I like to think of a few small things I want to do around the house every month.

I thought it would inspire and motivate you to also think up a few things and tackle one small thing every week.

This is how you purposefully create a sanctuary at home. By making decluttering and organising a regular, and not just a once-off event.

For Feb my tasks are:

1. Weed out the shoe organiser behind the door in the study.
2. Declutter books.
3. Take the gazillion discs to the computer place and get them to transfer everything onto my external hard drive (they only charge R200 for all that!)
4. Errands – drop off baby clothes at the hospital, return friend’s necklace and get together with friend (Maddy!!!) to give baby gift for 2-month-old

What are your 4 organising to-dos for Feb?

P.S. If you’re ready for about 1.5 – 2 hours’ organising over a whole week, have a look at organising your home

Spring in Johannesburg is absolutely beautiful.

The jacarandas bloom, the rains clear the smog and all is well with the world.

There’s a park I drive by on my way home from work.

At one point I turn left and then right into my street.

As I take that left turn I check the traffic coming from the other side and, when I turn my head, I gaze straight down a row of jacaranda trees in the park.

Picture it – a  row of beautiful purple trees.

There’s something about the orderliness of nature that appeals to me. That, and the purple.

I kept telling myself, “I should pull over and take some pics”.

But I didn’t.

Always in a hurry to get home to see the babies.

But one day I wasn’t in too much of a hurry.

I’d finally determined in my heart that “today was the day”, turned the corner, looked and the jacarandas were gone.

Normal, green trees where the purple flowers had been just a few weeks earlier.

I was dismayed!

I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed before that the jacarandas only have the purple flowers for a short time.

Next year I’ll be ready and I will stop and take TONS of pics.

Good thing though I took these ones in other locations.

And when we had our photoshoot, the jacarandas were in full bloom. Just look at the purple carpet – heaven!

Anyway, this is my challenge to you

Don’t wait and wait and wait to do something important to you – it may be too late.

This was a relatively small thing in the grand scheme of things but oh so often, we procrastinate and wait with the Big Things in life.

Don’t wait – life is too short.

• If you’ve always wanted to go to Italy, set a goal and start working towards it.
• If you’ve always wanted to write a book, set a goal and do it.
• If you want to get organised, set a goal and do it.

And if you don’t know how to make your Big Things happen, I’ll be happy to coach you.

Happy 2011, everybody.

My prayer is that you will do Big, Juicy things in 2011 and start crossing things off your Life List.

You do have a Life List, don’t you?

P.S. The two good pics of my family are by Jeanette Verster

I’m not sure what happens in the rest of the world but in South Africa, companies usually pay employees by 15 December, so they have money for Christmas.

That’s lovely in theory but it does mean there’s a long, long wait between the December and January salaries.

I wasn’t always as self-disciplined as I am now but I was always a quick learner.

After one really bad year where all the money was spent early on, I vowed to never get in that situation again.

We’ve never used credit cards so that was just not an option.

I’ve now done this for about 12 years and it works beautifully.

When I get paid in December, I move the money I’ll need for the 3 weeks in January plus a bit extra to a separate savings account.

Out of sight, out of mind or… what you don’t see, you can’t spend

It’s simple but very effective.

This way I always have money in January when everybody else is broke. And everybody thinks I’m very clever when I tell them my “tricks”.

What do you do about the long wait? Or what happens on your side of the world?

P.S. In the Organise your home system, there’s an ebook on finances called 10 steps to your financial freedom which has even more fantastic tips.

P.P.S. If you’re getting paid this week, my coaching challenge is to put the January money in another account.

This week, let’s tackle some of those tasks around the home and office that we don’t get around to doing.

I’m specifically choosing Quick and Easy tasks so that you can build up some momentum and feel good about getting things done.

What gets you motivated?

Is it MUSIC? Then put on some 80′s tunes to get yourself energised.

Is it COMPETITION? Then challenge yourself and see how many of the tasks you can accomplish in an hour.

Is it being ACCOUNTABLE? Then post a comment telling me what you’re going to do and come back to tell me when it’s done!

Is it SOCIAL INTERACTION? Then make a coffee date with a friend, but ONLY once you’ve done an hour’s organising.

Is it reaching a GOAL? Then reward yourself once you’ve done all the tasks.

Right! So now that we know what motivates you, let’s get to it!

In the home

1. Declutter and sort through all the old magazines. Tear out the articles and toss the rest.
2. Organise your launch pad – that place in your home where you DUMP things when you walk in the door.
3. Collect all the clothes you need to dry-clean, declutter or get mended.
4. Clear off the front of your fridge. Toss the magnets and recipes you’re never going to use.
5. Throw away any old food in your fridge and freezer, and give the surfaces a good wipe down.

And now for some…

Office organising

1. Do your filing.
2. Collect all the bills and invoices from around the home and schedule the payment dates in your planner.
3. Shred any junk mail with your name on it.
4. Organise your desk.
5. Delete 100 emails from your Inbox and Sent Items. There are lots of tips and tricks in 7 easy steps to organise your office

Whatever you manage to do, give yourself a pat on the back!

