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The Clutter Fairy’s quick sorting process will get you organized to beat the deadline.
 Does tax season sneak up on you every year? One day you’re toasting the New Year and thinking you have all the time in the world to get ready for April 15. Before you know it, you’re scrambling to get your papers together because you’ve almost missed the filing deadline. It’s never fun, is it? I speak from experience, by the way. I’m a CPA, but I hate doing taxes as much as anyone else!
My theory about why people put off tax preparation …[Read more]
Was one of your New Year’s resolutions “Get this place organized this year?” How is that going? Having trouble getting started? Maybe you began, but you’re having trouble making progress? Let me offer some mid-game course corrections to help you achieve that resolution. Here’s my list of the five most common mistakes people make when they undertake the process of getting organized. In the spirit of David Letterman’s Top Ten lists, let’s start from the bottom:
Mistake #5: Products first
What does every American do when she wants to start a project? She goes shopping! Everyone wants to …[Read more]
How are you doing so far on the New Year’s resolutions? I get the impression that at this time of year, we’re all trying to become better, more-together versions of ourselves. We believe somehow that all we have to do is draw a line in the sand—“starting January 1”—and a better person will emerge all of a sudden. I think that one reason people don’t accomplish their resolutions is that expecting monumental, fundamental changes in yourself just because you’ve started using a new calendar is not a recipe for success.
“Get organized” is a popular New Year’s resolution. Having let their spaces dissolve into disaster areas over the holidays, people wake up with …[Read more]
“Green” is everywhere these days—in the news, in the workplace, and on store shelves. So wherever I speak to audiences in this environmentally conscious climate, I get a lot of questions about recycling. I started collecting the questions that have stumped me, and then I went online to look for answers.
I live in Houston, as do many of my clients, so I started with the City of Houston recycling web site. What I found there was chaotic, inconsistent, full of confusing acronyms and ambiguities, and spread across a mind-numbing array of pages. I despaired of ever tracking down all the answers I needed. But the Clutter Fairy makes her living bringing order out of chaos, so …[Read more]
Gift-giving season is here again, and once more I sit down at the computer to compose a holiday message about staying ahead of clutter when giving gifts. This time last year, I offered my first gift-giving guide focused on how not to contribute to the clutter of your loved ones. I stand by those suggestions, and I invite you to read the article online if you missed it in 2007.
 This year’s recession news is a surprising silent partner in my campaign against clutter. It’s a lot easier to sell the idea of clutter-conscious gift giving when so many of us are feeling the pinch of an economy in turmoil. But although I’m grateful for any help I can get in raising clutter consciousness, I don’t want to push people to change just because they feel panicky about money. Conscientious giving shouldn’t have to be a painful discipline to regain control—an unreasonable fiscal “diet.” (Some of us know too well that diets fail unless they’re sensible and sustainable.) Clutter-conscious …[Read more]
Still overwhelmed by hurricane recovery projects? My friend Dennis Anga, a roofer and landlord, offers some insight into getting repairs done on your home:
- Don’t put off urgent repairs if you have the means to get started before your insurance claim is processed. Document everything carefully, and your insurance company will reimburse you after the fact for completed repairs.
- There are three main categories of insurance adjusters:
- Those who work on salary for an insurance company. They tend to be very conservative.
- Independent adjusters contracted by an insurance company. Believe it or not, they get paid more for writing higher claims, so they have no vested interest in cheating you.
- Independent adjusters who work for you. They’ll fight the insurance company for bigger claims on your behalf and collect a commission. …[Read more]
 Hurricane Ike was quite an experience! I am still trying to get back on an even keel since the storm tore through the Houston area in mid-September. I was without power for 15 days. I had to sleep on the living room floor to escape the roar of my neighbor’s gasoline-powered generator, and because most of my clients were also without power, all my appointments were canceled for three weeks. But I eventually found a silver lining in this dark cloud: a fresh perspective on the benefits of organizing.
Like many of my clients, friends, and neighbors, after about four days I found myself emptying my refrigerator and freezer …[Read more]
 Now that the holiday season has arrived again, I am in my usual gift-giving dilemma. As The Clutter Fairy, I feel a responsibility not to add to people’s clutter when I give gifts. I can’t very well preach lightening up and letting go of stuff in your home or office, only to turn around and add one more item to your collection! So as a gift to you, I’m offering some non-clutter-promoting gift ideas as alternatives for you this year.
I know there are times when giving material things is called for. My little five-year-old niece and nine-year-old nephew are too young to understand a gift certificate, and that means sometimes …[Read more]
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Gayle Goddard, CPO®, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers one-on-one organizing, workshops, and ongoing support to help clients conquer clutter and focus on what they really want. [MORE]
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