1. What are your goals?

Before starting any organizing project, it’s crucial to understand what you want to accomplish. Are you looking to declutter your home, create a more functional living space, or improve your financial situation? Specific goals will help you stay focused and on track throughout the process.

2. What are your time constraints?

Organization projects can take a lot of time and effort, and it’s important to have a realistic understanding of how much time you can reasonably dedicate to the project. Are you working with a tight deadline? Alternately, are you only able to work on the project during certain times of the day or week? Knowing your time constraints will help you create a schedule that works for you.

3. What are your budget constraints?

If not planned out properly, organizing your home or finances can quickly become a pricey undertaking. Therefore, it’s important to have a true understanding of how much money you can spend on the project. Are you working with a tight budget? Are there certain areas of the project where you’re willing to invest more money? Knowing your budget constraints will help you make smart financial decisions throughout the process.

4. What are your “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves”?

When it comes to organizing your home or finances, you should understand the difference between what you truly need and what you simply want. Are there certain items or areas of your home or finances that you simply can’t live without? Furthermore, are there other areas where you’re willing to compromise? Knowing the difference between your “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves” will help you make smart decisions throughout the process.

5. Who will be using the organized space/system?

Before you start the project, ask yourself who will be using the organized space or system. Are you organizing your home for yourself or your family? Are you organizing your finances for yourself or a business? Knowing who will be using the space or system will help you create a plan that works for everyone.

By asking yourself these questions and working with a professional organizer, you can ensure that your organization project is successful, efficient, and tailored to your specific needs. Tina Curtis, Certified Professional Organizer, can assist you to achieve your goals, saving you time and money, and ensuring the best outcome for your project.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of organizing your home or finances, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help. With our years of expertise and experience, we can guide you through the process and help you achieve your goals.

The post 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting an Organization Project appeared first on Curtis E Organizing.

A Professional Organizer assists individuals and businesses improve their organizing systems and process. Their primary goal is creating and maintaining organizational systems by teaching others the basic principles of organization. 

As one of their main jobs, Professional Organizers help clients reduce excessive clutter (paper, books, clothing, shoes, office supplies, home decor items, etc.) in the home or the office. Additionally, they can assist with financial organization, downsizing, change of life transitions, and other property organization and management.

“Professional organizers tackle the challenge of decluttering by asking non-judgmental questions and providing honest feedback. They know how to get to the root of why some possessions remain untouched and can help a person decide how different types of belongings relate to home organization goals. For unwanted belongings, professional organizers can assist in planning the disposal, recycling, donation, or sale.”

–www.bobvila.com/articles/professional-organizer/

Some professional organizers, like Tina Curtis of Curtis E Organizing, maintain professional accreditation qualifications with organizations such as The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD). ICD certification all focuses on chronic disorganization and a holistic approach to working with organizing and productivity clients. Understanding the “why” of disorganization is as important as the “what,” and this understanding enables Tina to directly and compassionately address the underlying issues. 

At the heart of it, a good professional organizer is an excellent problem solver. From your pantry to your financial records (and everything in between), Tina starts by assessing your current situation. From there, she determines what’s working and what needs improvement. Finally, working with you, she creates a sustainable solution to your organizational problem. Involving you in the process and teaching you how to maintain the newly created organizational system is critical. Anyone can come and clean your home, but if you don’t know how to keep it clean, odds are, it’ll get dirty again- quickly. 

A Professional Organizer You Can Trust

If you’re concerned about confidentiality or aren’t comfortable bringing a stranger in to help you manage your clutter, you need to find an organizer you can trust. Tina Curtis has over 30 years of experience and has been serving the Illinois Valley and surrounding areas since 2016. Regardless of whether a confidentiality agreement is in place, you can trust Tina to handle your project with the same expert level of dignity, respect, and professionalism. 

Contact Tina Curtis for a complimentary consultation if you’re considering calling in the pros to tackle your organizational issue. After assessing the project scope, she will walk you through the process and what to expect. Get started today at https://curtiseorganizing.com/contact/

The post What is a Professional Organizer? appeared first on Curtis E Organizing.