The best-selling Organise your home ecourse has literally helped people ALL over the world. Are you next?

I love finding new ways to use existing items in my home. I find that it forces me to be more creative and also, it saves me money because I don’t need to go out and buy whatever I need 90% of the time.

One of those things is in-trays.

Did you know you can use them not only in the office but also all around your home?

Let me show you how:

1. In the office

Use for standard in and out trays but also for To Pay, To File or To Read trays.

2. At your command centre

Your command centre is the place in your home where everybody dumps their stuff and is usually also the place where you toss the mail.

Have a vertical stack of trays (like a plastic storage drawer system) or a hanging file in a filing box for each member of the family. When you bring in the mail or empty the backpacks, sort immediately and place each person’s mail in their tray.

3. In the kitchen

Use for recipe books, menu plans, grocery lists, coupons, etc.

I have an in-tray for my cleaning lady too so we both have a place to leave notes for one another.

4. In your craft area

In-trays work beautifully for keeping different coloured paper and project board neat, tidy and organised.

Remember to work with and not against your organising style.

If you like things visible, use a hanging folder system. If you like things out of sight, use a plastic storage drawer system and simply label the drawers.

Find out how you can get more help in organising your home here

Marcia Francois is a time management and organising coach who empowers small business owners and other busy professionals who want to make the most of their time. You’ll get simple, practical organising and time management secrets to help you work less and enjoy life more! Visit http://takechargesolutions.org for your free Organising Success Pack.

Wherever you are in the world, the seasons change every three to six months and it’s either warming up or cooling down in your part of the world.

Whatever your situation, take the time to sort out your wardrobe.

Pareto’s Principle states that 20% of your efforts result in 80% of your results.

Did you know that this principle also applies to your wardrobe?

That’s right – you only wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time.

The aim of your wardrobe is to have clothes you love, that look good on you and that flatter your body shape.

I’ve been reading up a lot on clothes websites and blogs and I gathered some tips for everybody:

If you wore the fashion the first time around, you shouldn’t be wearing it this time

Even if it still fits you, the styles and colours will have changed.

Pleated and tapered pants are out for all body shapes. Aren’t you glad?!

Now let’s get busy purging and organising your clothes.

1. Put on some upbeat music and call a friend or professional organiser to help you.

2. Set aside an afternoon and remove everything from your wardrobe.

3. Make 3 piles:

• Clothes you don’t love, don’t suit your lifestyle or don’t look good on you

• Clothes you love and that fit you properly

• Clothes that you’re not sure about, for whatever reason

4. Action the piles

• Donate or throw out

• Organise in your wardrobe or on your shelves according to your personal preferences – by colour, style (smart, casual, etc), or season/ sleeve length, etc.

• Move to another place in the house or to a storage container. Make a note in your planner or in Outlook to look at this pile again at a later date (I like to think of this as a pending file for your clothes).

When you look at this pile again, fit everything on. You will then be able to look at the clothes unemotionally and decide whether they deserve to take up space in your wardrobe (you want to keep them) or whether they need to be donated.

Rather have half the amount of clothes and be able to wear everything than a full-to-overflowing wardrobe where you can only wear a few items.

When was the last time you decluttered some clothes?

This is the ONE question I get asked by clients more than any other question.

Marcia, I want to get organised but it’s all so overwhelming.

Where on earth do I start?

There are different ways to approach this question but before we even start with the practical aspects, you need to do this:

First of all, relax and take a deep breath

Then get your mind in the right space.

Realise that this is a process and that you will not have a totally organised home in one hour, despite what you saw on Oprah last week.

Remember the home makeover shows have TONS of organizers and stylists behind the scenes making the space look beautiful. You only have you (or if you’re really blessed, a friend or family member to help you).

Now that we’ve got that part settled, let’s talk practical.

1. Start with the area of your home or life that bothers you the most.

If you can’t bear to choose clothes every morning because your wardrobe is too cluttered, then that’s probably a good place to start. The benefit of choosing this area is that when you feel overwhelmed by the rest of the house you can go to this one space, look at it and feel inspired.

2. Decide what you want to have happen in that space.

Do you only want clothes in your wardrobe, or do you want shoes and handbags in there too? If you’re not sure what you want (as with anything else in life), it’s easier to let your standards and boundaries slip and in this case, before you know it, you may have a disorganised space once again.

3. Declutter

You can’t organise clutter. Get rid of everything that shouldn’t be there. You may need to move some things to other rooms and some things may need to move right out of your house!

4. Organise what’s left according to your personality and style

Not everybody is a minimalist. Some of us need to surround ourselves with our treasures. It’s all okay.

Your system works as long as you can find what you’re looking for relatively quickly (within a minute).

5. Maintain.

Last but not least, do a quick, 5-minute maintenance session in each major space every week so that your space remains organised.

Now that you’ve read my tips, where do you think YOU should start?

Leave your answer in the comments to hold yourself accountable and get you motivated.

