The Moral Of This Zen Story: Get Organized

A well-known Zen parable tells of a wanderer on a lonely road who happened upon a fierce stream that had washed out the bridge to cross over it.

The man, afraid to swim against such a strong current, decided to build a raft. He spent many hours cutting down trees and vines for the project. In the end, the wanderer had a very sturdy raft that brought him safely across the river.

Once on the other side, he thought to himself: This is a good raft. If I meet with another stream ahead, I can use it again to navigate the water.

And so the wanderer carried the raft for the rest of his life.

Think about the moral of this story for just a moment.

From the outside, looking in, this might seem ridiculous. Why would some guy carry a heavy raft around if he didn't need to?!

But, often times, we do this same thing in our own lives. Maybe not a raft, but maybe something else. It's not uncommon for people to hang onto an item because it was useful at one point or another but has since become irrelevant. Bottom line: it's now clutter.

If this sounds familiar, I encourage you to take a few hours throughout the next week to purge these objects that no longer add value to your home, office, or life.

Don't carry these "rafts" when you don't need to...


Note: Graphic courtesy of MS Office Online.

Get Organized: K Is For Knicks Cable Holder

This post is part of the "Organizers A to Z" series. Cool organizers you could live without, but why would you want to?!

What happens when you're trying to hook up a cable to your computer?

"What! No, don't do that! *%$#@!" happens.

Why? Because the cable just fell behind your desk and now you've got to crawl around on your hands and knees to retrieve it.

But if you have the Knicks Cable Holder, there's a completely different story to tell...

What happens when you're trying to hook up a cable to your computer?

Click! Done in less than 2 seconds.

Why? Because the Knicks Cable Holder saved the day.

In this case, I think the picture says it all. This little guy may just be the best 10 bucks you ever spent in your life!

How much? $10.00

Where? Buy online at Charles & Marie

Why? It's easy to afford, easy to use, and easy to love!

How do you deal with cable troubles?

25 To Do's You Can Accomplish While Watching TV

The average American watches 4 hours 45 minutes of TV each day, according to the latest Nielson ratings.

That's a lotta TV!

And since there are about 18 minutes of commercials for every hour-long show, that means there's at least 1 hr 15 min of commercial breaks during that almost 5-hour period.

That's a lotta down time!

Rather than spend that 1 hr 15 min staring blankly at the TV screen, put those extra minutes to work for you. Use 'em to help you get organized!

Ideally, you need tasks that can be done in a room close to your TV, so that you don't miss the "show's back on" cues, or -- even better -- tasks that can move to where you watch TV.

Here's a list of 25 to do's that are easy to knock out during commercials, all of which help you keep up with life, love, and the pursuit of happiness...

1. Clip coupons for your next grocery run.
2. Open the mail that's stacking up on your counter.
3. Fold and put away laundry.
4. Empty the dishwasher.
5. Write a thank you note.
6. Pick up toys off the floor.
7. Separate recycling.
8. Toss old food from the fridge and freezer.
9. Read a magazine article.
10. Download photos off your camera and label.
11. Catch up with friends on Facebook (or Twitter, MySpace, etc).
12. Clean out your purse or wallet.
13. Pack your lunch for the next day.
14. Clean off your desk.
15. Finally shred your shred pile.
16. Toss expired prescriptions from the medicine cabinet.
17. Set up an e-card for an upcoming birthday.
18. Take out the trash.
19. Dust off your TV and surrounding electronics.
20. Polish a pair of shoes.
21. Do sets of push-ups or sit-ups.
22. Update your Netflix queue.
23. Pay bills online.
24. Make a to do list.
25. Re-stock TP rolls in your bathroom(s).
BONUS: Research DVR possibilities so you can skip commercials altogether!

See the article Americans Can’t Get Enough Of Their Screen Time for more shocking statistics about how much TV we actually watch.

How do you make the most of commercial breaks?

6 Hot Websites To Help You Get Organized

PC World recently published 10 Web Sites That Will Matter in 2009, where they highlighted the latest and greatest buzz-worthy sites.

Several of these sites are specifically designed to make your life more organized and more efficient, like...

Boxee

You know how a DVR filters and stores exactly what you wanna see on TV? Boxee does something similar but for internet video. Boxee can also organize video, images, and music on your computer hard drive.

Power.com

Short on time but not social networking accounts?

According to 10 Web Sites, "Power.com lets you...view (and post to) any of a long list of social networking sites that you sync the service up with--all from one place. You can [also] see the posts, status changes, and so on, of your friends..."

TripIt

A virtual assistant for your travel needs, TripIt compiles all of your trip details like itineraries for planes, trains and automobiles; recommends restaurants, attractions; and provides tools like maps and weather info.

But wait, there's more!

There was such a huge reader response to 10 Web Sites that PC World followed up with Sites That Will Matter in 2009: Readers' Choice.

