Posts

The Value of Organizing Outweighs the Cost

By Hazel Thornton | April 20, 2012 |

Have you ever wondered who, exactly, hires a professional organizer? Are my clients all rich? A few are, yes, but mostly they’re not. Not at all. What do they all have in common? They are ready to make changes; they are willing to invest in themselves (and/or their home, work, and relationships); and they recognize that the value of…

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Inbox Zero, Really? (How to Declutter Your Email Backlog and Keep it Under Control)

By Hazel Thornton | April 9, 2012 |

Inbox Zero – WHAT?  Have you heard of Merlin Mann’s “Inbox Zero” method, whereby one processes the items in one’s email inbox down to zero emails on a regular basis? Is this possible? Yes. Is it necessary? Well, let’s just say that some version of it — Inbox Zero, Inbox Twenty, Inbox Weekly, or my…

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It’s About Time

By Hazel Thornton | April 4, 2012 |

I used to tell each of my organizing clients the same thing: “This project, as all projects do, will come down to a Time Management issue. We can make it functional, and make it look pretty, but you will need to devote a bit of time on a regular basis to maintain it. If you…

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Plan, Don’t Procrastinate (Read This Now!)

By Hazel Thornton | March 8, 2012 |

Trust me, I can procrastinate with the best of you! Lately I’ve been tackling some tasks that I’ve put off for so long that, in the midst of doing them, I’ve actually exclaimed to myself, “I’m doing it! I’m really doing it!” It feels so good to finish something, doesn’t it? And it’s rarely as…

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What I Know For Sure: Oprah Really Gets It!

By Hazel Thornton | February 12, 2012 |

I am grateful to Oprah Winfrey for introducing professional organizers Julie Morgenstern and Peter Walsh to the world at large. She increased awareness of the benefits of getting organized, paving the way for organizers like me to help others and make a living doing what we love. I originally wrote this in 2011, about what has become O…

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Getting Organized Prevents Memory Loss

By Hazel Thornton | February 7, 2012 |

Many of my clients, even the younger ones, are worried because they forget stuff. Well…join the club, we all do! But some actually fear they are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. You might, of course, have the dreaded disease, but you probably don’t…or, at least not yet.

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Being Organized Isn’t Easy

By Hazel Thornton | January 18, 2012 |

Yes, you heard me right. Getting, being, and staying organized isn’t easy, not if “easy” means “requiring no effort”. When did I ever say that?! Being organized means living your life by design, not by default. It does takes some time and effort. 

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How to Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals

By Hazel Thornton | December 16, 2011 |

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that’s often used in the corporate world (where I spent over 20 years) for business project management.  But you can use it too! 

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Home Staging to Stay, Not to Sell

By Hazel Thornton | October 26, 2011 |

                Why wait until you are moving to stage your home? When a house is on the market, the seller usually goes to great lengths to make it as attractive and as comfortable as possible…for the next owner, that is.

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How to Create Your Own Simple Filing System

By Hazel Thornton | October 18, 2011 |

No two people are alike, and no two filing systems need to be either.  Create your own unique filing system using the S.P.A.C.E.* method. SORT:  Divide your papers into categories that make sense to you.  You are the one who is going to have to find them again later.  However, I do suggest you consider…

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