Get Organized Now!™
There's No Better Time to Get Organized,
Than to Get Organized Now!™
Organize your home. Organize your office. Organize your life.
Over a Million
Visitors Per Year
The free Get Organized
Now!™ Idea-Pak is filled
with tips and ideas to help
you organize your home,
your office, your time and
your life!
Want hundreds of little-
known tips to help you
organize your home, your
office and your life? Get our
free, weekly Get Organized
Now!™ E-mail Newsletter.
It's read by over 181,999
subscribers, and growing
each month.
We respect your
privacy. Your e-mail
address will never be
shared with or sold to
anyone.
Copyright 1998 - 2009
Effective Business Systems
Get Organized Now!™
611 Arlington Way
Watertown, WI 53094
All information on each page of this Web site, including our discussion forum, and
all information in our newsletters and e-mail correspondence, is protected by
copyright laws. Reprint is strictly forbidden, unless stated otherwise on individual
pages. Anyone posting copyrighted material or correspondence, without
permission from the owner of this Web site, will be liable for damages. For reprint
permission, please contact the owner of this Web site.
By Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!™
Want to get organized? Get your FREE Get Organized Now!™ Idea-
Pak, filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home, your
office and your life, at the Get Organized Now!™ Web site
To Submit Your Own Organizing Question,
Please Scroll Down
Reader Question
We are preparing to downsize from a 3-story
(with full basement), 4-bedroom house to a 2 or
3 bedroom townhouse with a walk out
basement.
The thought of weeding through 37 years
accumulation of stuff is so overwhelming that I
can't get started. I have boxes of photograhs to organize. I don't
know what to do with old sewing patterns that no longer work. The
rest of it is just things that I have saved over the years--clothes,
children's memorabilia, toys, books, not to mention the furniture
we don't plan to take. Can you help me get a running start??
Kathy Burkman, Lincoln, NE
Our Response
Dear Kathy,
Congrats on this new phase of your life! No matter how fantastic
your current location/situation may have been, it’s always exciting
to get a fresh start.
You mentioned boxes of photos to organize. It’s important to not
allow yourself to get bogged down by a task that you would be
able to take care of after you move. Don’t worry about your
photos now. Just box them up in acid-free photo boxes, and deal
with them after your move.
Regarding, your old sewing patterns, you used the phrase “that
no longer work.” If you meant that they wouldn’t work for anyone,
that’s a no brainer. They need to be tossed. Keeping lots of old
paper around can attract pests. If they won’t work for you
because or sizes that would no longer fit or styles that would no
longer be enjoyed, they can be donated.
For children’s toys, clothes, etc. it’s very important to remember
that there are so many people out there who have less than you
probably do. By donating usable items to a thrift store, church or
other organization, you will be letting your items bless someone
else’s life. Pick up two items at a time, and donate at least one of
them, if not both.
Furniture you don’t plan to take can be dealt with in numerous
ways. You can donate, bring them to a consignment store or you
might have family members who could really use the stuff. You
might also try to sell it yourself on a site like CraigsList.
The most important things to remember are to take the project in
small pieces (we like to call it baby steps) and also to keep
moving forward. Resist the urge to get bogged down in the past
by dwelling on the memories each item holds. The memories will
still be there after you move and you have more time to indulge
yourself with them.
Reader Clinic Submittal
Have an organizing question? We'd love to hear from you.
Please fill in your answers to all questions below. Then press SEND. If
your browser does not allow you to use forms, just type all of your
answers in an email and send the email to
Your question and our response may be printed in one of our future
newsletters as a featured Reader Clinic. In addition, it may be
published in one of our future books, with your name, city and state!
By submitting this form, you agree to allow us to reprint your question
in our future publications. Be sure to read our newsletter each week to
find out if your clinic question was chosen to be featured.
Thank you!
Maria Gracia
IMPORTANT: All fields are required.
