Disorganization costs.  It costs time.  It costs money.  It costs energy.  And it costs emotional well-being. I came to know this personally in a very real way in the last couple days. I want to share with you a story to let you know that even professional organizers have their own organizational challenges. It has been a very busy season for me.  I am working on a number of personal and professional projects right now, and have--in retrospect--realized that I have taken on too much. For me personally, saying "yes" to too many commitments has two effects:1)   Frustration at doing a number of things with mediocrity and nothing with excellence2)   Forgetfulness and absentmindedness (=disorganization) In the last 48 hours, this absentmindedness cost me 6 hours, $30 in gas, and a whole lot of stress, worry, and frustration. Tuesday afternoon, I realized that I was missing some important client paperwork (which I had in my possession on Monday afternoon).  It included personal client information, a small amount of cash, as well as credit card information.  I couldn't find it anywhere. I tore my house and car apart looking.  I retraced my steps.  I called a number of places that I had been. To no avail... I was sick about this.  Where had I left this paperwork?  Was my client's personal information exposed to the public? Would she have to cancel her credit card?  How would I explain to her to that I (a professional, AND a professional organizer to boot) LOST her paperwork? Finally, Wednesday afternoon I called the DMV on the other side of the island, where I had taken my friend on Tuesday morning.  To my wonderful surprise, the paperwork was there and was found by one of their employees.  The cash was included and the employee I spoke to on the phone indicated she did not think anyone other than the staff had seen the paperwork, which I had left on the counter. I called my client and left her a message explaining what had happened, apologizing profusely, and asking her to keep a watch on the charges that appeared on her credit card, just out of an abundance of caution.  She called back and was very gracious about my mishap, advised me that no charges had been made, and truly appreciated being told what happened. Things could've turned out quite differently.  It was a blessing that nothing truly terrible happened.  But it was a huge wake-up call. Disorganization costs.  Whether it costs time trying to find an item that is buried in your junk drawer, or money for late fees on an unpaid bill, or emotional wellbeing and happiness due to living in a chaotic state, the negative effects on your mind, body, and spirit can be numerous. Even the very organized have their moments of disarray.  It's in those moments when we can really count the costs of disorganization in a concrete way.  It's in those moments when we really understand the understated and sometimes unappreciated value of being organized! I'm off for a quick and quiet vacation on Kauai.  I look forward to some relaxation time and some time to round up my thoughts and "get my brain back."  I hope you can take some time this weekend to relax as well. Here's to your organized life! ...read more

Your New Year's Organization Tip #3: ACTIVATE YOUR WORKFORCE http://aweber.com/b/17YXt ...read more