Transforming an Extreme Clutter Environment

Usually, when I walk into a client's home for an organizing appointment, I can feel their sense of overwhelm.  I can see it in their face, and I can even hear it in their speaking as I listen to their plea for help.  I want to provide you all with a "day in the life" kind of description of how I transform a cluttered space.  Perhaps it will help you to tackle that basement, or that catch-all room, or just give some insight into how you can go about de-cluttering a space of your own.

GETTING STARTED

Let's just say we're working in a particular room, a bedroom.  I begin by sorting, just sorting.  At this point, that's all that is to be done.  You don't want to make decisions on what you have to keep, what you can donate, and who you can give certain items to.  By focusing on this one step, it keeps you from looking at the whole picture, which would cause most people to give up because it seems like too much to accomplish.  What do I mean by sorting?  By sorting I mean to create piles of like items.  For example, you want to place all the clothing items in one pile, all the books in one pile, all the toys in one pile, and so on.  I always tell my clients to ignore the room or project as a whole, and to only pay attention to each item they pick up, and what pile it goes in.

THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

Once you have everything sorted, you can then tackle each pile, one pile at a time.  Now is the time to go through each pile and make your decisions.  At this stage, you should be deciding on four categories: keep, donate, trash, and you are allowed to have a maybe pile.  Keep in mind that the maybe pile cannot, by any means, be bigger than the other piles.  Try to keep the maybes to a minimum.  The keepers go in a pile that will end up being a consolidation of the things you are keeping from all of the piles of like items that you sorted at the beginning of the process.  The donates can be placed in clear or white plastic bags so that they are not confused with the trash.  And the trash should go in large black trash bags.  The maybe pile should be left aside to deal with when all other steps are complete.

PUTTING THINGS BACK

Once all of your piles have been gone through and further sorted into the four categories mentioned above, you can then begin to put the items you are keeping back in place in an organized manner.  What I normally do is consult with the client before-hand on storage devices that can be used during the process.  The funny thing is, most of my clients already have all kinds of storage bins, shelving, and other nifty containers that can be used to organize their belongings.  The issue is that they have not been utilizing them in the most efficient way and are not maximizing their space.

DEALING WITH THE MAYBES

At the end of it all you will be left with that maybe pile.  The best way to deal with this pile is to take each item into consideration, one by one.  If it's a peice of clothing, ask yourself: "have I ever worn this?  if so, when was the last time?"  Sometimes, an entire season will pass and we will have forgotten about that pair of shoes or that dress, I've been guilty of that myself.  But when two winters go by and you haven't worn that sweater or that coat, it's time to say goodbye.  For other items in the maybe pile, if you've never used them, say goodbye.  Try not to get caught up in the "one day" trap.  That is, telling yourself that maybe "one day" you "might" need it.  For kitchen items, one good way to make a decision is to ask yourself if you really need two or three coffee makers, or blenders or skillets of the same size.

GOING FORWARD

Now that you've got the room organized, don't be tricked into thinking that it will stay that way forever with little or no effort.  That would be like going to the gym one time and thinking that it will get you fit for life and you'll never have to work out again.  Maintaining organization in any space takes ongoing effort and upkeep.  Even the clients who hire me to handle what they consider a one-time organizing project still call me back in three or four months for a maintenance session.  Try researching space organization on the web for organizing tips and hacks that can help you keep things in order on more of a long term basis.

Farewell to 2016!

Who else is ready to say farewell to the year 2016?  It was a year of mixed emotions...some triumphs, some victories, and some losses.  But by the Grace of God, we are still here.  Here are some events that happened this year that stuck with me:

- All of the talented gifts that we lost:

       * Muhammad Ali
       * Natalie Cole
       * Prince
       * Frank Sinatra
       * David Bowie
       * Gene Wilder
       * George Michael
       * Alan Thicke
       * Maurice White
   



Also, I would be amiss if I didn't mention the tragedy of losing Debbie Reynolds, and then her mother, Carrie Fisher so soon after.


- The Chicago Cubs broke their 71 year curse by winning the 2016 World Series

- The death of Fidel Castro

- The January 4th and January 7th crashes of the China
   stock market

- Donald Trump wins the presidential election !@#$

- Colby Bryant's retirement


These are just some highlights that stand out as I reflect on all that transpired.

As the year comes to a close, I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions.  I do not believe in "resolutions." However, this process will help you to start thinking about what you're creating for yourself and your life in 2017:

1)  What goals did you set for yourself in 2016 that actually became realities?

