I am so excited to receive my breakout session evaluation from The Sharp ~ Speaking at the Women’s Health Conference late 2011. This makes all of my preparation and planning worthwhile! See the attendees comments below:

2011 Breakout Session Evaluation

Become the Master of Your Muck:

Get Organized and Make Room for Yourself in Your Home

Comments

Phenomenal!

Lots of good techniques for decluttering

Liked the tips. Longer please. Will for sure be using her system

She didn’t let the lack of video images phase her great presentation.

Liked everything

Great speaker

Good tips!

Very good

Excellent speaker, really keeps your attention, good with audience participation, great visuals! Very good! Keep it up! Real funny.

Could always use this presentation. Could have been longer and more specific

Wish it could have been longer. She is so personable!

List those 8 places so we can right them down every paper will fit into- to help my new file system

Great takeaways. Next time list 8 things on a handout

Thanks so much!

Excellent

Compassionate, understanding but cut and dry when it comes to organizing

My favorite one! Liked getting tips I can do when I get home!

Liked it all. Thank you

Great ideas!

Nice voice, keep you awake, keep your interest, so many good tips

Practical ideas

Topic applies to everyone

8 categories keep papers vertical

Liked learning about how to declutter and get more organized

We all need this info, very good!

Good practical recommendations! Thank you!

This is a critical shell for today’s life of info overload.

Clear presentation

Liked her tips

Excellent!

Easy to follow. Simple to implement ideas

Good advice

Key tips are great

Liked learning how to control paper!

Liked pics. Next time learn about organizing time

Liked getting tips to thrive! Papers flow… getting to work

Excellent!

Liked the info presented and ideas to change it.

I liked the suggestion of keeping papers vertical

Kathi Burns- I want to hire her!

Liked learning about info on home and garage organization.

I liked the belief that we can do it!

Great ideas. I hope I can incorporate them in my life and home. Thank you!

Liked the positive suggestions for attacking clutter.

Well organized flow. Clear, concise presentation.

Great job. Thank you

Liked it all

Best one!

Great topic

Hold it twice so room isnt so full

Topic applies to a lot of people including me. Closed captioning next time

I liked it all. Thank you!

She didn’t make us feel like we were weird for having so much clutter. Would have liked it if all pics were shown (some of them didn’t show)

Liked it all. Good!

Liked the examples illustrating the points. I feel better knowing we’re in the minority that gets to park our cars in the garage.

The digitizing is what I am doing. Going great

Great stuff. Acoustics not great in the room.

I liked it all. Very informative

Loved handouts

Gave me clarity/understanding the origin of my clutter

Good info and anecdotes. Should have used generic pics

Great speaker

Some good specifics, concrete ideas. Bad acoustics/competing noise

Liked the pics of before and after

I am so pleased and honored that my presentation was one of the most attended sessions and to have been included in this incredible conference! Thank you Sharp!!!

Wondering how to get your home decluttered once and for all this year? I was asked this same question recently by Amanda Wyant, a writer with Blissfully Domestic.

Click on this link to learn four professional organizing tips to help you declutter and get control of your home and your life in this article.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbUl8M_tYCQ

If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of the tasks on your holiday list, lighten up with these tips from Kathi on NBC 7/39 News.

Consider not mailing holiday cards (saves trees) or at least doing it a bit differently this year. Professional Organizer, Kathi Burns provides tips to keep your stress levels down during this holiday season.

Kathi Burns featured in Woman's Day Magazine

If you want to find out what slows you down and how to get out of the house faster in the morning, check out the September 2011 edition of Woman’s Day Magazine. Here is a brief excerpt from an article where my tips are featured. Pick up a copy or visit the online edition and you will find this article along with AM/PM Pet Tips and Two TIps to Revolutionize Your Morning,  one of which is from yours truly!

What Kind of Morning Rusher Are You?

