It's the Middle of January: Do You Know Where Your 'Get Organized' Resolution Is?

It's the Middle of January: Do You Know Where Your 'Get Organized' Resolution
Is?

MT. LAUREL, N.J., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Struggling to keep your New
Year's resolution? Get Organized Month(SM), sponsored by the National
Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), is in full swing. Get Organized
Month(SM) is a national industry-wide event dedicated to raising awareness of
the benefits of getting organized and of hiring a professional organizer.
NAPO's dozens of chapters and thousands of members are holding public
events throughout the country to help you get started. Look for local events
at NAPO's online Get Organized Month(SM) Event Calendar at
http://www.napo.net.
Here are some tips to help you organize your home or office:

Home Organizing Tips

Customize Your Kitchen
-- Things that work together should be stored together, such as baking
pans, electrical appliances, plastic containers (with lids), pots and
pans, and large platters and bowls.
-- Drawer dividers are a good way to keep utensils in order.
-- Rotate food staples out of your pantry. Create menus to use up dated
canned goods.
-- Feel the flow of activity in your kitchen. Place glasses near the sink
or the refrigerator. Put snacks in a convenient drawer or cupboard.

Office Organizing Tips

Conquer Your Filing
-- Create a filing system for your electronic documents that mirrors the
one you have for paper. Sort, file, and purge electronic information
regularly.
-- Keep a file index (a master list of file names). Check the index before
creating a new file to avoid making duplicates. Also use it when
deciding where to put new documents.
-- Refer to your company's records retention plan for guidance on how long
to keep documents.
-- Keep the most recent papers in the front of the file. Whenever you open
it, the current information will be on top.

Other home organizing tips are available at
http://www.napo.net/public/tips.html. Please credit NAPO if you reprint any
tips.
Don't Do It Alone: Consider Hiring A Professional Organizer
If getting organized is something you are serious about, you might want to
consider hiring an expert. A professional organizer enhances the lives of
clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles and
through transferring organizing skills. Professional organizers help
individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time,
their paper, and their systems for life.
To locate one of NAPO's professional organizers in your area, you can use
NAPO's free online automated referral network, searchable by ZIP code and
organizing specialty at:
http://www.association-office.com/napo/referral/index.cfm.
When hiring a professional organizer, do your homework and make sure to
choose someone who is well-trained and who shares a similar philosophy. Here
are some questions you might want to ask:
1. How long have you been in the organizing business?
2. Are you a member of NAPO? If so, since when?
3. Do you have any training or hold any certifications in organizing or
related areas? (chronic disorganization, coaching, time management,
interior design, feng shui, home staging, etc.)
4. What is your specialty or particular area of expertise, if any?
5. What kinds of organizing projects do you do?
6. Who is your typical/usual client?
7. Can you describe your organizing process/approach? (consulting,
coaching, hands-on, team organizing, seminars/workshops, training,
etc.)
8. What is your fee structure and cancellation policy?
9. Can you provide references?
10. I have tried to get organized before. How will this be different?

About NAPO
The premier national association dedicated to the field of organizing, the
National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) is The Organizing
Authority(R). Formed in 1985 as a not-for-profit professional association,
NAPO is dedicated to serving its thousands of members through education,
networking, industry resources, and promoting the profession to the public.
NAPO's mission is to develop, lead, and promote professional organizers and
the organizing industry. The association is affiliated with the National Study
Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD) and Professional Organizers in Canada
(POC).
Editor's Note: To interview a spokesperson from NAPO, contact Alison
Dickman at (215) 884-6499.
Contact: Alison Dickman
215-884-6499
alison@comsolutionsgroup.com

SOURCE National Association of Professional Organizers

Alison Dickman, +1-215-884-6499, alison@comsolutionsgroup.com, for National
Association of Professional Organizers