Space Management Survival Guide:
Two Beginner Projects for the Bedroom

Are you still having difficulty catching the "get organized" bug? Maybe it is because getting organized seems to be too daunting a task to just throw yourself into headfirst. We are able to come up with a million excuses for why we can't get started organizing our households, but this article will give you at least two simple projects to get started with in the bedroom. Who knows, maybe you will be bitten by the organizing bug once you successfully complete these easy tasks.

Let's address the men first. Any of you men out there have a tie rack? I wonder if it is in sorry shape like mine used to be. The first step in organizing your ties is to know what you've got. Lay all of your ties out on your bed so you can clearly see each one. Now, check for any that are spotted, ripped, or otherwise discolored, and throw them away! Label another bag "donations" and put any ties that don't match your clothing or that are really out of style in it. Look critically at each remaining tie and decide when the last time was that you wore it. Donate any tie that you haven't worn in a year. I'm not saying that you should get rid of all the ties in your closet (unless you rarely wear ties), but I don't know anyone who needs 75! (Yes, I once knew a man who had more than 75 ties). This process should help reduce the tie rack clutter in your closet a great deal and will simplify your clothing choices.

Now, for the women. If your jewelry box is like my wife's, we have some work to do. We can apply the same process to the jewelry box as we did to the men's ties. First, we need to know what's in there. Untangle all of your chains, bracelets, and pendants. Lay out all of your rings and earrings. Throw away anything that is broken (beyond repair) or any single earrings. Now choose the pieces that you wear most often and put them aside to save. Also save heirlooms and sentimental jewelry. Look with a critical eye at the remaining pieces and objectively decide if you should keep them, give them to your kids, sell them, or donate them. You will be amazed at how easy it is now to access pieces in your jewelry box without having to dig through knots of chains and old rings.

I know that these projects will help you use a greater variety of items you already own and will give you satisfaction that you took the first step in getting organized. I hope that once you have completed these easy tasks that you will move on to other projects in your home using the same processes. Good Luck!

Michael Allen is a part-time planning consultant and professional organizer in Denver, Colorado. He offers workshops and organization services to homes and businesses to help people get and stay organized and maximize their personal satisfaction and professional productivity. For more information, contact him at michaelallen@juno.com.

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