It is a beautiful time of year as it is January and we have over 18 inches of snow in our yard. Where we have shoveled it is about three feet high. I have several bird feeders and I enjoy watching the birds feed when it is snowy or snowing. They show up really well against the white background. They also seem so happy and there are so many of them.



I was watching some quail coming from across the road up over the snow bank and then running as fast as they could to get to the food underneath the bird feeder. When the birds eat out of the feeder a lot of the seed drops and the birds that don't like the feeders come and eat from the ground. As I was watching this one particular quail I noticed as he ran fast he would sink into the snow from time to time and this would hinder his forward movement towards the seed.

It set me to thinking about organizing, which might be a stretch for some but being a professional home and office organizer I look at many situations and wonder how that can apply to organizing.

The little quail hurrying along did not make as rapid progress as the bird near him because running made his little claws sink down into the snow. This can be how it is with any organizing task we do. If we go too fast we could be slowing ourselves down. Organizing can be done efficiently at a moderate to slow steady pace. Now for those who are like the energizer bunny it is perfectly fine to go faster as long as it is not a hindrance to the ultimate goal.

When organizing start in one room at a time. Start with a goal in mind, analyze that room, ask yourself questions such as: what do I want this room to be used for, what do I want it to feel like, are there things here that belong in other rooms, are there things I can get rid of either by donating or throwing away. Do I need to get others in my family on board and committed to keeping this room the way I envision it.

I was organizing a craft room for a woman who was so embarrassed by the room that she always kept the door closed. There were a lot of cupboards so all the crafts could be separated by the type of craft such as paints, paper, etc. and each shelf was labeled. One of her children said to me "I don't know why you are bothering, we will just mess it up." This is one example of why it is important and necessary to get the cooperation of others in the family to keep rooms and everything in them organized.

By having a goal in mind and then evaluating how to reach the goal, taking small baby steps and working at a steady pace; before you know it your goal of being organized will be achieved.

Marilyn Bohn's Bio

Marilyn is a creative organizer who has been organizing for over 20 years. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and is working towards becoming a Certified Professional Organizer. Professionally she has been organizing homes and offices for over two years. She holds a bachelors degree in Social Work. She has reared five daughters and currently lives in Utah.

Go to her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find free organizing tips and interesting blogs and helpful articles on organizing.