the right room just when it comes off the truck
  • Don't move anything you don't really want in your new home
  • Don't be surprised when moving seems exhausting!
More to come when phase two is over....


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