It’s that time of year. Leaves are turning, classes are starting, and new school supplies are flying off store shelves. The other day I came across an old pre-printed pad, “A Note to School from Linda Samuels,” which I no longer use since our daughters are in college and beyond. Seeing the notepad made me think about all the years of excited anticipation we had preparing for school to begin.

Are you and your kids ready for the transition? Take a deep breath. Getting that organizing piece working for you can make a big difference in your days running more smoothly. Here are my top seven tips for an organized, joyful school year.

7 Organizing Help Tips for Back to School

1. Cycle

Giving closure to the previous school year helps us get ready for this year. Sort through last year’s school papers (preferably with your kids.) It’s an excellent opportunity to review what was accomplished and what they were most proud of. It gives you a chance to create a mini time capsule representing last year. Be ruthless when you sort. Save what’s most meaningful and recycle the rest. Store the “keepers” in a large envelope. Write your kid’s name, grade, and year on the outside. Store the envelope in a larger container. Add a new envelope at the end of each school year. 

2. Capture

Establish a place to put the current school papers as they enter your home. You can use bins, binders, boxes, or any container that’s easily accessible. As art, graded papers, or programs come in, put them in their designated spot. You might want a separate container for each kid. When the container gets full, you can do some editing. Then the “keepers” can be stored in their year-end envelope, as described above.

3. Land

Create a place for backpacks, coats, and notes to reside. When kids come home, they will know where to put their belongings. Cubbies work well, as do hooks. Make them easily accessible in terms of their physical placement in the home and the heights at which you place things. The easier you make it, the better chance you will establish the “place it here” habit. Consider adding a whiteboard or other communication center in this area to leave notes, messages, and essential items for kids to remember. Before bed, have your kids make sure that all needed items are ready in the “land” area for the following day.

“Giving closure to the previous school year helps us get ready for this year.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

4. Center

One of the essential ingredients for school success is establishing a place to do homework and readily available school supplies. When it’s time to do that science project, it’s no fun if you have to hunt for the markers. Review your current supplies to see if any items need to be replenished. Create a zone for the supplies to reside. If your kids like to move around to various locations to do their homework, put together a portable tote, bin, or rolling cart to hold the supplies. Whether they prefer working on a desk, bed, or the kitchen table, the supplies can “travel” with your kids. 

5. Assess

Fall is a natural time to review clothing needs. Organize with each kid separately. Go through their closets and drawers. Remove any items that no longer fit, they won’t wear, need repair or cleaning. With the “do not want or fit,” donate or save for younger kids if appropriate. Make a shopping list of items that are needed. Remember that less is easier to maintain than too much. Factor in how often laundry is done. Especially if it’s done frequently, you may not need as many clothes. Getting dressed is so much easier and less stressful when everything fits, is clean and organized.

6. Resources

This is the time of year when back to school tips and suggestions are abundant. Many of my organizing colleagues have great wisdom to share. Some of my favorite tips and posts are Leslie Josel’s Student Organizing Pinterest board, Helena Alkhas’ school paper organizing system, and Ellen Delap’s Back to School Tips to Organize Your Home. You can also find inspiration on my Pinterest board, Oh, So Organized School Days!

7. Perspective

With transitions come new patterns, more to-dos, and extra stress. Reminding ourselves to enjoy the moments can be helpful. They go so fast. A few years ago, I wrote a guest post for Working Mother, Moms’ ‘To Do’ Lists about getting things done, parenting, and appreciating the various stages of our children’s lives.

What are some of your favorite ways to stay organized for the school year? I invite you to join the conversation and to share your best tips and resources. 

What motivates us to take action? As a professional organizer for almost 20 years, I’ve noticed certain patterns that propel people to reach out for organizing help. When I ask a potential client, “What prompted your call?” there are some typical responses. They include answers which include feeling overwhelmed, feeling stuck, and experiencing big life changes.

Let me know if any of these resonate with you. Or, are you experiencing something other than what is described?