P.S. This product will help you get your whole house organised in just 12 weeks

This has got to be my absolute favourite time of year:

• I get to start a new daily planner – is there anything better than the smell of clean notepaper?!
• I personalise it with all my lists and forms and make it completely user-friendly for me
• I start new notebooks for my coaching notes, household and business to-do lists
• and I go wild with decluttering

It just so happens that January is Get Organised Month so there really is no better time to get and stay organised.



If you’re thinking of getting organised this month, here’s how you can help orphans in Mozambique at the same time.

I’m donating 25% of all January sales of the Organise your Home e-course to this orphanage. Click and read how grateful these boys are for things we (me!) take for granted, like stationery and school surplies.

It is humbling!

I really want to send them a nice chunk of change  so if you’ve ever thought about getting the Organise your Home e-course, let me encourage you to get it this month so you can help them out.

To sweeten the deal, I’m giving you all 10% off the current purchase price. Simply use the coupon code MOZAMBIQUE at the checkout.

Happy New Year, everybody. Help me make those boys happy.

Yes, it’s true. I really hate doing the laundry. I think it’s because it’s never DONE! And I like things DONE and ticked off the list.

I actually have a friend who told me once that she finds doing laundry therapeutic. I can’t fathom this at all but maybe you also love doing the laundry and can relate.

Before the babies arrived I did 2 – 3 loads once a week, usually on a Friday, depending on whether it was hot or cold around these parts. In winter the laundry seems to pile up quicker because we’re wearing thicker clothes and layers, lots of layers

Of course, now that the babies are here, we have to do 3 – 4 loads of baby laundry every week, in addition to our 2 – 3 loads. They also spit on me all the time despite using burp cloths so that’s increased our laundry too!

Fun times!

So here’s what I now do:

Preparation

1. I have two big laundry baskets in my laundry, a tiny room just off my kitchen. One is for colours and one for whites. One of these baskets equals a full load in the machine so when the basket is full, I do a load, no matter what day of the week it is
2. We have a laundry basket in our bedroom which I empty every 1 – 2 days.
3. When I empty the bedroom laundry basket, I separate into the colours and whites piles there and then.
4. I keep stain remover, washing powder and fabric softener, right where I use it – next to the washing machine – so that it’s not a big schlep actually doing the laundry.
5. Most times, I get the machine ready before the time by filling the washing powder and fabric softener drawers, and setting the dial ready to start. We also have a leaking tap and I hate wasting water so I put a bucket underneath the leak.

Actual doing

1. When one of those baskets is full, all I have to do is toss the laundry into the machine and turn on the tap.
2. If I’m feeling extra clever, I load the machine in the evenings and leave a note for Dion to turn on the machine in the mornings when he wakes.

Drying

1. If the weather’s good, which it is 90% of the time in Johannesburg, I like to hang the laundry outside to dry because the air does the job quicker and it saves me money by not having to use the tumble dryer.
2. I hang shirts and tops straight onto hangers and hang the hangers on the washing line. It’s quicker than using clothes pegs and easier to bring in quickly if rain threatens as it does during summer time afternoons.

Ironing

1. I think if there’s anything worse than doing laundry in the machine, it must be the ironing. I absolutely can’t stand it. I’ve been known to wear every single thing in my wardrobe rather than get out the iron and iron something.
2. We have a cleaning lady, Precious, who cleans the house and does our ironing once a week. Heaven! I would do without eating out but I will not do without Precious

Babies

The babies have a nanny to look after them and part of her responsibilities is to do their laundry while they nap. Aren’t I clever?

Do you love or hate doing the laundry?

If you’re one of those people who love doing the laundry, please share your tips with the rest of us

P.S. This is in response to Michelle from British Columbia who wanted to know how to keep the laundry monster at bay

Get your home organised in 12 weeks

I’ll be posting the winner in about 24 hours’ time. It’s so difficult because everybody wrote such compelling entries *sigh*

It’s been 6 months since I held this type of contest and I think it’s about time we did one again. Don’t you agree?

So who has a disorganised home?

I’m looking for someone who would like and could use my Organise your Home e-course.

If you’re chosen, I’ll give you one for free and in turn, I’ll need you to be my guest blogger and do at least 6 posts – one post before, at least 4 room posts, and 1 post after to say how you’ve changed, etc… – which I will use for the 4 weeks in August and 2 in September when the babies are born.

See? Win-win

I did the same thing at the beginnning of the year and chose Anne as my guest blogger for the Office Organising Makeover which worked out really well because then I was in the throes of extreme pregnancy fatigue!

Let me tell you a little bit about the e-course… in case you don’t feel like clicking the picture to go read about the great results others have and are getting.

• It’s set out in 12 parts with a 13th bonus one thrown in for free
• covers every section of your home. You work through it section by section in manageable bits so you don’t get overwhelmed.
• you also get the Household Organising File and instructions on how to set yours up
• free email support for the 12 weeks
• and much more

This is how you enter

Send an email to marcia AT takechargesolutions.org or leave a comment telling me

• a little bit about yourself – married/not, children, what you do (SAHM/ WAHM/ works full-time), etc. (just because I’m nosy )
• which areas of your house need the most help
• if you have your own blog (this is not a requirement)
• why you want to do this

Entries close at midnight EST on Saturday 4th July.

Let the games begin!