Refrigerator Maintenance

I know a lot of people who hate cleaning out their refrigerators. It becomes an overwhelming task for them because they leave it so long that when they finally get around to it, often they find some pretty ugly stuff. A simple suggestion: make it a rule that each time you go grocery shopping and are adding to the items in your fridge, you have to go through it quickly and pull out anything that's getting a little old. This way you're constantly shuffling the old out and replacing it with the new. As always, maintenance is easier than a big overhaul so try creating a new habit to solve your fridge dilemmas.

Paper Clutter

Paper everywhere? There are many things you can do to help your paper situation and there are many books out there that will tell you how to do it. One of the best things you can do, however, is to separate your active papers from your reference papers. Just think: right now when you need to find something that's "active" (needs following up on), you have to dig through everything to find it. Instead, if you had them all contained together and separate from your "reference" papers (anything you occasionally--but not often--refer to). This way there is much less at your fingertips to keep track of. There are different approaches on how to set up these two separate systems and there are books out there that can teach you how, or feel free to email me for a consultation at molly@mollyzalman.com.

Master To-Do List

When I personally get overwhelmed with how much is on my plate, I make a list (I'm definitely a list person!) of everything I need to get done so that I can see it all in one place. Then I take that list and I prioritize the items by what has to be done right away, what needs to be done soon, and what can be put off a bit or delegated altogether.

There are many books and systems out there that will tell you exactly how to go about managing these kinds of things, however I like to keep it simple. So if you know yourself well and know that you probably won't follow through on a complicated system, try just keeping a master list of all your to-dos.

One last tip to keep in mind--if you have a simple task on your list (like making a phone call to set up an appointment), it's sometimes best to just do it. Then it's done and off of your list. Sometimes just getting the task over with takes up less time and energy than trying to track it with all of your other tasks.

Book Recommendation: "Living the Simple Life" by Elaine St. James

I'm actually right in the middle of reading this book myself, but I already would like to recommend it to others who might be interested in simplifying areas of their life. It touches on reducing clutter, but also many other ways you can simplify. It gives useful examples of ways in which you can simplify, and at the same time just lends support in the task which can seem overwhelming when your life may seem quite complicated. Simplifying is possible! So pick up this book for an easy and motivating read on how to get started.

Start Easy

Not sure where to begin? Do you want to get organized but have been putting it off from being overwhelmed? Work up momentum by starting with the easy stuff. Go through your bathroom and get rid of old products you've never used, purge your linen closet, or tackle the kids bedrooms. Whatever is the simplest for you, start there. Sometimes it's just a matter of starting, and if you begin with what is easy you won't feel as frustrated, improving your odds of continuing. So decide what area scares you the least and get started!

Start NOW

Sometimes we get overwhelmed with how much catching up we have to do that we never get started on a project. A good example--keeping up with the mail. You may have a couple of weeks worth to go through, but since that takes a good chunk of time you can start by simply going through today's mail. (You may be surprised by how much of it goes into the recycling bin.) So if there is something that's been looming over you, it might be worth it just to START NOW and handle the backlog later.

Book Recommendation: Affluenza--The All Consuming Epidemic

If you're beginning to feel like you have too much stuff in your home, the book Affluenza may be a great eye-opener. This book by John De Graaf, David Wann, & Thomas H. Naylor compares our culture's consumption of "stuff" to a disease. The book's definition of the term is:

Af-flu-en-za n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth.

The book looks at the impact this has had on our lives, communities, and environment. It was based on two PBS documentaries, but I personally recommend the book as a better source.