Getting along with coworkers is difficult enough at the best of times but a disorganized coworker can add extra frustrations. Here are some suggestions I found which should help you function alongside their messiness:

1. Keep copies of everything you give them.

2. Express clearly what you need of them and, if you don’t get it, have a conversation about what you need from him or her without accusing or making the other person wrong.

3. Keep a light tone. Try to keep in mind your coworker is not deliberately trying to make your job harder. They have a problem staying organized and you need to find a way that the two of you can work together and get the job done.

4. Ask if you can help them in any way, as they are probably as frustrated as you.

5. If the problem is severe, consider speaking to your manager about the situation, seeking guidance and/or training for the co-worker. When speaking to your manager, wait until you are calm and can explain the problem without anger and too much emotion.

6. If the problem continues to the point of affecting your job, ask to work with someone else, if possible.

7. When you send them an email or message of any sort, ALWAYS ask for confirmation that they received the message, and then retain the confirmation.

You might also consider looking at your own workspace to see if there are any improvements you might make. If you respect yourself, you respect the place where you work. Ask yourself:

1. Do you enjoy being in this space?

4. Is your desk uncluttered and is it easy to find things in your office?

If your answer was NO to any of these questions, now’s the time to roll up your sleeves, and clean up. You’ll be more productive and your co-workers will thank you.

Would like to improve your intuition skills? You really can practice intuition according to Laura Day. See our post Practice Intuition on our sister site Curepure.com

Organized Junk Drawer

Here is great article I found about coming to terms with your junk drawer. The solution is to re-purpose your junk drawer as this author called it “the handy drawer.”

I really like this idea as usually your junk drawer is in a prime place in your home. A prime place is a storage area you can easily reach. Secondary places are ones that take some getting to. In other words, a secondary storage place is a place you may have to get on a step stool to get to or get up from your desk and move to another part of the room to get to that space.

So here is how you do it -

Dump the drawer – Rather than pulling out items, one at a time, Dump the contents on the counter top (on a towel to contain the mess) to see what you have.

Make Three piles – One to toss, one to keep, one to reassign. Reassigned items are those that should be stored somewhere else. For instance, you may have screwdrivers or other tools from the garage that needs to go back to the garage. If you are unsure whether to keep an item or not, put it in a nearby basket. After a month or so if no one has used it, pitch it.

Assess what stays – After you determine which items will stay in the Handy Drawer, sort the items in piles of like uses. E.g. tacks, staples and nails; rubber bands and twist ties; flashlights and batteries. Then measure the width, length and depth of the drawer to determine the size of the organizer you will need for your drawer.

Find a system - The author of the article had a lot of small items and was looking for one that would hold boxes with lids to keep pieces from spilling when little hands started digging through the drawer. There are or all sorts of drawer organizers available on line, at the discount stores and at The Container Store and most are inexpensive.

Reload the drawer – With a clean, organized Handy Drawer, now you will spend less time searching for (and at times repurchasing) everyday items you need to keep your household running smoothly

A junk drawer is good way to build your confidence for bigger organizing projects. Here are some online options and one cheap option if you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

Modular Drawer Options

OXO: Durabilty and snap together customization makes this a top pick for drawer organizing. Get it at oxo.com

Linus: Shallow or deep drawer options, buy online(Linus-drawer organizer.com or at The Container Store

Axis International: For a custom look without the prices, these durable wooden, expandable organizers do the trick. Available at Amazon.com

AMAC boxes: Made of sturdy, crystal clear plastic, Mac Boxes simple design and indisputable functionality are ideal for visible, affordable, functional storage. Buy online or The Container Store.

Cheap option – I had upgraded my kitchen drawer silverware organizer and wanted to find a way to recycle the old silverware organizers. I discovered these were great in my bathroom and vanity drawers for organizing such things as scrunchies, make up and small toiletries. They were would work fine for a “handy drawer” also.