Top 10 Reasons People Ask for Organizing Help

1.“I am overwhelmed by my clutter, lack of space, and time to manage the ‘stuff’ of life.”

Overwhelmed – This general sense of overwhelm is the most frequent reason given for enlisting organizing help.

2.“ I’d like to be organized, but I never learned the skills.”

Never Learned How – For some, organizing comes naturally, while for others it’s learned. It's never too late to start, even if organizing wasn't taught or modeled.

3.“ I want to organize, but I don’t know which organizing products are best, where to purchase them, or where to donate unwanted items.”

Need Resources – The physical part of the organizing process sometimes requires help from others. Organizers have an abundance of resources including places to donate or purchase storage containers, and contacts for other professionals such as therapists or coaches.

4.“I know what I want to accomplish, but I can’t figure out how to make that happen and what to do next.”

Next Step Paralysis – Our organizing end goal might be clear, but we're not sure what our next small step should be. This can cause procrastination and inaction. Organizers can help break large goals into smaller, doable steps.

5.“ I know how to organize, but I don’t have any time to do it.”

Time Poor – Some prefer to delegate or outsource organizing projects because their schedules are too busy to handle the work themselves.

6.“The only way I’ll get organized is if I’m accountable to someone.”

Want Accountability Partner – Establishing set appointments and follow-ups with an organizer or accountability partner can be a great motivator for completion of projects.

7.“I’m organized, but my spouse is not. It’s making me crazy, and I don’t know what to do!”

Disorganized Family Member – Frustration over family members with different organizing styles and tolerances is very common. Organizers are often enlisted to help families figure out workable solutions by staying neutral and non-judgmental.

8.“I used to be able to organize, but because of my declining health, I no longer have the strength or the energy to do this myself.”

Health Challenges – Medical challenges can cause limited mobility, loss of energy, or concentration. This is another reason people ask for organizing help.

9.“I have ADD and find it difficult to focus and stay organized. It’s been a lifelong struggle. I want to figure out systems that work for the way I think.”

Brain Differences – ADHD and other brain or learning differences can make organizing more challenging. It’s very common to enlist help from specially trained organizers or coaches. ICD is a wonderful resource for finding organizers with training in these areas.

10.“ My kids are out of the house, my parents have both passed away, and I have too many things that no longer fit my life. I need help letting go and reorganizing.”

In Transition – Before, during, or after changes such as births, moves, divorces, empty-nests, or loss of loved ones, our routines and needs shift. Organizers can be valuable partners in negotiating that new normal.

I’d love to hear from you. Do any of these seem familiar? What can you add to list? Come join our conversation.

Whether you are organizationally challenged, highly organized or somewhere in between, there are times when we want to enlist help. That help can come in many forms like hiring organizational professionals, reading books about organizing, or finding the perfect storage container. Organizing resources are abundant. The sheer volume available can be overwhelming. To help you get started, I’ve narrowed down the options.

10 Best Sources for Organizing Help

1. Best Association for Finding Professional Organizers: National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professional (NAPO)

With over 4,000 professional organizers in NAPO’s easy to search database, you will surely be able to find an organizer. My post, 6 Tips for Hiring a PO can help you evaluate which one is the right fit for you.

2. Best Information on Chronic Disorganization: Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD)

This organization is the premier resource on chronic disorganization with top-notch education and strategies for the disorganized, professional organizers and related professionals. I’m looking forward to attending the annual conference this September, Overcoming Obstacles in Chicago.

3. Best How to Organize Book: Organizing Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin

This book is well organized, easy to use, and features multiple ways of approaching organizing challenges. Donna recognizes that there isn’t a one size fits all method of organizing. For each challenge, she includes multiple solutions supplied by various organizers. You can read the entire book or just the passages that apply to your particular organizing issues.

