Organizing For Dummies

Organize your office, your home, your life!

What’s the favorite four-letter word of people who are less than fully organized? “Help!” So many technological, social, and economic changes affect your life that you need organization just to keep up, let alone advance. Many people have two jobs – one at the office and one taking care of things at home. If you have a family, you may count that as a third job. Caring for elderly relatives or have community commitments? You can count off four, five, and keep right on going.

No matter what life stage you’re in, getting organized can make every day better and help you achieve your long-term goals. Organizing For Dummies is for anyone who wants to

• Polish his or her professional reputation
• Experience less stress
• Increase productivity
• Build better relationships
• Maximize personal time

Organization isn’t inherited. With the human genome decoded, the evidence is clear: DNA strings dedicated to putting things into place and managing your time like a pro are nonexistent. Instead, organization is a learned skill set. Organizing For Dummies helps you gain that skill with topics such as:

• Understanding how clutter costs you in time, money, and health
• Training your mind to be organized and developing a plan
• Cleaning house, room by room, from basement to attic (including the garage)
• Creating functional space for efficiency and storage
• Time-management strategies for home, office, and tavel
• Scheduling, delegating, and multitasking
• Making time for your family
• Managing your health – physical and financial
• Finding time for love
• Organizing and cashing in on a great garage sale

Getting organized is about unstuffing your life, clearing out the dead weight in places from your closet to your calendar to your computer, and then installing systems that keep the good stuff in its place. Organizing is a liberating and enlightening experience that can enhance your effectiveness and lessen your stress every day – and it’s all yours simply for saying “No” to clutter.

Introduction 1

Part I: Basic Organizational Tools and Tenets 7

Chapter 1: Dealing with Clutter 9

Chapter 2: Training Your Mind to Be Organized 21

Chapter 3: Assembling the Tools, Supplies, and Systems 29

Part II: Getting Organized at Home 43

Chapter 4: Where It All Begins: The Front Hall 45

Chapter 5: What’s Cooking: Organizing the Kitchen 55

Chapter 6: Sleep on This: Bedroom Bliss 81

Chapter 7: Bathe and Beautify: Creating Functional Bathrooms 99

Chapter 8: Space for Gracious Living: The Living Room and Dining Room 113

Chapter 9: The Hangout Spot: Family and Media Room 123

Chapter 10: Organizing for Fun: The Playroom 133

Part III: Organizing Storage Spaces and Other Secret Places 141

Chapter 11: Lightening Your Load: The Laundry and Utility Room 143

Chapter 12: Where Clutter Clones Itself: The Basement and Attic 155

Chapter 13: Patrolling the Borderlands: The Garage, Patio, and Shed 167

Part IV: Professionally Organized: Your Office 181

Chapter 14: Making Your Work Space Work 183

Chapter 15: Command Central: The Desk 199

Chapter 16: Managing Your Information Flow 213

Chapter 17: Cyberorganization: The Next Frontier 231

Part V: Time Management Strategies for Home, Office, and Travel 251

Chapter 18: Planning Your Day and Your Life Like a Pro 253

Chapter 19: Scheduling Skills for Maximum Productivity 277

Chapter 20: Maximizing Your Personal Time 295

Chapter 21: Going Mobile: Trips Near and Far 313

Part VI: The Part of Tens 333

Chapter 22: Storage for Small Spaces: Apartments, Condos, and Compact Houses 335

Chapter 23: Ten Moves to Make Your Move Hassle-Free 339

Chapter 24: Ten Tips for Great Garage Sales 343

Chapter 25: Ten Pointers about Pets 347

Chapter 26: 911! Emergency Strategies 353

Index 357

Eileen Roth, founder of Everything in Its Place,^® is a renowned organizing expert who's appeared on Oprah^® and the Today show. Elizabeth Miles is an author specializing in peak performance.

Get the scoop on how to stay cyberorganized

Clean up your act, get more done, and have more time for fun!

Are you having trouble staying on top of everything at work? Is your home messier than you'd like? If so, this friendly guide can help. Packed with proven organizing systems and techniques, it shows you step-by-step how to get a grip on your job, put your home in order, and have more time for yourself and your family.

Praise for Organizing For Dummies

"This book is a wealth of valuable information, written in clear common-sense language. I wish I could have had this book years ago!"
–Scott Baumruck, Executive Vice President, COO, Paper Industry Management Association

"Organizing For Dummies covers it all.... This book will save you time, money, and many headaches."
–Lillian Vernon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer - Lillian Vernon Corporation

Discover how to:

Get into an organized mindset
Use organizing tools and systems
Unclutter your home
Take advantage of storage spaces
Get organized at work
Harness time-management techniques

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