Be Organized Now

  What does it mean to "be organized?"  It's simple--you should be able to easily find and lay hands on anything you need in your space within 1-5 minutes, depending on how big the space you live in is.  That leaves you some time in case you have to get a ladder to reach it... 😏   Having read over 70 books on the topic of organization, whether general home, time management, paper clutter, or more specific categories like craft items, clothing, pantry items, etc., I can assure you that the principles for organized living are fairly consistent throughout all of them.  The individual authors may have their own acronyms for the processes they teach, and their approaches will reflect their own personalities, but in essence the principles are the same. However, I think we all know from experience, it's not uncommon to hear different presentations on the same material, and yet one particular version or explanation of it may "stick" and make better sense for you ...

M.E.S.S. stands for the following categories of possible problems. M echanical -    Examples:  You have intended to store something in a particular drawer, but because the drawer is broken or "sticky" so it won't open and close properly, you feel it's a hassle and don't bother. The door sticks on the intended closet or cabinet, so you set it nearby saying, "just for now...", which seems to turn into never... The shelf it goes on is warped, etc. E motional -  via GIPHY     So torn.....!! This topic is simply too complicated to be addressed here in a single post, but go to FAQs for a brief introduction, and future posts will explore various emotional issues on a more detailed level. This topic is very real, and serious. Emotional and psychological factors that result in cluttering or hoarding behaviors may be destroying someone's life, relationships, finances, etc.  Occasionally someone voices to me--maybe jokingly, maybe sheepishly or even a littl...