Organize your life with Terri Williams - Daily Herald Article

Debbie Balzotti, Daily Herald Dec. 31, 2011

"Besides increasing your productivity, being organized gives you peace of mind. You can find things like your passport when you need it. Following the advice 'a place for everything and everything in its place' really helps us know where things are when we need them," she said.

Williams said there is a long list of reasons to get organized but most importantly it has to be something you want to do, not something others tell you to do.

"You have to want to be organized," she said. "When I went away to college I continued being neat like my mother had taught me, but I had a roommate who literally threw her clothes in her drawer. One day I decided to surprise her and do her a favor by neatly folding and organizing everything. She had a fit. It wasn't something she wanted done."

"You can't organize your teenage daughter's room, she has to want it. You can work on it together but it has to be something she cares about," Williams continued. "The best place to start is with something you want to organize."

To begin, prioritize what is most important to you. Don't tackle too much at first, maybe just a drawer in your desk or kitchen. Set aside some time when you won't be interrupted and begin. Ask yourself what you want to organize today and set aside five minutes or an hour to accomplish it.

"There are many ways to organize your office or your home. Although I knew many of the principals for being organized, I took a course called 'Minimize the Maintenance -- the 7 strategies that keep your home organized,' where I learned the process for ending chaos," Williams said.

A stack of expensive products isn't necessary to organize your work area, at home or at the office.

"You can use shoeboxes, cut boxes from canned goods or inexpensive plastic dividers, and add coordinating items later," she said. "The one item I would purchase is a label maker. It is the key to keeping things where they belong. I don't know why people can't seem to remember which drawer they got the tape from and just put it back there, but labeling solves a lot of problems. I label every cupboard and every drawer."

And those who Williams has helped, including clients from Sandy south to Provo, and those who have walked through her home to get ideas, agree that starting small and labeling items can really improve home organization.

"When I walk into Terri's home it is very spacious," Marti Tolan said. "She has done a good job of putting things in specific places and labeling them. I like that she has basic labels on the outside of her cupboards and then specific labels inside. It makes it easy to know where everything goes."

Williams reiterates that organizing is a step-by-step process.

"Getting organized has to be something you want because then you'll put your heart into it," she said.

Williams is a certified consultant and would be happy to answer questions or help with home or business organizing projects. Her contact number is (801) 794-1604.

 

Read more: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/south/spanish-fork/getting-organized-is-a-lifetime-process/article_b2aa616e-a592-50bf-ab9f-63e947ab1f63.html#ixzz1j9UYYRcL