Find out what slows you down and how to get out of the house faster

By Arianne Cohen

Does your morning panic-rush of showering, makeup and “breakfast” rank on your list of fun somewhere between vacuuming and dental cleaning? You’re not alone. Morning routines are a struggle for just about everyone. The average woman will spend 40 minutes a day—or three years of her life—showering and getting dressed in the morning. And that doesn’t include the time spent frantically searching for keys, or begging family members to please move faster!

Whether you’re aiming to get out of the house on time or get more done before you leave, we’ve got the plan for you. Your mornings are about to get a whole lot better!

The Productive Morning Person

Your motto: “I like to exercise and empty my inbox before 7. Hear me roar.”
Typical disaster: You’re midway through your workout when you notice you’re 25 minutes behind schedule and you haven’t even packed lunch yet.
What’s really going on: When you get right down to it, even the . . .

The Harried Mom

Your motto: “I’m just happy if no one fights or cries.”
Typical disaster: One child is handing you homework to sign, the other won’t gather his sports gear, and you’re barely ready yourself.
What’s really going on: Your kids’ bedtime routine needs an overhaul. Their homework should be done and lunches and outfits planned before they hit the pillow.
Your new strategy: Reduce kids’ up-and-out routine to a mere 20 minutes with no time for detours. Dressing, eating, out the door—that’s it.
The night before: Each family member gets a different-color bin near the door, where anything he or she needs to take gets stashed: backpacks, projects, phones. To remember electronics, cut tiny holes in the bin for charger cords to thread through to an outlet.
Sunday-night ninja tip: Lay out all five days of kids’ outfits at once.
You really need to… Ban the TV, video games and computer. They don’t help anyone go any faster.
Your easy morning lunch plan: Set up a lunch-packing zone with containers, cutlery and bread within arm’s reach, says Kathi Burns, a San Diego certified professional organizer. It beats trekking across your kitchen. When you plan a family meal (casserole, pasta), make two and dish out the second into freezer-safe containers. At night, just toss one into the lunchbag, and it’ll defrost by noon the next day.

The Makeup and Outfit Warrior

Your motto: “Make it work!”
Typical disaster: It’s time to go and you haven’t started your makeup yet.
What’s really going on: Your problem is . . .

The Oversleeper

Your motto: “iSnooze.”
Typical disaster: You’ve set three alarms, and yet you’re still running late.
What’s really going on: Either you’re too fond of the . . .

For more information:

Kathi Burns, CPO®

addSpace To Your Life!

760.436.4266

advice@addSpaceToYourLife.com

KATHI BURNS, CPO® SELECTED AS MOMS IN BUSINESS UNITE CONFERENCE SPEAKER

San Diego, July 11, 2011— Kathi Burns, CPO® founder of addSpace To Your Life! A Professional Organizing and Image Consultancy announced today that she has been selected as a speaker for the 2011 Moms in Business Unite Conference in San Diego on August 3, 2011. Her presentation, Become the Master the Muck of Your Business, Take control of Your Papers and Inbox will be part of the Running Efficiently Track at the unique educational conference, which enhances the professional and personal lives of women and mom business owners.

“We were overwhelmed with submissions from many eminently qualified speakers, so we had a tough task to choose those we feel will add the most value,” said Randa Cote, President of Moms in Business Unite, Inc. and founder of SPE Solutions. “We’re excited to have Kathi as part of the program, since she’ll provide a content-rich presentation that provides immediate dividends to conference attendees.”

As the contributing expert to FOX 5 and NBC 7/39 News, founder Kathi Burns is frequently called upon by national media outlets such as Better Homes and Gardens, Good Morning America and Martha Stewart Living Radio. During Kathi’s session, guests will learn how to  keep their papers out of piles, maximize their productivity and master their email overload.

The 2011 Moms in Business Unite conferences in Atlanta, San Diego, Denver, Boston and Detroit include a keynote speaker, panel discussions, breakout sessions, resource marketplace, New Inventor Showcase and plenty of networking opportunities throughout the day. To learn more and register, visit www.momsinbusinessunite.com.

About addSpace To Your Life!

addSpace develops organizational systems for homes and offices which maximize space and minimize clutter. addSpace also re-wardrobes clients who want their image to match their full potential.

