Goal for the Day: Organize

We’re all constantly on the go. As we rush around, the things that come into our lives tend to pile up. Bills, magazines, papers, purchases—we put them down with the promise that we’ll put them in their proper place when we have time. However, when do we find the time? By the end of a week, the stacks grow higher, and soon, they seem so insurmountable that we vow we’ll tackle the enormous task—when time permits.


Instead of making a huge amount of work for yourself by having to plow through vast collections of “stuff,” take a few minutes to put things away as they come. File your bills as soon as they’re paid. Keep a basket next to the couch to hold the magazines that you swear you’ll have time to read. When you buy a new shirt, hang it in the closet as soon as you get it home. You won’t have time to organize everything once it piles up, but you can find time—just a few seconds—the moment something new comes into the house.

I use an old toast rack on my desk. No, it doesn’t hold toast, but it does hold letters. Each slot into which a crunchy treat would have been nestled, now accepts correspondence that requires attention. Once dealt with, the remaining paper is filed in the appropriate category. Filing things is dull, but taking care of it as it comes is much easier than sorting through a mountain of paper at a later date.

You’ll find that cutting the unnecessary clutter out of your surroundings makes for a more peaceful and attractive home. And, frankly, in today’s world, any ticket to relaxation is a welcome one.