One of my clients, let’s call her “Jane,” recently contacted me about getting some help with cleaning out a storage unit belonging to a relative who had passed away. I came to find out that she actually had 3 relatives who had passed away, each leaving behind a storage unit filled with “stuff.” Jane felt overwhelmed by the thought of sorting, managing, and disposing of items from her family members.

She’s not alone.

An average of 1 in every 10 Americans has belongings in a storage unit. The average cost of a small unit in Illinois is $100 a month, or around $1,200 a year. If you want a climate-controlled unit or insurance, you’re looking at even more per month to store items you’re not even using and can’t access easily. Often, storage units end up being more expensive than the items being stored in them.

Along with the financial cost of keeping items in a storage unit, there are usually sentimental or emotional issues at play, too. Like Jane, it can be emotionally overwhelming to sort through the belongings of a loved one who’s passed. Perhaps you don’t have room in your own home for their personal belongings, or you just don’t want them but can’t bring yourself to get rid of them. If the storage unit is for your own belongings, it might feel wasteful or “wrong” to get rid of items you’ve spent your hard-earned money on, so you keep paying the rental fee, month after month. The items often end up left in storage, collecting not just dust but expensive rental fees.

“It’s typically all about procrastination,” says Ann Gambrell, a founder of the National Association of Professional Organizers, who runs decluttering workshops and clutter support groups. “People end up spending money because they can’t make a decision.”

By following three simple rules, you can help minimize your need for long-term storage.

• Ask yourself if you have used an item in the last 12 months. If not, donate or get rid of it.
• If you rarely use it, or if it is something that can be replaced for less than $25.00, let it go. (At $100/month in storage, you’ll have paid for it several times over. Also, items tend to decrease in value over time, so the longer you store them, the less they’re worth.)
• If it is a family item you have inherited, ask yourself if your children really want to deal with it in the event of your passing. Would they really want it? If not, let someone else find joy in it.

If you absolutely must place items in storage (such as a relocation for work or home improvement projects, for example), be intentional about your storage unit:

• Purge and eliminate before purchasing the unit.
  • Be very clear about what you’re storing and why; don’t store items you know you won’t need in the future just because you have a place to put them.
• Have a plan for the length of time that your items should stay in storage. Set a goal with a time frame to either eliminate or sell the items if necessary.
• Shop around – most rental facilities offer minimal fees for the first month, saving you money.

If you need help with managing or eliminating your storage unit, schedule a free consultation with us today.

The post What is all this crap really costing you? appeared first on Curtis E Organizing.

You can simplify in five minutes.

Life is busy and uncertain. You are short on time and energy. It’s hard to start something new. Decluttering your house or paying down debt could take years. Downsizing and relocating, or changing careers seems out of reach.

Simplifying your life sounds like it could take forever.

That might all be true or not, but don’t let it stand in your way of getting started.

When you make big change small, you don’t have to worry about how much time it’s going to take or what the big picture plan is. You’ll feel less overwhelmed if you can be proactive even in a small way.

Twenty-one ways to (begin or continue to) simplify your life in five minutes.

Choose one of the following recommendations. Set a timer for five minutes and then stop when you complete the activity or your five minutes is up.

Tomorrow, try another one.

You could do them all in one day, but I recommend one or two a day to help build momentum. Consistency is more important than intensity, so a little bit each day will help you progress in a more enjoyable, meaningful way.

1. Cancel a non-essential appointment or item from your to-do list.

2. Dump your junk drawer in a bag and hide it. In 30 days, if you don’t remember what’s in the bag, get rid of it.

3. Make an appointment for a preventative exam (dentist, mammogram, physical). Life is always simpler when you are healthy.

4. Send me an email about something you are struggling to simplify. I’ll send you back my thoughts (If more than 10 people respond, I’ll make you a Q & A audio recording).

5. Delete games, social media, or other apps that keep you staring at your phone.

6. If you are in debt, read this 21-day guide to help you become debt free.

7. Unsubscribe from retail accounts and things you never signed up for.

8. Start your morning with five minutes of meditation or gentle stretches.

9. Start the 30-day mins game. Find one item to donate today, tomorrow find two, the next day three and so on.

10. Follow @bemorewithless on Instagram for weekly live calls to inspire you to simplify.

11. Join the Be More with Less Facebook Page for simplicity challenges like this one.

12. Call local donation centers and see who will pick up your clutter when it’s ready so you don’t have to drive it around.

