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4 Tips on Getting Organized for the New Year | College Station Professional Organizer

1/2/2015

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Take these simple steps to start 2015 with confidence! 


I am one of those night owl types who gains a second wind around 11pm, so you better believe I was up on New Year's Eve until the wee hours organizing my pantry, closet, desk, and files. Just can't describe that feeling of waking up knowing that I had no clutter whatsoever and everything was in its home!! These are a few tried and true principles I stick to.

​​First of all, get rid of anything that doesn't make you happy to look at, or isn't useful on a regular basis. ​Start here because it's better to de-own something rather than​ to de​-​clutter. ​Personally, I purge items regularly every few months because it gives breathing room. It's nearly impossible to stay organized if every shelf and drawer is packed to the brim. But - when you have space to grow, you have room to add things as you acquire​ them​.

​​Secondly, give everything a home. 

Put like with like. At the end of each day, do a quick run through and return things to their home.​ To make it fun, play an upbeat song and involve your kiddos in a 5 minute evening routine. Song suggestions: Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader, Desert Song by Hillsong, Footloose by Kenny Loggins, and there's always... Shake it Off by TSwift!

You​’ll feel more peaceful doing it in small chunks rather than letting it build up into a mountain of mess that feels difficult to tackle.
 
​Next, don't be afraid to ask for help.

Have a professional organizer into your home for an afternoon to give you a fresh set of eyes. Or if that's not in the budget, invite a friend over for moral support as you clean out a closet, and then return the favor. This also helps give some built-in accountability for yourself if you're overwhelmed and putting something off. ​Just knowing​ that​ someone else is showing up to do it together is the perk some people need to spring into action.

​Lastly - just get started.

Start small with your kitchen junk drawer, and let the momentum build in order to ​take on the bigger projects. Put a date on your calendar and show up with a trash bag and a donation box. Start purging and moving things around, and you​'ll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you get going!

Again, get rid of what isn’t useful or beautiful, give everything a home, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and just get started! 


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"I met Holly today and I am still just in awe about my experience with her! She created such a safe place for me to go through my old belongings and help me downsize old things of my grandmother's--who passed away in April. I was so stressed about all of these things my family, more or less, "dumped" on me. I felt guilty throwing it away, but knew it needed to be gone. 

I'm so happy she was the person I was able to experience this transformation with. I didn't know what to expect, but I knew I needed it. If you are nervous about having someone help you in an endeavor like this--look no further and hire Holly. She is a god-send. 

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Holly--thank you SO much for your hard work and help today. You are such a sweet woman, who is truly helping others find happiness in their homes."                                                                                                             

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"Holly was so patient. I'm thankful she came to help clean out my closet. I would have never done it by myself. I felt like a hoarder. Holly encouraged and reassured me. She helped me make hard decisions to let things go that I know I needed to let go. She took a car load to donate. I feel so much lighter."

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"Holly came to help bring organization to our garage. It had become a dumping ground. She worked steadily and listened to my goals and concerns.

​She helped me think through what I really wanted to accomplish and respected my wishes. She has a knack for arranging to make the best use of space while also making it look attractive. 

With her encouragement I continued to declutter even after she left. 
God has used Holly to inspire me with my home organization. It is so liberating to see order and calm replace the chaos!" 

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"Holly is a GEM!! I had recently gotten married and moved into my husband's bachelor-pad apartment. It felt like such a huge, overwhelming task to organize, sort through, and redecorate on a budget. Holly swooped in and saved the day! 

​She took the time to learn my style, and with her organizing/ decorating/ crafting/ bargain-hunting expertise, truly 
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"Holly is brilliant at what she does. She thinks and works strategically so that within minutes you're on your way toward reclaiming a calm, orderly, lovely environment. 

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"I was completely overwhelmed on where to begin. I had items that needed to be sold, thrown away, and packed. Holly came in, listened to my needs and gave me practical steps to get things done.

It made the process much more manageable and less overwhelming. Holly brought wisdom and order into my very chaotic circumstances and gave me vision and a plan
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I love that she generously shares her tools and her "out of the box" thinking to suit ANY need."

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"Holly came to my house and performed miracles in the closets!! Get her in your space soon!"

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"Holly helped me sift, sort & organize my house to make room for my daughter & her family to move in until their own house was ready. I am quite disorganized, I must admit. Holly asked good questions to help me decide what to keep & what to eliminate. 

She has a calm demeanor & a non - judgmental manner. These attributes helped me feel comfortable progressing through my clutter. I truly appreciate her help."

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"​It takes true, natural talent to intersect organizational skills with spot-on personalization. Holly doesn't just organize for organization's sake. 

​She takes on the challenge while making sure the job is completed to your own personal needs and desires, sometimes intuitively so.

I wish I could pack her in a pretty, lace-covered box and bring her with me every time I move. She brings beauty and order to my jumbled, scattered existence!"

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"I hired Holly to help me organize my closet and garage. She helped by establishing zones for like items. Holly is a gifted and patient organizer. 

Her thoughtful questions helped me make decisions and take action to sell or donate items.

​She is able to provide solutions and recommendations to make the difficulty easier. I would recommend Holly; I know she can help you with your organizing needs."

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"We had Holly come to help us organize our house in order to make a move. We were feeling overwhelmed by the task and were under a fast approaching deadline to have our stuff moved out. Holly quickly came into the situation, assessed where we were, and what needed to happen to get us out the door in time. 

She came up with a systematic approach to organizing and packing that not only got us out of the house with time to spare, she also made it incredibly easy to set up our new home. Holly definitely brought a great attitude to the situation that made us feel like we could accomplish what felt like a monumental task. She literally organized and packed our entire house in a matter of no time and she did it with a smile! Cannot recommend her more highly."

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"You accomplished in 2 hours what I couldn't in 25 years. [My husband] said you were surprisingly nurturing about making a difficult task do-able, and that you were no-nonsense."

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