And the people have spoken: we love sites that help us get organized!

Free Napkin

Get rid of your junk for free, claimant pays shipping. (Think Freecycle meets Ebay.)

Woopid

Don't wanna waste all afternoon figuring out how to hook up your latest gadget? Save valuable time by using Woopid's free tech training videos.

NileGuide

This is similar to Tripit (see above) because it's a trip planner. However, NileGuide adds a bit of its own flare - recommendations are provided by "in the know" local area experts.

See PC World's review of these sites: 10 Web Sites That Will Matter in 2009, Sites That Will Matter in 2009: Readers' Choice


Note: Clutterbugs, LLC does not endorse any of the above websites and is not liable for any respective actions by these websites. These are provided strictly for your information only.

A Get Organized Funny

Leave it up to The Onion to find humor in organizing a closet.

Personally, I think I'll go with promoting my stuffed animals. Er, wait...was that my outside voice? I'm too old for those!


Note: Graphic courtesy of The Onion.

2 Simple Steps Help You Get Organized & Put Cash In Your Pocket

How would you like to save 1000 bucks this year without downgrading your lifestyle?

Uh, hello? Yeah!

This question was asked in a how-to called "7 Easy Steps to Saving $1,000." I was immediately intrigued. Normally, saving money involves some sort of sacrifice in spending...

As I continued reading, I was surprised - although I really shouldn't have been - that organizing plays a role in each of the 7 steps!

Sometimes there's just a hint of organizing, like researching competitor rates or making a grocery shopping list and stickin' to it.

But sometimes there's a whole lotta organizing and de-cluttering involved! For example,

(1) Returning unopened, unused items

Sure, you have every intention of returning that purchase now. It's the wrong size, the wrong shape, the wrong color.

But life (and by life, I mean procrastination, laziness, forgetfulness) gets the better of us, and the return never takes place.

The item stays in your house or car, creating clutter and collecting dust, and you never see that money again.

(2) Using the library

The library is such an obvious resource that most of us take it for granted, even though it can help you get organized in so many ways...

Downsize your bookshelf by checking out hard copy books or books on CD.

Read your favorite mag or newspaper at the library instead of it cluttering your coffee table.

Rather of buying the latest movies on DVD, you can borrow them from the library.

Eliminate the need for a home computer by opting to use public computer access at the library.

"7 Easy Steps" serves as a gentle reminder that getting organized provides more than just a streamlined environment; it can also put money in your pocket!

See "7 Easy Steps to Saving S1,000" to view the complete article. It's dated last year, but the info is still very usable for 2009.

How does getting organized save you money?

Get Organized: J Is For...

This post is part of the "Organizers A to Z" series. Cool organizers you could live without, but why would you want to?!

J is for Jane Marvel Zip Pouches.

Whoever invented resealable bags is a genius! There are at least 100 uses for each bag.

It's one of those simple concoctions that makes you wonder why you weren't the 1st person to come up with it, so you could be really rich now and living the life of Riley. Well, maybe in the next life...

Jane Marvel has taken the basic idea of a resealable bag and exploded it to a whole new level, allowing us to organize like kings even if our bank accounts aren't very majestic.

While the standard resealable bag - like a Ziploc - may be useful, it's pretty plain and boring. But not Jane Marvel zip pouches!

First of all, they come in 12 different colors and patterns. You can match 'em to your decor, your mood, or your luggage.

Second of all, JM pouches have a window for label cards so you can know what's where or switch contents without losing out on labeling.

All in all, these pouch sets are a stylish way to store just about any small item!

How much? $70.00 per set

Where? Buy online at Jane Marvel

Why? It's simply "marvel"ous! Do we really need another reason?

How do you use resealable bags to get organized?

Get Organized: Travel Tips

It's March: not quite winter and not quite summer. Which means it's about the time of year when people start dreaming about summer vacations!

For procrastinators, the buck stops at dreaming. Your thoughts about sunny California beaches, the Alaskan cruise, or the villa in Tuscany will merely continue to percolate like this morning's coffee...until 6 days before you're set to leave.

On the other hand, for those trying to be their organized best, the dreaming turns into a little pre-planning. All the t's will be crossed and all the i's will be dotted well beforehand, if you have anything to do with it!

Serving up some inspiration for both procrastinators and planners alike, 20 readers of Budget Travel magazine recently volunteered their best travel suggestions for a feature called "20 Tips for Travelers."

These are my 2 ultimate faves from the article:

11. Show and cell

Asking for help in another country can be tricky, but traveling with a camera-phone has made my trips easier. I've created a photo album with pictures of basic necessities like a bottle of water, a toilet, a taxi, and stamps. Now when I'm traveling and I don't know the word for what I need, I just show a local a picture of it on my phone.

- Jena Persico, Arlington, Va.