13. Put an inspiring simplicity book on hold at the library. Start with one of these:

• Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less can Lead to So Much More
• The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life
• Lightly: How to Live a Simple, Serene, and Stress-free Life
• The Minimalist Way: Minimalism Strategies to Declutter Your Life and Make Room for Joy
• You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too

14. If you are sick and tired, read this article.

15. Make a list or write about how you’d spend your time if you weren’t so busy.

16. Make a cup of tea and stare out the window.

17. Put on your shoes and head out the door for a walk.

18. Put a box by the front door. Put clutter in it every day.

19. Grab any clothes from your closet that you haven’t worn in more than a year and donate them.

20. Call a friend and schedule a day to support each other as you declutter (in person or virtually).

21. Sit quietly and put your hands on your heart.

As you work through these recommendations or choose action steps of your own, don’t compare or compete.

This isn’t a contest or a competition.

This is your life.

The post 21 ways to simplify your life in 5 minutes appeared first on Curtis E Organizing.

2019 is here, and it’s time to take stock of your business, and get yourself on the right financial path. Evaluating your financial status as you begin a new calendar year is a smart annual tradition to develop. Here are 5 easy steps to make sure you’re financially sound as 2019 opens for business.

#1: Find the perfect accountant

Business expenses, exemptions, taxes, oh my! As you set out into 2019, it’s important to keep your finances top of mind. Finding the right account who gets your business is important. Look for someone who:

• Understands your business needs,
• Specializes in the small business sector,
• Can provide thorough advice on business growth and profits.

When it comes to the books– cut no corners.  Your accountant should hold all the necessary qualifications and certifications, and above all, be trustworthy. Look for recommendations from your network of colleagues and associates, and find someone who is the total package.

#2: Begin automatic investing

The World Wide Web is full of apps that allow for easy, automatic investing. You simply create an account, connect the app to your bank account, and get the process started. These easy-to-use apps make your money work for you, with just a few touches on your smartphone.

One of the easiest automatic investing platforms is an app called Acorns. Acorns invests “round ups” for you through connected accounts.

Here’s how it works:

As you spend, Acorns will round up your spending to the next dollar. Then, the difference is invested. Say, you spend $5.69 on your morning coffee, Acorns will take 31¢ from your bank account and invest it. That’s a “round up.”

Another popular investing app is Robinhood. Robinhood one gives you the ability to invest in

• stocks,
• options,
• cryptocurrencies, and more without charging commissions.

The app can be customized for traders of all abilities.

#3: Save for retirement

This is something that you should begin doing immediately, if you haven’t already. Your accountant can help you get started or you can meet with a financial advisor through your bank or another organization. Even if you do not think you have enough money to start saving, it is vital to start setting some money aside. Some business owners will make small adjustments to their pricing structure or make changes to their expenses so they can begin to set aside the difference. You have to start somewhere.

When you meet with a financial advisor, you will be asked about your plans for the future. If you can develop a timeline of when you plan to retire, your financial advisor can help you create a reasonable plan. Your job will be to stick to it and put money away so you can live comfortably in the future.

#4: Learn about updated tax laws

Small business owners should be aware of updated tax laws that will affect them. These could be things like new employment taxes or minimum wage laws. No one wants to be smacked with a big tax fee because of a misunderstanding. Meet with your accountant or a tax advisor to see what has changed.

#5: Get a planner

Hiring a financial planner is a wise choice for anyone who owns a small business, no matter how young the business is. Financial planners help people meet their financial goals – even if you do not know what those goals are yet.

There are human advisors and automated advisors. Apps like Acorns and Robinhood are automated advisors, as they ask automated questions and give financial advice based on your answers. Human financial advisors do a more in-depth analysis of your situation and your goals. They can even help you decide on your goals. Most large financial companies offer both types of advisors and have hybrid advisors that will begin with the automated services. Being financially sound isn’t always easy, and an advisor can really push you in the direction you need to go in.

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