I have posted many articles on getting organized and paring down. I came across an interesting article in our local paper which talked about the “100 Thing Challenge” and it kind of made me look at my own life and how many things I had. I want to recap some of the article here in this post mostly just to give food for thought. I don’t think I could do the “100 Thing Challenge” which entails getting your clothes, books, shoes etc. down to 100 things but it made me realize how far past I am the “100″ mark in terms of possessions. If that sounds vague read on to find out what was so thought provoking about the “100 things.”

The article begins with a description of Courtney Carver who was trying to find ways to simplify her life when she decided to pare down her wardrobe to 33 items to be worn over three months. She blogged about it ( Bemorewithless) and put something on Facebook about it. (Project333)

She said she discovered she was not the only one who felt the need to pare down. She reported the challenge has done more for her than just save her money. One of things she mentioned was that she and her husband found that by reducing their clothing inventory they also reduced their expectations of what made them happy. With reduced expectations there was less disappointment and subsequently more satisfaction with their life.

Virginia Smith, Vogue’s fashion market director, said more people are making do with less in their closets. “I do think it is a new thought in fashion that is getting out to the more mainstream” she said. But, she said challenges like the Carver’s are too severe for most people. But Smith says thinking about what you are purchasing is a good thing.

Carver says she would buy things out of habit and also because she thought she worked hard and deserved those things. The first phase of her Project 333 (www.bemorewithless.com) ended in December. In January she will will do it for another three months replacing whatever is inappropriate for the season. She included accessories like sunglasses and purses on her list of 33.

About 440 people on Facebook are participating in her challenge. She is launching a website that will offer seasonal paring down guides for a fee, to people who want to follow her clothing diet but need help.

A fashion historian commented in the article that having a minimal wardrobe isn’t new. About 100 years ago it was not uncommon for a working class woman to have only three dresses and two pairs of shoes that were worn until they couldn’t be mended. She also felt the 33 was to severe because we have such pressure to consume.

Other people in the article who are doing the “100 Thing Challenge” said it used to be that cutting back was a sign of poverty and sacrifice but now it is seen as something more positive. It is way keep your life under control. Not that we can control what happens to us but paring down does help us keep from feeling so pulled in different directions trying to keep track of and care for all our possessions.

The book “The Shopping Diet” offers tips to control spending when shopping. The author says “If you are going to go minimalist do it with style. Instead of buyng a little black dress, make chocolate or forest green. Don’t buy a plain t-. Get one with a scoop or boat neck and get it in red or navy.

I guess what really struck me about all these people’s attitudes was that cutting back was not so humiliating but a kind of freedom. So much less to keep track of, take care of and less time spent shopping for more stuff. I guess it is what Sarah Breathnach was trying to say with her Simple Abundance Book that less stuff is more time for you.

Electronics

Get rid of an old gadget or appliance as soon as you get a new one. Gadgets and tech products lose value quickly, so the longer you wait, the more worthless they get. Check Ebay to see if the gadget is worth something. Make sure to look at actual sales, not listings with initial prices that didn’t get any bids. You will usually get a better price on Ebay rather than trying to sell it in a more limited venue, like Craigslist.

If you can’t sell it, consider donating or recycling it.

Staples recycles used computers, monitors, desktop printers and fax machines even if the item wasn’t purchased there. The recycling fee is $10.00 per large item.

GreenDisk (www.greendisk.com) accepts everything from cell phones to laptop computers to iPods. Pack items in your own box, print a label from the site and ship. The cost for disposal of up to 20 pounds is $6.95. GreenDisk will also send you a collection box and pick it up for an additional charge.

Technology Recycling accepts electronics equipment–working and not working–of all kinds and does business in 200 cities

Dell computer recycling

You can recycle your Mac computer and display for free with the purchase of a new Mac

Apple’s free iPod and cell phone recycling

Call2Recycle a nonprofit organization, offers consumers and retailers in the United States and Canada simple ways to recycle old phones. Consumers can enter their zip code on the group’s website and be directed to a drop box in their area. Most major electronics retailers, from Radio Shack to Office Depot, participate in the program and offer Call2Recycle drop-boxes in their stores. Call2Recycle recovers the phones and sells them back to manufacturers, which either refurbish and resell them or recycle their parts for use in making new products.