4. Best Book about Challenging Disorganization: The ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization edited by Kate Varness, CPO-CD, MA

This newly released book is a fabulous guide for understanding some of the core issues surrounding disorganization. The collection of articles by 32 industry leaders includes topics such as learning styles, hoarding, ADHD, depression, and collaborative therapy. I’m honored to be one of the contributors.

5. Best Variety of Organizing Products:  The Container Store

This favorite store (online and in-store) is the best place to find consistently stocked, interesting, durable, and beautifully designed organizing products. The staff is well trained, knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful. It’s this organizer’s dream store.

6. Best Stylish Organizing Products:  See Jane Work

When I’m looking for unique organizing products, I love visiting this website to see what Holly Bohn, the Founder and Creative Director of See Jane Work has discovered. She has a great eye and finds wonderful new products to add fun and pizzazz to the organizing experience.

7. Best Virtual Organizing Help:  Clutter Diet

Lorie Marrero, author of The Clutter Diet and creator of ClutterDiet.com has developed an innovative program allowing anyone to get expert virtual organizing help and advice at an affordable price. Her website is filled with tips, videos, and organizing support. This past spring, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lorie about clutter for our “Ask the Expert” feature.

8. Best Organizing App:  2Do: Task Done in Style

There are hundreds of to do management apps, and new ones keep coming. I haven’t tried them all, but I do use this one on a daily basis and absolutely love it! Not only does it appeal to my visual sensibility, but also it allows me to organize projects, actions, grouped and sorted, as I like. It has reminders, alarms, and syncing capabilities. How did I live without it?

9. Best Organizing Tips Blog: Peace of Mind Organizing

My friend and colleague, Janine Adams is a wonderful writer and blogger with a fabulous sense of humor and style. Just visiting her blog leaves me feeling uplifted and calmer. She always has something interesting to say or share about organizing, products, and habit changing.

10. Best Organizing Blog Featuring Professional Organizers: Professional Organizers Blog Carnival

Janet Barclay, Founder of the Organized Assistant, has a blog with monthly themes like organizing closets, computers, email, and families. She invites professional organizer bloggers to submit posts on a particular topic. Her blog is a wonderful resource for learning about different strategies and getting to know lots of organizers. Later this month, I’m looking forward to sharing my interview with Janet about enlisting help for our “Ask the Expert” feature.

Everyone needs help now and then. If you’re ready to reach out, these “best” resources are a great place to begin. Do you have a favorite organizing resource? Do you have any thoughts about a resource mentioned above? Come join in our conversation.

Do you prefer to do everything yourself? Do you get overwhelmed because you do too much? I’ve been guilty of not asking for help because it seems like it’s faster, easier, or less complicated if I just do it myself. I’ve learned that this isn’t always beneficial. If you find it difficult to enlist help, the pros and cons lists might help you shift your perspective.

Enlisting Help:  The “Pros”

• Benefit by another person’s expertise, wisdom, and creativity
• Focus on using the best of self by delegating tasks that are less interesting
• More time to spend on what’s most important
• Learn new skills
• Move past being stuck and overwhelmed
• Accomplish more because of delegating and accountability

Enlisting Help: The “Cons”

• Have to clarify and explain needs 
• Help might not be the right fit (person or profession) 
• Work might not get done exactly as you would do it 
• Have to let go of some control 
• Need to manage, set boundaries, and expectations 
• Might feel embarrassed to ask for help 

Learning how to ask for help, knowing when you need it, and finding the right type of help can be tremendously useful skills to hone. All of the “cons” listed have a positive side. For example, enlisting help can be disappointing and ineffectual if it’s not the right fit. Let’s say you are looking to hire a professional organizer to help organize your home office. It’s worth getting referrals from friends or resources like NAPO or ICD. Contact more than one professional so that you can select the one best suits your personality, budget, and needs. Doing research will give you a better chance of finding that right fit.

Think about areas you are struggling with. Would you benefit by enlisting help from a family member, friend, or professional that you trust? What’s your next step? Come join the conversation and share a pro, con, or next step.