How to Overcome Being a Slob

Have you ever been called a slob? Do people cringe at your office space or decline invitations to your home because of the absolute mess? Have you ever wondered why you can’t seem to create a more organized environment?

I have a client I have worked with periodically over the years whom I consider to be a slob. I have found countless change, cigarette butts, dirt, hair, kitchen ware (like knives) and pieces of paper strewn about her floor. I have been unable to take even a step inside her large walk-in closet because of the many piles of things she has thrown in there which blocked the entryway. I have found birthday gifts still in their bags from her birthday that had passed a year and a half ago. I have found the mates to shoes, clothing she had been looking for, and a bathing suit inside a shoebox.

Being called a slob isn’t something anyone wants to hear about themselves. It isn’t as though you don’t care or aren’t trying, you just haven’t come up with solutions to help create a more organized and clean apartment. I want to share some tips with you today which I have suggested to my client on how to get more organized and save yourself some time.

There are usually two reasons someone becomes a slob. First, your parents were also slobs and you grew up in that environment. You may not have noticed anything was wrong until later when you realized you had never been taught any organizational skills. In this case, my client had parents who were not considered well organized and she may have learned that from them.

Second, there are underlying psychological reasons why you are living in a chaotic and often unclean mess. Since I am not a licensed psychologist, I won’t give out advice except to say perhaps talking to someone to help you feel better about yourself will help you feel you deserve to live in a clean organized environment. I wish you the best of luck. I will say that in the case of my client, who is obese, a smoker and rarely exercises but has a job where she takes care of everyone else’s needs (and I see her caretaking her friends and family constantly), this is a woman who can help everyone but herself and nothing will change until she recognizes that and slowly starts making a change to start treating herself with respect and takes care of her needs.

However, there are still tricks of the trade to help you keep your home or work place in better condition. The first is to hire a cleaning company or person to come in and clean for you! Quite obviously this is either something you do not enjoy or may not be good at. That’s okay – not everyone enjoys cleaning, but thankfully cleaning services can be pretty reasonable and you may find yourself keeping your place cleaner.

I also witnessed another client who finally had her home cleaned and it completely unnerved her and set her off. She couldn’t handle cleaning people coming in and touching anything and within a day, the home had become filthy again. Disorganization and dirt actually made this woman feel safer for whatever reason. If this is you, discovering what is inside you that won’t allow you to live in a clean, healthy environment is necessary before you can make positive changes.

My second suggestion is to use shelves and baskets to place things in. Have them near your door along with a coat rack or hooks. This makes it much easier to find items and you’re more likely to remain a bit more organized if you don’t have to walk far to place items away. Throw your shoes in a basket – at least you know where to find them. Throw your extra change into a glass jar placed on that shelf. Stick your purse on a hook or the shelf. Just make sure you periodically go through the baskets to keep them organize and free of overflow. Also, do not buy huge baskets – they aren’t useful if they are so large you can keep your entire wardrobe in them.

Respect yourself and put in a little time on your home. I’m not saying a lot of time, you are a busy person. I am asking to commit to 15 minutes a day and center on just one corner or one drawer or one cabinet to keep organized. If 15 minutes aren’t working – try 5. At least you know you have done 5 minutes. Clean an area during commercials when watching tv. That way you know you only have to for a few minutes but you’re getting stuff done. I vacuum during commercials, dust, do a few dishes. It makes the process a lot easier and kind of fun! How much can I get done during a 2 minute break?

Buy a shredder! Mail seems to be most of my client’s biggest challenge. Have a shredder near your door and as you go through your mail, toss them in the shredder if they are junk mail. Or place it in your living room and shred during a commercial break.

Set up automatic payment for your bills. Have those bills e-mailed to you instead of creating more paper. You can just keep them in your inbox, or choose to file them in a separate folder, but clicking a mouse is easier than physically pulling out a folder. Go electronic, save a tree and save yourself some time!

Make sure you take the time to reward yourself for taking the time to get yourself organized. Treat yourself even if you’ve taken 5 minutes to organize that day! Learn to respect yourself and treat yourself well. Rewarding yourself may seem foreign at first, but you deserve to treat yourself to something you like because you tried.

I wish you the best of luck on getting a bit organized and saving time. Trust me, with just these few ideas, they’ll help you to figure out where things are and will save you a ton of time when locating your items. Should you require additional organization help, I am available for phone consultations or, if you live in the NYC area, will come to your home and work with you to create a more organized, peaceful environment which you deserve to live in. Contact Alison Kero at: info@gothamconcierge.com or on her cell at: 646-831-9625. I do not judge your home or you, I am only pleased you have the courage to ask for help and take the first steps towards a more organized, harmonious life.

Getting Things Done When Your Mind Wanders

There are many people who tend to start 6 projects at once because their mind tends to wander off. There are many reasons why this happens which I won't go into because I am not a psychiatrist and it really doesn't matter for this blog to be effective.

First, it's important to recognize this may be a habit you have. I know I can do this if I'm not paying attention to the task at hand. Once I got so excited after a feng shui for the bedroom course I took, I managed to start changing 4 different areas in my bedroom and hallway and managed to block the entryway. That was when I realized I had to stick to one corner/one task and then continue on to the next one or I would continue to get in my own way. Having a glass of wine while working on this project may have contributed to my blocking my entryway and starting too many projects at once, but it was a nice glass of wine and I don't regret it.

Many people find it difficult to concentrate on one task for a long period of time. Again, there are various reasons I won't get into, but to make sure you actually do get your work done and accomplish the goals you have set for yourself, there are tricks to help you stay on task.

1. Use a timer. Set it for 15 minutes or 30 minutes and do only one thing for that time period. You may not finish your task, but you will have a least gotten some of it done. Then you can start on something else or choose to continue with the task you started.

2. If even 15 minutes is too hard at first, try 5 minutes. The whole point is to start to work on something - even if it's 5 minutes of research for a paper or 5 minutes of sorting your mail, you've done at least 5 minutes!

3. Take baby steps - no one is expecting perfection right from the start and neither should you. If we all did things perfectly the first time out it would be boring and who likes boring?

4. Put it on your calendar! Make a date with yourself. If you put it on your calendar for a scheduled time you are making a promise to yourself you will do it. To do lists are great, but only if you actually do them. If you are one of those people who put things on to do lists thinking, "One day..." STOP using to do lists! They don't work for you. They probably just represent a lot of stuff you feel you failed at accomplishing and it's counterproductive. Use your calendar and make a date with yourself.

5. Always remember you can do anything, but you can't do everything. Have realistic goals, create a plan of action and then do it!

And if you're reading this and think: "I should totally try this" actually do try it. I have so many clients and friends who ask for advice and then don't actually take it. If you really want to make a positive change in your life you have to actually start making the change. Change isn't always comfortable at first, but believe me, the outcome is always worth it.

Good luck! Contact me at: 646-831-9625 if you'd like to schedule a one-on-one private professional organizing or time management session by phone. You can make a difference in the way you're living your life by getting organized! If you live in the NYC area, you can schedule an at-home session with me. Good luck either way!