2)  What goals did you set for yourself in 2016 that you did not meet?  If these goals are still important to you, then make a new promise as to when you will accomplish  them over the course of next year.  As long as we are living and breathing, we can start again, and/or keep trying.

3)  What are your top five events of the year?

4)  What accomplishment are you most proud of?

5)  What are the greatest lessons you learned this year?

6)  Who or what were your greatest influences?

7)  What were your most important relationships?

8)  If you could sum up this year in one word, what would it be?

9)  What are you going to do less of this year?

10) What are you going to commit to do more of this year?

I have been very blessed this year, and I am forever grateful for all of the amazing experiences I've had.  Even though there are things that I wanted to accomplish that did not come into fruition, I am thankful for the things that I actual have been able to accomplish during 2016.

Let us start the New Year off with a grateful heart, a positive outlook, and a clean slate (letting go of the weight of the events of that past that we are not pleased with).

Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!!

Every homeowner should know what a Public Adjuster is!

As a Professional Organizer, I go into so many homes on a day-to-day basis, and I am always looking for ways to bring more value to the customer.  About three years ago, I received a phone call from my sister, explaining to me that she had stumbled across a way to make some extra money by providing a much needed service to homeowners.  Since a large percentage of my clients are homeowners, this is something that immediately sparked my interest.  We set up a meeting that was very informative, and needless to say, in almost no time, I had joined forces with her in this new venture.  In my mind it was simply another added service that I could offer to the clients who trust me, that would provide even more value for them.  I became a NJ Licensed Public Adjuster.

So, you are probably asking yourself right now, "what IS a public adjuster anyway?"  A public adjuster is a state licensed professional who: 1) educates homeowners on their homeowner policy...advising them, at no charge, on whether they have sufficient coverage, are paying for excessive coverage that they don't need, etc.; and  2) represents the homeowner when an incident occurs and there is damage to a home, maximizing their settlement by ensuring that they receive the highest claim amount possible - advising them on damages that are covered that they probably weren't aware would be covered.

Insurance policies can be difficult to interpret and can be very confusing to read and understand. Most of the homeowners I talk with don't even know the answers to some very basic questions about their policies.  Additionally, almost all of them have had damages to their homes int he past, that they have paid out of their pockets to repair, after decades of paying their homeowner policy premiums. Why?  Some are afraid of what might happen if they file a claim...some think that certain damages are not covered, only to find out when they sit down with me that they would have been covered. Some examples of covered "perils" are: wind damage, roof leaks, water stains, vandalism, smoke damage...and these are just a few.

The main reason why we are able to help homeowners get the maximum claim payment is because as Public Adjusters, we are educated in the field as a prerequisite to obtaining a license.  Therefore, we speak the same language as the adjusters that work for your insurance company, and we can represent the claim properly so that it is not denied for simple reasons (i.e. using the wrong language in the documentation).  We are also backed by a company that has an impeccable reputation, has a team of attorneys and other professionals if needed, and can help move the process along.

I hope that this post has been educational for all of you homeowners out there, and I encourage you to contact me via email at loni_mendez@outlook.com (in the subject line type in caps "FREE POLICY REVIEW") or by phone at (201) 771-0414 to set up a free 1/2 hour consultation.  During this session I will take a look at your homeowner policy and advise you on whether your level of coverage is appropriate, etc.  Public Adjusters do not sell insurance, so there is nothing to buy from us.  The consultation is just part of a free service that we provide in our efforts to educate homeowners.

Gaining control of your finances!!

Dear Readers,

This month I decided to create a post about a topic that many of us struggle with, or have difficulty on some level...finances.  I wanted to share with you what I've identified as eight steps to take in the area of finances that will give you power, and help you to shift your perspective about where you are:

(1) Interview your parents and older siblings about the historical conversations in your family regarding finances.  We've all grown up with certain conversations about money that have been passed down from those who raised us.  Whether the conversation in your household  was "we can't afford it" or "you can have anything you want," the point is that the conversations were inherited, and not created by you.  Learning what those conversations were in your household, and taking a look at what you say to yourself now about money is a very useful exercise.  You will be able to determine whether you are continuing those conversations without even realizing it, or you may determine that you are telling yourself something different in an effort not to continue whatever those historical conversations were.  For example, a person who grew up in a conversation of scarcity may have become a wreck-less spender as an adult.  In their mind they may be making up for the things they couldn't have as a child.

