I worked for a male client located in Orem, Utah this week. Scott wanted me to tackle and organize basement storage shelves. Because he was a man of importance at his workplace he felt it was a finance forward decision to hire me rather than take the time  himself to do the work.

I explained to Scott that I did not know which items his family valued so he, his wife, and their four children would need to take a quick look through the items I pulled off the shelves so they could decide what would be purged and what would be put back on the shelves I categorized and zoned. (Look at the photo below to see the finished project.)

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I am always involved in new learning. I thoroughly enjoy a recommended reading book suggested by someone I value. I have learned much as I read. It has allowed me to fine tune my thoughts and ideas. Some of my favorite books on understanding why we struggle with disorganization and how to begin the organizing process are listed below. The book titles I recommend are shown in orange print.

ORGANIZING YOUR TIME

Time Management from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern Julie is one of my favorite organizing experts. This book is based on her basic organizing SPACE formula. She focuses on scheduling and prioritizing.

Leave the Office Earlier by Laura Stack Laura, known as “the productivity pro” has a clear handle on the importance of prioritizing what’s truly important.

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As owner of a Utah based business offering professional organizing services, Vicki Winterton of Organizing Mind over Matter is delighted to offer home design and space planning optimization for clients building new homes or remodeling their current home spaces. If you are frustrated with the functioning of your existing home OR are in process of building a new residence and are not sure how to best optimize the space, Vicki Winterton at Organizing Mind over Matter can:

1. Talk you through space planning suggestions for best design of your new home
2. Improve traffic flow and space functionality
3. Reconfigure your existing space based on your changing needs and requirements with space planning optimization

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At the December 2012 meeting of the Utah professional organizers group, one of our group, Traci Barnes of Tame Your Space, offered to take professional looking photos of each PO in attendance. She was not concerned that she was making her competitors look good. She was excited to offer her friends (those competitors) an opportunity to move their business and our Utah group forward in a positive way. I was impressed with Traci’s kindness. I value her as an acquaintance and friend. Traci, that day in December, exemplified well a point in the NAPO bylaws, “I will seek and maintain an equitable, honorable, and cooperative association with other members and will treat them with respect and courtesy.”

Traci will be leaving our Utah group in 2 months. She will be joining her husband in Cameron Park, California. We will miss her.  We can all learn from Traci’s example. It is smart to treat with respect and courtesy everyone with whom we associate. Thank you Traci for being a good example to me.

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Consumable Emergency Food Supply

Do you have an emergency food supply in your home for use “just in case”? In today’s world we have each become accustomed to having anything we want at our fingertips. Few of us have considered what would happen if we were not able to get to the corner market OR if the corner market did not have food on their shelves. With natural disasters this is a very real possibility. I live on an earthquake fault line. Our BIG EARTHQUAKE is about 100 years overdue. Having an emergency food supply on hand is very important to me and should be to you!

Rising prices and unemployment can mean that you simply do not have the money you need to buy food as was the case with my family when I was a child. It makes good sense to store food in your home so that your family can endure emergencies more comfortably.

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