The National Cristina Foundation accepts computer equipment that is in working order for donation

Goodwill and The Salvation Army accept electronics in some areas, so call your local agency to find out if they participate in these donation programs.

This post is part of series of articles on How to Reduce Clutter and Get an Organized Home see our previous post How to Reduce Clutter and Get an Organized Home – Get Rid of Old Clothes

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Clean Out Clothes Closet

You face your closet every morning. If you are having trouble finding things and it is making you late to work or school or wherever you need to be, you need to clean out your clothes closet. Start by getting rid of clothes that are too small, especially if you haven’t been able to wear them for more than a year, said Yahoo? Shine’s fashion and beauty editor, Jennifer Romolini.

“Your wardrobe needs to be about practicality, not hope” she said. But if you think you will drop the weight – pregrnancy weight, for example professional organizers suggest keeping a limited amount of the smaller clothes love and would wear again, even if it’s in a year. If you are not sure whether to keep something, enlist the help of a friend who knows you well and will give you her honest opinion, says the deputy editor of Real Simple.

Do not donate clothes that are unwearable. If something has a tiny rip or a button missing, that’s one thing; if a piece is practically torn in two or forever-stained, throw it in the trash. This is especially true of baby clothes – formula stains are very hard to get out. If you are getting of work clothes check and see if any there are any charities that help women get employment. We had one in our area and they needed gently used business attire so that these women who are looking for work can have some decent clothes to wear when they interview for jobs.

Most consignment shops only take high-end pieces in excellent condition. While some take lesser quality clothing, it might not be worth the time. One donater received $11.00 for an entire bag of clothes, which barely covered her transportation to the store.

Designer/name brand items and new or barely worn items will get the highest bids on eBay. Be honest about the condition, be descriptive about the color, size and fabric and make sure spell the designer’s name correctly. Also include photos. While people do sell clothes on Craigslist, ask yourself – Do you really want people coming through your house, deciding whether or not they want what you are selling?

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Do you need cash from the car for another purchase or expense? While donating a car comes with tax benefits, you won’t see those benefits until the following tax season, said Mark Scoot, spokesman for AutoTrader.com.

Donate your car if it is a clunker or your goal is simply to get it out of the driveway. Most charities that accept car donations will pick them up within days of your call, Scott said.

If you’re donating your car, make sure you keep a good record of its condition and any evidence you can find for its market value, Soctt said. If you get audited, the Internal Revenue Serivice is going to want you to prove you didn’t inflate the value for the bigger tax break, he said. If your car or boat is worth more than $500, the IRS is going to want to see evidence of how much the charity got for it. (Most charities that accept these donations turn around and sell them for cash.) You’ll need to get a receipt from the charity revealing exactly how much money it made.

You won’t need evidence of the sales price if the charity keeps the vehicle or vessel and uses it in its charitable work, or if your donation is worth less than $500. Then you can report its fair market value based on listings from Kelley Blue Book and similar sources.

You can choose from an extensive list of some of America’s most respected local and national charities such as American Diabetes Association, American Kidney Fund, Cancer Research Institute, American Red Cross, United Way, United Breast Cancer Foundation, Humane Society, SPCA and many others. For a complete list visit http://www.donateacar.com/alphabetical.php

On the site listed above they even offer you a free travel gift and provide the paperwork for you to do take the tax deduction.

Make sure you avoid middlemen. Numerous for-profit intermediary organizations advertise aggressively offering to help you donate your vehicle to charity but they typically keep about 50 percent to 90 percent of the vehicle’s value for themselves.

In order for you to qualify for a deduction, the charity that gets your donation must be an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) organization.

Make sure you formally re-title the vehicle to the charity, and report the transfer to your state’s department of motor vehicles or licensing. Never agree to leave the ownership space on the charity donation papers blank.

