By Barbara Hemphill | On December 5, 2005 | In Organizing | Rated 
It wasn’t long ago that you spent an entire weekend “decluttering” – and now you are expecting guests in two days, and the guestroom is full of “stuff” again!
By Barbara Hemphill | On December 5, 2005 | In Organizing | Rated
• Are you embarrassed when you walk into your home or office?
• Do you frequently run out of space?
• Is your desk piled high with UPO’s (unidentified piled objects)?
• Are you frustrated by the amount of time you spend looking for things?
By Barbara Hemphill | On December 5, 2005 | In Organizing | Rated
I like a room you can dance in the middle of! Mariah Burton Nelson
One of the prime reasons that most of us have occasional or everlasting problems with clutter is that we do not have a clear picture of the ideal setting we want to create for ourselves, our family and our work. In the absence of that clear picture, specific to you, your life, your family, your dreams, goals and taste, you may be too easily influenced by conflicting external ideas.
By Barbara Hemphill | On December 5, 2005 | In Organizing | Rated
1. A calendar is an essential organizing tool – start the year with one that works for you! And whether you use a paper or electronic version, using Post-it® notes as reminders will help you “stick” to your resolutions.
By Barbara Hemphill | On December 5, 2005 | In Organizing | Rated
Are you plagued by clutter in your personal or professional life? Is there someone in your family or your work who is? Based on my experience, the answer is probably “Yes!”
By Barbara Hemphill | On December 4, 2005 | In Organizing | Rated
After more than 20 years as an entrepreneur and a consultant to entrepreneurs, I am convinced that for many entrepreneurs, “organized” is an enigma. “Organized entrepreneur” may even be an oxymoron, because the very strength that makes great entrepreneurs makes for poor organizing – at least organizing as most of the world defines it.
By Barbara Hemphill | On December 4, 2005 | In Organizing | Rated
The store reminded me of a well-worn slipper – tattered and dusty, but obviously used and loved. I toured the aisles and backrooms with storeowner and publisher Britton Trice. Celebrity book signings and individualized customer service are obviously major factors in the success of the store. File after file with details of book parties past. They mail out about 200 autographed Anne Rice books everyday! Piles of papers, some of them back to 1984, and announcements of summer reading programs and travel opportunities for the summer past told the tale that getting rid of things was obviously not his forte! The front counter and the shelves beneath were covered with bits of paper, containers of various sizes containing a variety of items – most of them identifiable.
By Barbara Hemphill | On December 4, 2005 | In Organizing | Rated
We are bombarded with so many factors that perpetuate disorganization. Computers, fax machines, cellular phones, and on-line services enable us to do more - and require us to do more. The speed of the microchip doubles every 18 months, with no end in sight. There is also a greater sense of urgency due to rising expectations. If I can e-mail you a question in 20 seconds, why can’t you return my e-mail just as quickly?
By Barbara Hemphill | On December 4, 2005 | In Organizing | Rated
In one of my favorite books, First Things First, written by Stephen Covey with Roger and Rebecca Merrill, is a story of the man in front of his class with a pile of rocks and a jar. He puts the rocks in the jar, and then asks the class "Is it full?" "Yes," they answer in unison. "Oh?" he replies, and gets out some pebbles, which he adds to the jar. "Is it full?" he asks. Catching on, they reply, "Probably not." And then he added sand. And, finally, some water. "What does that tell you?" he asked. Answers included comments like "You can always squeeze something else in" or "Just get started." "Oh, not at all!" he said. "If you don't put the rocks in first, there won't be any room for the them.
I used to feel that if I just
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