There's plenty to be said for the motivation that comes when the calendar flips over from one year to the next - there's nothing like a fresh start to make any goal feel manageable. But in truth, there's no "best time" to tackle resolutions and, with spring right around the corner, what better time than now to revive one of those goals that may have been dropped since New Year's.
Burnaby NOW reporter Christina Myers has been talking to experts around the region to gather advice to help NOW readers reach their goals in 2012. In past instalments in this series, the NOW heard from experts in finance, nutrition and exercise, family relationships and education.
In today's edition, we take a look at a resolution that plenty of people make not just at the turn of the new year, but every time they lose their keys, can't find a bill, or go digging through a pile of toys: get the house organized.
Keep an eye on upcoming editions of the NOW for the final instalment of the "This Year, I Will" series.
We talked to: Susan Borax and Heather Knittel of the Burnabybased Good Riddance Professional Organizing Solutions
Question: Lots of people put "get organized" on their new year's resolutions but then have a hard time following through. What's a good way to get started?
Answer: Start in the storage areas of your home (basement, attic etc). Often the belongings stored away in these areas have been long forgotten and don't add value to your lifestyle. So, what that means is decisions to keep, toss or donate will be much easier to get the ball rolling.
Q: For the average family with young kids, what areas of the home tend to be the most problematic in terms of keeping things organized?
A: Toys, toys, toys! Too many families have too many toys for their children who are allowed to play with their toys throughout the house. This simply causes chaos. Try to designate a couple of areas in the home where toys are allowed.
Also, in that same area provide children with a shelf or trunk so that quick tidying can be accomplished. The kitchen can be very problematic for young families as this area of the home is where most of the activity takes place. You have to create homes for all of your children's possessions, and that doesn't mean everything ends up in their room. When children come home with their backpacks, schoolwork and notices - these items need to have a place to reside so you can find them easily. Creating a landing pad for each child in the kitchen or near the entranceway when they come home from school is critical.
Q: At what age should people expect their kids to help out in doing home organization tasks?
A: Definitely start them at a young age. Toddlers are very capable of learning how to tidy up. They may not do it perfectly at this age, but it's the perfect time to start teaching them this skill. We feel the younger the better. We have had many clients in their 30s and up who are simply messy because they were never taught how to be neat by their parents. Being neat does not mean being perfect. People often don't understand the difference. We always strive for functional organization over being perfect.
Q: Christmas is over, but there are plenty of events throughout the year - any suggestions for how to keep yearround holiday clutter to a minimum?
A: We always advise clients who are struggling with too much stuff to request consumable gifts. Now of course this doesn't always work, especially with children. However, we also know that children always want more of your time.
So sometimes putting special family time aside for outdoor adventures packs more punch for your children than getting more gifts. Investing in a family membership for the aquarium, Science World or the zoo are examples of gifts that keep on giving.
We've had clients with young children who had decided, with the other parents of their children's school friends, that when they held a birthday party, they would not do goodie bags anymore. This at least helps minimize the small useless clutter that comes into the home.
Q: Is there a connection between clutter and health?
A: The connection between clutter and health is paramount. Having too much clutter makes any home difficult to clean. Many of our clients who call often talk about how stressed out they are about their clutter. In extreme cases where people are hoarders or bordering on being a hoarder, they often don't want to stay home.
Q: What is one simple thing people can do every day to keep their homes organized?
A: Don't leave home empty-handed! This is very simple but sometimes difficult to incorporate into our behaviour. For example, we advise clients to keep a medium-size shopping bag in their closet for any clothing they have decided they don't want any longer. Once the bag is full, take it with you the next time you leave the house. You will no doubt pass by a clothing drop-box where you can donate it. Our lives are fluid - stuff is always coming into the home, so you have to keep it flowing out the door as well.
Q: Why is it worth the time and energy to get your home organized and decluttered?
A: The biggest reward is that it gives you back your time, gives you breathing space and is kinder on your pocketbook. Often, when we have too much stuff it can culminate in undesirable behaviour. By that we mean, if you can't find sometime that you know you have (like Scotch Tape, wrapping paper, scissors, ziplock bags etc.) it's our nature to go out and buy the item again. If you know where everything is and you've created permanent homes for your belongings, you don't end up doing this over and over again.
Q: Tell us a bit about your organization.
A: Susan opened the doors at Good Riddance at the end of 2004 after completing a self-employment training program at BCIT. From the beginning Heather assisted in building the business, while still holding down a career in the broadcast industry until the company could sustain two people. Heather joined the business full-time in 2007.
Our focus is on residential organization, with an expertise in downsizing, working with boomers and seniors who have decided to relocate from the family home who have decades of stuff. The company continues to grow annually.
Our staff consists of fourcontractors in addition to ourselves. We also give workshops and corporate lunch and learns throughout the Lower Mainland. For more, see www.goodriddance.ca.
