Organising, in its broadest sense, is the process of arranging items or information in a systematic and orderly way. However, for a professional organiser, the definition goes much deeper.

It's not just about tidying up; it's about designing and implementing customised systems that help people manage their resources more effectively to achieve their goals.

We can break it down into three main categories:

• Organising Things (Physical Space): This is the most common understanding of organising. It involves decluttering, sorting, and creating logical, sustainable homes for physical items in places like homes, offices, or storage units. The goal is to make a space more functional, peaceful, and efficient.

• Organising Information (Digital & Paper): This applies the same principles to non-physical items. It includes creating intuitive computer file structures, managing email inboxes, setting up digital calendars and task managers, or developing effective paper filing systems.

• Organising Time (Productivity): This involves structuring your schedule, tasks, and workflow. It's about managing your time and energy to reduce procrastination, meet deadlines, and focus on your highest priorities, whether in your personal or professional life.

Ultimately, good organising reduces stress, saves time and money, and gives you more mental clarity and control over your environment.

Here are the fundamental principles of organising as they apply across the board:

1. Assess & Purge

This is the starting point. You must first understand what you have and then get rid of what's unnecessary, outdated, or doesn't serve you.

• Physical 👕: Go through your closet and pull out every piece of clothing. Get rid of anything you haven't worn in a year, that doesn't fit, or that you don't love.

• Digital 📂: Scan your computer's desktop. Delete old downloaded files, obsolete documents, and blurry photos that are just taking up space.

• Productivity 📅: Look at your calendar and to-do list. Are there recurring tasks or commitments that no longer add value? Cancel or delegate them.

2. Categorise & Group

Once you're left with only the essentials, you group like with like. This makes things logical and easy to find.

• Physical: All your batteries go in one container, all your winter sweaters go on one shelf, all your spices go in one rack.

• Digital: Create parent folders for broad categories like "Work," "Finances," and "Personal." Within "Finances," you might have sub-folders for "Taxes 2024," "Receipts," and "Budget."

• Productivity: Batch similar tasks together. Instead of answering emails as they arrive, handle them all in one or two dedicated time blocks. Run all your errands in one trip.

3. Assign a Home

Every single item, file, or task needs a designated place to "live." This eliminates the question of where something should go, making it easy to put things away.

• Physical: Keys always go on a hook by the door. The tape dispenser always goes in the top-left desk drawer.

• Digital: Financial receipts you need to save always get moved to the "Receipts" folder immediately after you scan them.

• Productivity: "Check social media" isn't a floating task; it's something you do from 12:30 PM to 12:45 PM during your lunch break.

4. Create an Easy System

Your organisational system should be simple and intuitive. The easier it is to use, the more likely you are to stick with it.

• Physical: Use clear bins in the pantry so you can see what's inside without having to pull everything out. Use a label maker.

• Digital: Create a simple, consistent naming convention for your files, such as "YYYY-MM-DD_ProjectName_DocumentType.pdf" (e.g., "2025-09-18_KitchenRemodel_Invoice.pdf").

• Productivity: Use a simple task management app (like Google Tasks or Microsoft To Do) to capture every task the moment you think of it, so you don't have to carry it all in your head.

5. Maintain

An organised space or system requires consistent, small efforts to maintain. It's a habit, not a one-time fix.

• Physical: Implement a "one-in, one-out" rule for clothes. Spend 5 minutes at the end of each day putting things back in their designated homes.

• Digital: Take 10 minutes every Friday to clear your desktop, sort your downloads folder, and reach "inbox zero."

• Productivity: Spend 15 minutes every Sunday evening reviewing the upcoming week and planning your top priorities.

We could create a simple 3-week plan to put this into practice. 

For example: 

• Week 1 could focus on a physical space, 

• Week 2 on your digital life, and 

• Week 3 on setting up a productivity system. 

How does that sound?

Call Jean-Marc today for a consultation. 

310 658 8467