Shakespeare’s Juliet might disagree, but
when it comes to mastering the stages upon which we play out our lives,
assigning names plays an important supporting role.

The tangibles or props of our lives can
actually be lost or rendered unusable because they remain hidden in ambiguous
Important piles. The electric bill that is due in October and a passport used
for a trip in June are both important but they don’t belong in the same
location and neither will be easily found as the Important pile grows. Unpaid
Bills and Vital Records are more appropriate names for the places that these
items should land.

Describing what something is and why you
have it helps in assigning names and categories. We bring clarity to the scene by
evaluating and naming each item we encounter.

Act I

The early part of organizing is sorting. Whether
you have a table-full, a room-full or a computer-full of items, gather a group
together to sort and begin with a very general naming process. The named piles
will be something like: Keep, Donate, and Toss.

It’s okay at this point to have unlike
objects mixed together – a business card and a new tube of toothpaste may both
end up in the Keep pile.

Since this step can create a seemingly
unorganized mess, it is best to tackle it in small chunks. A cluttered tabletop
or shelf will suffice, rather than an entire room.

Act I is straightforward and ends with
the tragic demise of all characters no longer needed. In other words, once your
sorting is complete, it is time to throw out, recycle or shred the trash and
bag up the donations in a bag labeled Donate.

Act II

Everything that remains is what you have
already decided to keep, so the naming process begins again. You may find some
of these names trickier to establish (possibly the reason that the items are
still sitting out). The toothpaste might easily get sorted into a Bathroom
pile, but what about the business card?
When it comes to things or information that you want to save but you’re
not sure about where to keep them, ask yourself some questions:

• Is this business related or
personal?
• Is it related to a project I need to follow up on?
• Do I just want the contact info for future reference?

If your answer is that it is related to a
project, make a To Do or Projects pile. If it is simply a reference contact,
put it in a Contacts or Computer pile.
During this stage of the process, things can be sorted further, for
example bills can be divided into Paid and Unpaid subcategories. By the end of
Act II you will have piles of items that are each headed to a particular area
of your home – the characters exit.

Act III

All the action during this step will
occur in other areas where our name game will undergo yet another refinement. In
the bathroom with all the items that were designated for this area, it is time
to decide whether that tube of toothpaste will be put with Supplies for
Immediate Use or stored with Back-Up Supplies. In the office or paperwork area
you will need to file the business card.
If it is related to a project – i.e. an architect you may call for a
kitchen renovation – label a folder or manila envelope Kitchen Remodel, add the
card and put the file with your active To Do items.

If you merely want to be able to
reference the contact info, add it to your address book, computer program or a
file folder named Contacts. Paid bills can now be sorted into subcategories such
as Medical or Credit Card. In each location, bathroom, bedroom, office, etc.,
there should be a place or home for all related items and this is the time to
put them there.

Act IV – The Grande Finale

We end where we began. Return to the
shelf or tabletop where you originally started, clean it well and replace
anything that remains and belongs in that area. Step back, admire your work and take a bow. Bravo!

* To contact Annette
Reyman for organizing work, packing/unpacking help, gift certificates or
speaking engagements in the Greater Philadelphia area call (610) 213-9559 or
email her at annette@allrightorganizing.com.
Reyman is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers
(NAPO®) and Board Member of its Greater
Philadelphia Chapter.
Visit her blog, http://www.areyofhope.blogspot.com
or her website at www.allrightorganizing.com
or follow All Right Organizing on Facebook.