GO organize!
CONQUER CLUTTER IN 3 SIMPLE STEPS
MARILYN BOHN
Go Organize! Conquer Clutter in 3 Simple Steps. Copyright 2009 by Marilyn Bohn. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by Betterway Home Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First Edition.
Other fine Betterway Home Books are available from your local bookstore, or home improvement store or direct from the publisher. Visit our Web site at www.fwmedia.com.
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Bohn, Marilyn,
Go organize! : conquer clutter in 3 simple steps / by Marilyn Bohn. 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-55870-889-1 (alk. paper)
ISBN 13: 978-1-44030-786-7 (EPUB)
1. Storage in the home. 2. House cleaning. 3. Orderliness. I. Title.
TX309.B655 2009
648'.8 dc22
2009020935
Edited by Jacqueline Musser; Designed by Clare Finney; Production coordinated by Mark Griffin; Photographs on pages 2, 104, 124, 176, 198 and 208 by Ric Deliantoni
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marilyn Bohn is an organizing expert and author. She is also the founder of Get It Together Organizing. She has been featured on KSL Television, KSL Newsradio, and KLBC Radio and has taught multiple organizing classes within her community. Her articles have appeared in local and national newspapers and company newsletters. Marilyn's focus is to help people reduce clutter in their homes, offices, and lives. In addition to face-to-face organizing assistance, Marilyn also offers convenient virtual online organizing via her Web site, www.marilynbohn.com.
Before becoming a professional organizer, she worked in the social service field as a child protection worker and a contract analyst. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers.
Visit her Web site to sign up for free organizing tips, and visit her online store for organizing kits, Game Savers and organizing supplies.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A special thank you to Cindy, my daughter and business manager, who was the catalyst encouraging me to follow my passion to help others organize. Thank you to Edna Hess, Kim Condrin of Organize to Order, and to Shahar and Nashlah Boyayan of BuzzBooster.
Thank you to my daughters who constantly support and encourage me in everything I chose to pursue. A special thanks to Julie who helped me with my first outline and to Janice who inspired me with editing and proofreading every chapter.
Many thanks to my friends for the support they gave me as I wrote this book, and to Jackie, my editor at Betterway Home, who is a pleasure to work with and was very helpful in guiding me through this experience.
To my daughters Cindy, Debbie, Julie, and Janice
for all their help in writing this book.
Contents
Introduction
I wrote this book as a friend. My intention is to encourage you each step of the way in your organizing journey. This book is for those who want to be organized, and for those who want to be more organized.
Everyone I know and have worked with wants to be organized. When people don't live up to what they think being organized means, they can become discouraged and depressed. Being organized means something different to everyone. There is no right or wrong way to be organized. What counts is that it works for you.
People I work with often feel embarrassed because their homes and offices are cluttered and disorganized. But, you know, it is nothing to feel embarrassed or bad about! Being organized is a skill that can be learned. No one is disorganized because they want to be. Many people have busy schedules and can feel overwhelmed by all there is to do, constantly being bombarded with different projects, errands, and to do lists. I have never met anyone who needs help organizing because they are lazy.
Go Organize! helps you conquer clutter in three simple steps. In it, I will guide you through the entire organizing process using my Lights On Organizing System. You'll learn how to use the Searchlight, Spotlight, and Green Light to transform your surroundings and increase the wattage in your home. Each chapter has been developed to specifically help you organize your kitchen, bedroom, closet, home office, storage areas, and other rooms in your home. You'll also find useful advice on organizing inherited items and memorabilia and learn how to downsize for a smaller living space. This book is filled with tips, stories, and creative ideas on how to organize.
Lights On Organizing System
Everything in our lives either moves us toward our goals or farther away from them. Do you feel it is time to start clearing out clutter so you can move toward a better, peaceful, brighter, and happier life? Do you want to spend more time doing more of the things you like to do? The Lights On Organizing System will help you reach these goals.
Lights On Organizing is a powerful, electrifying, and simple three-step process to getting and staying organized. It is measured on a wattage scale of 1 to 10. A 1 is the lowest wattage where your energy is low. It is like living in a dim, dark environment. Feelings of depression, anger, frustration, and dissatisfaction happen at this low wattage. A 10 is the highest wattage where the feeling is one of light, brightness, and increased energy. It feels peaceful, happy, relaxed, and welcoming.
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