(2) Calculate your lifetime earnings.  Yes...your LIFETIME earnings.  This is a very empowering exercise.  It provides you with the opportunity to see your earning power with clarity.  When I calculated mine, it was over $1 million!  I felt very powerful when I saw that over the span of my life, I was able to generate that kind of income.  In this exercise, you want to be sure to count EVERYTHING you've ever inherited, worked for, been given, etc.  A good place to start is to look at your most recent Social Security Statement.  It has your annual earnings from the very first job you ever had on record.  If you could remember, also count the paper route or money your earned babysitting before  you began officially working.  If you are self employed and don't pay yourself a salary, use the Social Security Statement for the last year you worked and then use your corporate taxes for all the years you've been in business (or your personal taxes if you're an LLC).

(3) Know what you have!  I've met so many people who have pension plans from old employers, and other retirement accounts such as 401K's and/or 403B's and they have no idea how much money they have in these accounts.  I encourage you to look up all these accounts, order statements, etc. and add up all your assets.  That would include any money you have in these various accounts, as well as your personal savings, bonds, CD's and any other assets.  Your assets could also include antiques and collectibles....art...jewelry, etc.


(4) Know how much you owe!  Sometimes we take on that we really don't want to know how much debt we have.  Maybe what's behind this thinking is that if we don't acknowledge it, we won't have to deal with it.  There's a lot of power in knowing exactly who and what you owe, even if you can't pay it all right now.  Pull out all those bills...the credit card statements, the collection notices, any bills that you are receiving in the mail...even the ones you never open.  One of the things that we do with our clients who we pay bills for and coach around financial empowerment, is create an Excel spreadsheet of all their debts, and keep the actual paper statements in a matching binder.  Once you've identified all your debts, you can create a place to start from in repaying what you owe.  About 15 years ago, at the age of 30, I paid off $25,000 in debt little by little.  What kept me from paying it for many years was the notion that it was so monumental that I would never be able to pay it off unless I borrowed more money to do it.  One day I had a revelation - I realized that if I created a plan to repay it all, each month, I could proudly acknowledge that I took action toward my goal of being debt free.  Once I began operating from this place, before I knew it, I had paid those debts down to about $6,000.  About six months after that I was able to increase the amount of my payments, and the last few thousand dollars go paid off in a much shorter time-frame.  I had done it!!

(5) Determine your net worth.  Now that you know exactly what you have, and exactly what you owe, calculate your net worth.  This is a very simple exercise where you list out your assets, and then list out your liabilities.  Your net worth is your assets minus your liabilities.  And don't be alarmed if your net worth is a negative number.  It doesn't mean it has to stay that way.  The first step in changing that number from a negative to a positive is acknowledging that for right now, its a negative number.

(6) Create a budget.  This is another service that we provide to our clients; creating a budget, and working with them to stick to it.  It takes a little discipline, but its not difficult to do.  One of the most important things about doing this is that you are able to recognize if your bills and expenses are more than your income.  In knowing this, you will have the power to eliminate the deficit by either cutting back and decreasing your expenses, or increasing your income.

(7) Pay attention to your money.  Our company uses a free online tool known as Mint.  Go to mint.com and check it out.  You set up all your bank accounts, credit cards and assets and it tracks your debit and credit card transactions.  By doing this you are able to track your spending, identify trends, and see where you are being smart and where you need to cut back.  You can even input the budget that you created in step 6 above, and Mint will send you text alerts when you go over your budget for any of your monthly expenses.

(8) Create a plan for paying down your debt.  This is another area that we work closely with our clients on.  Depending on how much debt you have, we suggest different strategies for getting the debts paid.  You may have to start off small, and you can increase your payments as you increase your earnings/income.  It is wise to work on paying off your debts with the highest interest rates first.  We also suggest getting all three of your credit reports and ensuring that all the information contained in them is correct.  Consider the items on your credit report as you decide who and what you are going to pay off first, even the creditors that may have sent you to collection agencies, but are not charging you interest.  Also, be sure to create a reasonable plan for repayment, ensuring that your goals are attainable.

I hope that these steps I've shared make a difference for you, and help you to restore your power around finances!

Is your cat or dog doing his or her business in the house?

One of the common problems that I see many of my clients dealing with is keeping the house clean, fresh and organized when they have cats or dogs.  Sometimes, dogs or cats will start going in the house in a particular area.  Here are some helpful tips to help manage this stressful problem:

1) For cats, make sure that the litter box is clean.  If you do not keep the litter box clean, cats will not use it.  Make sure you scoop the box out daily and change the litter as needed.  I suggest once per week.