14. ID your ID

We have four passports to keep track of when our family travels, and we used to waste time at security trying to figure out whose was whose. Finally, I put the label maker to use and stuck our first names onto the front of each passport.

- Mary-Jeanine Ibarguen, Altamonte Springs, Fla.

To check out the other 18 creative travel ideas, see all "20 Tips".

How do you get organized for your vacay?


Note: Travel tips courtesy of MSN and Budget Travel magazine.

Get Organized: I Is For...

This post is part of the "Organizers A to Z" series. Cool organizers you could live without, but why would you want to?!

I is for Index Chopping Boards.

When organizing a kitchen, it's always a good idea to separate it into sections by function: cooking, preparation, cleaning, etc.

Before I was introduced to the Index Chopping Boards, however, I would have never considered sorting my boards by function too.

You have to give designer Damian Evans major props for this masterpiece. Combined, the Index Chopping Boards are a wonderful kitchen tool that has organization and safety in mind.

The color-coded boards are created to avoid cross-contamination of different foods types. Use the red chopping board for raw meat, blue for fish, green for veggies, and white for cooked foods. And when not in use, the boards stay tidy in their very own filing unit.

Who knew cutting up food could be so...well, orderly!

How much? $85.00

Where? Buy online at the MoMAstore (That's the Museum of Modern Art for you non-New Yorker, non-artsy types.)

Why? It's color-coded, it's filed, and it keeps your boards streamlined!

How do you organize your chopping boards?

Get Organized: H Is For...

This post is part of the "Organizers A to Z" series. Cool organizers you could live without, but why would you want to?!

H is for Hollywood Landing Gear.

I love traveling with my mom. It's like, if I need anything...anything at all...it's in her bag! Maybe I get a little hungry - she's got a granola bar. Maybe I spill jelly on my shirt - she's got a Tide pen. Maybe I need to write down a number - she's got a pen AND paper.

Traveling with Hollywood Landing Gear is similar to traveling with mom. Any kind of girly catastrophe can be avoided just like that.

Every kit includes: Hollywood Fashion Tape, Hollywood Make-out Mints, Hollywood Oil Blotting Film, and Hollywood Touch Ups. Each, of course, solves a different problem...

Have cat fur all over your black coat? No sweat!
Oily T-zone? Easy fix!
Not so fresh breath? Says who?
Wardrobe malfunction? I don't think so!

Never travel unprepared again.

How much? $14.95

Where? Buy online at Hollywood Fashion Tape

Why? It's a little bit sticky, it's a little bit minty, and it's a little bit beauty - where else can you get an organized combination like that?!

How do you keep it together when on-the-road?

Get Organized: Plan Ahead & Save On Postage

Part of getting organized includes planning ahead, anticipating things to come so that you're not caught off-guard.

Maybe you've heard that the US Postal Service is raising their rates once again? (Seriously, it seems like they just raised 'em last month!)

On May 11, 2009, the price for a 1st-class stamp will increase from 42¢ to 44¢.

2¢ may not seem like a big whoop when compared to other things like the price of new jeans, a nice meal, or a car. But all in all, pennies will add up, especially in today's economy.

I know we're more than 60 days out from May 11. But to save you some $$$ and to fight off any thoughts of procrastination that may be welling up inside you right now, scribble "buy Forever stamps this week" on your to-do list. Aside from the post office, you can normally find them at grocery stores, mini-marts, drugstores, and Hallmarks.

Why Forever stamps? USPS.com states that the "Forever stamp will always be valid as First–Class postage...regardless of any subsequent increases in the First–Class rate."

So do yourself and your budget a favor - plan ahead and shop now!

Note: Information and graphic courtesy of the United States Postal Service.

Get Organized: Top 100 Personal Development Blogs

Some of us are dads. Some of us moms.
Some of us are students. Some of us teachers.
Some of us are workers. Some of us slackers.
Some of us are husbands. Some of us wives.
Some of us are leaders. Some of us followers.
Some of us are volunteers. Some of us volun-tolds.

No matter who you are or what you might be, you have certain responsibilities each day. And when your head hits the pillow at night, it's satisfying to reflect on your day and feel you've been productive.

There are many personal development blogs out there, specifically designed to help you be the best that you can be. So that each day, you're as productive as possible. And so that each night, you can go to sleep knowing that you've done your part.

BachelorsDegreeOnline.com recently posted an article called the "Top 100 Personal Development Blogs."

The gist of the list? The post explains that "personal development can affect all aspects of your life...the Internet is full of blogs that can offer guidance, advice and support...we’ve brought together 100 here..."

I'm humbled to report that Get Organized made the list (#35). And I hope that this blog continues to live up to the honor!

I also hope that you'll take a few minutes to read about the "Top 100 Personal Development Blogs" and check out the other 99 blogs on the list. I assure you, there's a little something for everyone...