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9 STEPS TO START ORGANIZING YOUR LIFE (Tips to Organize Your Freelance / Home-Based / Small Business)

by Debbie Cook - www.debbiecook.com,organize@debbiecook.com

Sitting here, I ponder the opportunities to make day-to-day living better not only for myself but for others around me. That may seem a bit lofty, but actually it can be simple. Before, I “preached” the merits of living an organized lifestyle to anyone that would listen, in an effort to make them hear my important message, but with time and wisdom I have mellowed somewhat. Still believing that my message is important, I have come to understand that as with most things, we all have to be ready to hear the message before we embrace it.

So, as you sit here reading this, I ask you – are you ready to embrace my message?

First of all, being organized is not the same as being neat and tidy. I often become suspicious when someone tells me how organized they are; then they cannot retrieve things after putting them away.

Be wary of change for change's sake. Decide what is not working and start there. The goal can be achieved in many ways, and hopefully I can provide the inspiration and the kick in the rear to get you started.

I listed the most important steps to follow – so you too can be organized!

STEPS TO ORGANIZING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS' HOME OFFICE

START HERE!

SORT – Start anywhere – begin to sort - how can you organize what you don’t even know you have?
TOSS – Anything that is obviously trash
ANALYZE– The items that you keep in order to decide how much space will be required.
REMOVE –move each individual item into the room or area that will be its home.
TIME – Figure how much time you can and want to spend on this project today.
HELP – If the job seems to large to tackle at this point – hire a professional
EVALUATE – measure the items that will need containers before shopping
RETRAIN – Be aware of what you are piling and stuffing – remember, you are training others by your example.
ENJOY – enjoy your new lifestyle – with more time and freedom!

The steps above are vague and need to be filled out, but I guarantee that if you only follow them as written you would be well on your way to living an organized life style. Everything is a process and along the way the process changes. As you become more organized you will probably change many of the ideas that you started with. Notice-the key word is STARTED! ©

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About the Author: Debbie Cook is a professional organizer and can be contacted at www.debbiecook.com, organize@debbiecook.com, or by phone at 918-691-2143. She does seminars and workshops across the country as well as helps individuals with their homes, offices, and time management.

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