Experts advise keeping a thorough paper trail. If your donation is worth more than $500, you’ll have to attach IRS Form 8283 to your tax return. If it’s worth more than $5,000, your documentation must include an outside appraisal. You’ll also need proof of the donation, such as a receipt from the charity and a copy of the title change.

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If books are overcrowding shelf or basket space, it’s time to reassess, says professional organizer Erica Ecker, owner of the organizing company The Spacialist. Did the book change your life? Do you get nostalgic when you see the binding?

Out-of-date paperbacks can go into the mixed paper bin at the recycling center or at curbside if the city or county picks up paper. Some take hardcovers, too, so check.

Sell newer book on sites like Amazon.com or Half.com an eBay company with fixed prices and no listing fees.

If the book is autographed, a first edition or was written by a high-profile author who has passed away, consider listing it on eBay. Half.com sellers can choose to have their listing show up on eBay product pages at no extra cost.

You can also donate books to a charity, such as an organization that promotes literacy, or take them to an independent book seller for money or credit.

Another option is to register your book with BookCrossing.com. Just visit the site, register your book and print out a label to stick inside the book. Then, send it out into the world by leaving it on a park bench, donating it to charity or giving it to a friend. If someone comes across your book, they can visit the site and let you know where it ended up!

You may also want to consider exchanging books with friends. You could simply have a shelf of old books that you don’t want by the door, and encourage your friends to take books that looked interesting. You could also have a book swap party, where everyone brings a box of old books to a central location for the others to look through. After the book swap, box up the remainder of the books and donate them to charity.

Arrange the books you have left on the shelves by category, grouping like with like. For fiction, you can categorize by novels, short stories, plays, and children’s books. Good non fiction categories include reference, biography, history , reilgion, English, arts, science , math, health/medicine, craft/hobbies, travel and photo albums, scrapbooks and yearbooks.

Within each category, alphabetize books by author. Keep heavier books on the bottom shelves and lighter books on the top shelves.

Want to find out how to get cash for clutter read our post on Cash for Clutter

Get Rid of Clutter

I have had days where I have literally looked around the house for extra cash. Now I was just thinking maybe I left money in the pocket of a jacket and I could find some extra cash there. Another way to find cash around your house and your peace of mind is to get rid of clutter.

Think of how much more peaceful your life would be if in the morning you didn’t have to paw through an overstuffed closest to find your favorite pair of pants. And if you could park your car in the garage at night because you had space there. And if there were not stacks of unopened mail on the dining room table. And if you could get rid of outgrown childrens clothing and toys stored under beds. And if you do something with those inherited or bought keepsakes living in boxes in the attic.

Cash is sitting right there in the clutter you have accumulated over the years. So get rid of clutter by selling items you no longer use or never wanted. Donate things to charitable causes you want to support and claim tax deductions for the good deed.

You can reduce you monthly expenses by clearing out a storage unit and canceling the rental contract. Or you can simply inventory what you have so you don’t waste money buying duplicates.

But to claim the value in what you already own, you have to get organized. If it is that simple, why don’t more of us do it and get rid of clutter? Did you know getting organized is one of top three new years resolutions. Why do people fail at it? Experts say because many people are not really prepared to do what it takes to downsize their possessions.

Sometimes it takes something catastrophic to happen for you to realize your stuff is just not that important. Sometimes your level of frustration get so high that you are really motivated to change. I knew one woman who started when she broke some expensive cookware when she was pulling a cookbook off a shelf.

Here are four very helpful tips to get you get rid clutter but before you start take a moment to think. Can you do this by yourself? I worked as a professional organizer for several years and I can tell you some people can not do it alone. You may need to get a clutter buddy. This is a good friend with veto power who can say what stays and what needs to go. Sort of like a shopping buddy who will be honest about how you look in the outfit. If you don’t know anyone who can do that for you consider a professional organizer. Their fees range from $25.00 to $100.00 per hour for a minimum four-hour session. If you sell some of the stuff, it may pay the cost of organizer.

