December 2011 Five more reasons that keep you from organizing and how to move forward with your organizing goals (part two) This is a continuation of the first five points from November 2011. Click here to read them! (6) COOPERATION: Your family members need to be involved and have consensus on the goals for the household as their habits are likely contributing to your home's organizing issues. It may not be easy but please try to get cooperation and buy-in from everyone. (7) PRODUCT NO NO: Don't buy organizing products before you know the types/shapes/uses for your organizing needs. You may have clutter simply by having too many of the wrong shaped tubs/bins/shoe racks/etc! (8) BOOKS: There are many approaches to organizing based on the number of authors writing about the subject. You may get bogged down reading book after book about how to tame your clutter and not ever START the process. Hiring a Professional Organizer could relieve the need to read books on organizing as she will get you motivated, keep you focused, do a lot of the heavy lifting, and help you create systems that will work for you. (9) CLEAR THE CLOSET: When company comes over, many people stick items in bags or boxes and stick them out of sight in the closet. They pile up and then it's common to get overwhelmed with the idea of taking them out, checking the contents, and making decisions about incorporating the items into your household; throwing them away; selling them; or donating them (we ALL make mistakes on purchases so please get it out of your home somehow if you will never use the item—even if you spent good money on it.) (10) MURPHY'S LAW: It's Murphy's Law (who was Murphy?) that you may throw something out or donate it and then find the perfect use for it. So, know that ahead of time. BUT, the amount of storage space taken up and frustration by not being able to find it when you need it (or remembering you even had it) far outweighs the inconvenience of having to re-buy things when you need them. Good example is electronic cords. You may have a large box of tangled cords some to electronic items you own and many to items you no longer have in your possession. Are you really going to spend the time to find the right cord in that large, overwhelming box—or just spend $3-6 at Radio Shack and buy a new one? I think you know the answer to that!