2) If for some reason, your cat or dog has started to urinate or do any of his or her business in a particular spot in the house, this is the result of the enzymes that he or she can smell in that area.  It automatically draws them back to that spot to do their business.  What you need to do is eliminate the smell from previous offenses from that spot.  One of the home remedies for this is white vinegar.  Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water, and then soak the area in vinegar for 20 minutes or more.

3) You can also use the spray that is sold called "Urine Off."  You should be able to find it in pet stores, such as Pet Smart or Petco.  You may even be able to find it in Home Depot or the local supermarket.

4) For cats you can also try placing the litter box over that spot or area, in addition to the recommendation in number 2 above.

5) Take your dog out three times per day...at least 4 or 5 hours apart.

Maintaining an organized home when you have children

So often, moms hire me to organize the rooms of their little ones, pre-teens and even teenagers who are in high school.  What I've found is that, most of those households have tons of tools and systems for staying organized.  But what they do not have is structures...structures in place for their children to participate in the upkeep.  They'll have bins, book shelves, totes, nifty baskets, and many other devices that are so great for keeping the house organized.  And no matter how much of these tools and devices they have, they find that they aren't making a difference.  In these cases, I coach my clients to find ways to enroll their children in keeping their areas of the house tidy.

Here I am including some of the ideas that I pass along to my clients who are challenged by their children's belongings taking over the house or causing disarray:

1)  Find something that your kids love to do, and negotiate.  For example, if they love watching a particular show at 7, set up a time...maybe 6 - 6:30 in the evening three eves per week, before the show airs, to oversee them as they pick up their toys, put things away, and restore the order in designated areas of the house.  Make this a requirement if they want to watch their show at 7.

2)  One of the most common issues with number one above, that I hear from parents is:  "but what if I don't remember to do this?"  My answer to that is to put this activity into your phone/calendar, so that an alarm goes off and you are reminded when it's time to do it...and respect your alarm - don't put it off until later.  This is an example of what I am referring to when I use the word structures.

3) Create a game or contest!  I have a client who has twin boys who are challenged with making their beds everyday.  I coached her to created a game where, if both of the boys make their beds every morning, Monday through Friday, at the end of the week they would be rewarded (maybe an extra 1/2 hour of play or TV time; or maybe a trip out for ice cream on Friday evening after dinner).

4) Don't allow the kids' toys, books and etc to take over the house.  Instead, have designated areas (in their room, in the family room, etc).  Also, make collecting these items from around the rest of the house, and putting them away in the designated areas part of the clean up time that you schedule.

5) Be an example!  If your rule is that everyone washes their own dish after use, then wash yours too.  If the rule is for everyone to make their bed when they fall out of it in the morning, then make yours too!

If you start your children off with these practices, and they develop a muscle at using them, it will stay with them in their
teenage years and beyond.  The younger your children are when you start, the better, but it's never too late.

Dealing with Appointment Cancellations

As we get on with our day, things don't always turn out as planned.  Sometimes, we have our entire day laid out perfectly, and one or more of the people we plan to meet with call to cancel.  Typically, my first response to this is thinking that this time slot or part of the day is shot, and of how I could have booked someone else in that window. Immediately after this thought runs through my mind, I began to look at how I can make the best use of this time.  Below, I am sharing some of those ideas with you:

1) Offer to meet via Skype, phone or web.

2) Keep a running "to-do" list of things that aren't urgent, that is separate from your daily to-do list.  When you have a cancellation, pull out that list and take on completing one or two of the items on it.

3)  Catch up on social media!  If you have a blog, create a post; check up and respond to mail on your Linked In account; or update or post to your Facebook page.

4) Make some sales calls.  I keep a list with me at all times of current clients, as well as referrals.  I have booked some appointments that have really paid off, by sitting in my car making calls for a 1/2 hour after someone cancelled their meeting with me.

5) If you are a consultant like me, a good way to minimize client cancellations is to incorporate a cancellation fee into your client agreement.  Mine is only a fraction of what my charge would have been for the visit, but it still causes people to think twice about cancelling.



6) Pick up your dry cleaning, shoes from the shoemaker, or those few items on your shopping list that you've been meaning to grab.

7) Visit the local cafe (Panera Bread or Starbucks are my favorites) and read and respond to email...for me, I always have plenty of emails to read and many that require responses.

8) Check your voicemail and respond to messages.


This list is a little short, but it has certainly helped me to maintain my productivity when someone cancelled on me at the last minute.  I hope you find it useful!!