So whether on your own, with a get rid of clutter buddy or professional help, let’s get started.

1. Start in a small space that frustrates you the most – That can be the closet, the linen cabinet or the kitchen cupboards. Evaluate honestly. For example, do you really 10 pairs of black pants?

2. Define what is important and prioritize – What are keepsake items that hold special memories although you no longer wear or use them, and what are lifestyle items that you reach for every week? Keepsakes can put away on a high shelf, lifestyle items need to stay front and centered. When you try something on in the morning and it looks bad, put it in the donation box immediately.

3. Divide the work into manageable time frames - If cleaning out your closet scares you, don’t commit an entire day to the task. Work on it for 15 minutes every day until the job is done.

4. Dispose of discarded stuff as soon as possible – The longer the stuff lingers in your house or car, the longer you have to regret your decision to get rid of it. Ideally, you should take the stuff to a donation store, consignment shop or recycling center within 24 hours of deciding to let it go. If you plan to sell it through newspaper classified sections or online, place the ad right away.

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Good luck. You can do it this time!

One of our most popular post on the topic of declutter and get organized is Paper Clutter Control – To Save or Not to Save

Found this article in the business section and thought you would find it useful. The article basically discusses the economics of outsourcing your mundane chores. I have summarized the important points.

Did you think only celebrities and really wealthy people can afford personal assistants? Think again. There are many websites out there that can assist you with a wide variety of tasks ranging from writing thank you notes to following up on lost luggage.

One woman uses a site called AskSunday.com to deal with lost luggage, security issues with credit cards and reservations problems. When asked how she justifies the cost she said it costs about the same price as cable tv and eliminates so many of the headaches in her life, that it is totally worth it.

Prices and packages vary from site to site: On AskSunday.com users can pay 29.00 per month for 15 “requests” while the site GetFriday.com offers pay-as-you-go and monthly plans, in increments of 10 to 15 minutes. The monthly plans start at $120.00 a month for 10 hours.

Tim Ferriss, author of The Four-Hour Workweek, uses what he calls a “small army” of virtual assistants for everything from checking his e-mail to screening his phone calls and sending gifts to family and friends. He also uses a virtual assistant to find and schedule dates for him where he can promote his product. Ferriss says if you make more than $30,000.00 a year, you can afford to outsource some of your more routine tasks.

A marketing consultant uses Elance.com to find graphic designers for his website, find vegetarian-friendly restaurants, organize his Netflix account, plan a baby shower and bid for items on e-Bay.

Security issues are always a concern and Ferriss says that he has never had any problems. He does suggest though using trusted sites like PayPal.com when possible and using credit instead of debit cards to minimize potential damage.

Some sites, like AskSunday.com keep logins and passwords in a secured database so that its employees can use certain accounts but cannot see login or password information.

The article ends with a quote from the author of The Four-Hour Work Week which I thought summed it up well. “Ultimately, time is the most valuable, nonrenewable resource that we have.”

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Women’s Day magazine had some great ideas about what to do if you are afraid to throw something away because it could be valuable. Here they are:

Check online - A woman who was worried about selling her mint-condition, in-the-box action figure went online to check prices for it. After seeing it didn’t even get bids, she had no qualms about selling it in a garage sale.

Hire an appraiser – Take your item to a local appraiser. You’ll typically pay at least $75.00 or more; find one at appraisers.org.

Outsource the Job – When you can’t find the time to list it on eBay or cragslist.org, sell your stuff to a middleman like an antiques buyer, a consignment store or an eBay drop-off franchise such as iSold It (i-soldit.com) or Auction It Today (auctionittoday.com) For a 30% to 40% commission you’ll save yourself the hassle.

Donate to Charity - Donate and save money on taxes. To find out what amount is appropriate to deduct, access up-to-date lists of fair market values at TurboTax’s itsdeductible.com and use the free online software to track your donations all year.

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