Organize your purse…please!
Having spent much time with a particular friend lately, I have noticed that despite her being quite organized in nearly every aspect of her life, she cannot seem to get her “purse life” together. I know that sounds strange but I estimate the amount of time spent waiting for her to rummage through her purse searching for keys, prescription glasses, sunglasses, a different set of keys, a coupon, a slip of paper, her cell phone…to be at least 20 minutes every time until we find it. Each situation involves hunting, upside-down purse-emptying, back-tracking to the house, the restaurant, the car, the last place we were in…surely I am not the only person who does not want to spend time doing this. Have I mentioned the stress it causes her every time this occurs?
Purses, and most ladies’ handbags, have sections inside. There are zippered sections and pouches in the lining, all for compartmentalizing. It doesn’t take a lot to simply put the keys, phone, glasses, etc. in the same place every time. Et voila! There it is when you need it again!
Ladies, I implore you, whether you carry a small or large handbag or a backpack, there is no need to spend time and energy riffling through everything when a simple system will save your nerves and your friends’ time. There is a place for everything, and everything should be in its place.


I am always surprised at the number of clients, as well as personal friends, who don’t keep track of their household’s income and expenses. Your household’s expenses are really no different from a business’s. You need to know how much income you have and how much you are spending against that income, and keep track of it on a weekly basis. You should also have a budget and financial goals set for yourself, which can be monitored if you are checking yourself weekly. It seems even more important than ever before in the economic times in which we currently find ourselves.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about two clients I’ve worked with recently, one earlier this year and one last fall. At the time, they were truly inspiring—-and still are, otherwise, why have they been coming to mind lately? They embraced all the attributes a professional organizer yearns for in clients: both had a genuine desire to understand their challenges, the courage to change undesirable habits, and the willingness to be completely receptive to all suggestions. They were open-minded and open-hearted, cooperative, creative, flexible, passionate, and determined. Absent were the fears, exhaustion, walls, and even fortresses that I often encounter.
I am always delighted to visit certain friends of mine who invite me to their home on one special day in December to share gifts, make dinner together, and decorate their Christmas tree. I cannot admit, however, to eager anticipation of the annual ritual of untangling miles of stringed lights, which inevitably occurs, causing much unnecessary frustration all-‘round.
I’m not a psychologist, but I’ve observed and learned much from working with so many people over the years and I know that the HOUSE is often used as a metaphor for the SELF. Even in dream interpretation, the house represents the self.
Most people keep To-Do Lists of some kind. I remember starting to keep a list when I was in college while juggling a full academic schedule, a job, and an active social life. At some point, you can’t possibly remember everything that must be done so keeping lists becomes essential.
Sometimes I think I should call myself the Contrarian Organizer. I read articles in well-respected magazines that tell you how to fold clothes properly or what items in your wardrobe you should toss out.
By all means, use only hands-free phones. I’ve had them in my home for over 10 years and can’t imagine life without them. Whether you need to buy a case with a clip so you can clip it on your clothing or a headset attachment, it is well worth the effort and amount of money spent.
Manage: to handle or direct with a degree of skill…..this is a dictionary definition of the word manage. We frequently hear the term “time management” and I’m writing today to voice my opinion of what I consider a misnomer. Time isn’t what you’re managing; it’s YOURSELF that you’re managing. Time moves on, whether you like it or not, at the same pace, day in and day out, year after year. It’s time now to realize that you need to manage yourself and not time.