About Moms in Business Unite

The Moms in Business Unite Conference is the vision of five women entrepreneurs who united to empower and educate women in business. The annual event, provides business education and solutions for establishing a balanced work and family life by bringing together accomplished instructors, relevant life and business topics, and a truly unique learning environment. It helps women business owners pursue their entrepreneurial dreams by providing tools, resources, and guidance through the various stages of business ownership. Learn more at www.momsinbusinessunite.com.

Many of us experience the need to downsize or help others downsize. The tips below will help you become a downsizing master!

They say you teach what you need most to learn. As I filmed this television show in preparation for my talk at the Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina Ohio, I realized that I was in the thick of downsizing as well.

During this particular trip to Ohio, both my brother and father were in the midst of downsizing and I was able to help.

Click here to watch this news  segment filmed on the Good Company Show in Cleveland Ohio

Here are Your 8 Tips

Purge your home and life a little every day

Every time you open a drawer or closet door and look inside, ask yourself what is there that you no longer use.

Keep in mind that you probably only use 20% of the items that you own and are storing.

Purging and releasing items as you encounter them makes downsizing less of a monumental task.

It also moves your good out into the world!

Start early before you have to move so you can work at your own pace

Working at your own pace is less stressful. Preparing for a move, even though you may stay in your home for as long as you wish, makes letting go and moving on easier — for you and your family.

Ask family members for help. Those who live distances away can help you during holiday time, special celebrations or visits.

Determine in advance how much space you will have for memory items

Gather them into one area to see how much you have collected over the years.

When items are scattered throughout the house, it is more difficult to sort and purge.

Set up a table and a lamp to spread out your items as you begin to sort. Sorting into large flat box lids will help you keep track of what you are sorting. Use large thick contractor garbage bags for donations and garbage. You can hang them off the back of a chair or hang them off the door of your oven or dishwasher by shutting the door on one side.

For children’s artwork and keepsakes, sort and set a deadline for each child to claim and remove their memories.

Schedule a time for donation truck to pick up whatever is not taken. This will ensure that everyone knows it is a firm deadline.

Contain and downsize rarely used items like holiday décor and entertaining platters.

Your new home might not accommodate a full size tree. Think ahead and keep your smaller more precious décor items.

Store with style and keep smaller sizes in mind.

Think small and once you have your collection widdled down to a minimum, reward yourself with attractive storage containers.

Create or buy attractive storage containers suited for your specific items, whether it is CD’s, candles or your sun glass collection.

Make sure you have enough space to hold all ‘like’ items together. When items become separated from their pack, you lose track of how many you own and will tend to buy duplicates and become cluttered with unnecessary excess.

Set up a permanent donation box in your home for unwanted items.

You will soon develop the automatic habit of releasing old and unwanted items on a regular basis.

As the “donate box” becomes a permanent part of your life, you will happily and easily clear at least one box of old possessions every month!

Assess each storage space every time you open the door or drawer

Do a quick scan to check if there is anything inside that you have not used for the past 6 months or a year.

If you are downsizing, ask yourself if you will need it in your new smaller home. If not, let it go now.

Optimize your storage space by creating separate zones to contain each type of item within.

Contain collections of ‘like’ items in plastic bins. This will make it easy to keep each category of items under control so they don’t grow beyond your storage area.

It also will make it easier to pack, move and unpack.

Use baskets to serve as quick and easy drawers in deep spaces. Use pre-made plastic drawer bins for instant cabinets within cabinets.

For those of you who are interested in becoming a Professional Organizer, this is a ‘must attend’ event.

I will be one of the organizing experts featured on the “Ask the Organizer” panel this year. My buddy Monica Ricci, spokesperson extraordinaire, will be the ‘always entertaining and professional’ panel host and moderator.

We will answer questions about the organizing industry and provide insight about current industry trends during this session.

Ask the Organizers Panel, experts featured at NAPO National Conference

This event takes place Wednesday April 7th at 10:30 am at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego.

Click here to check out this website for more information

NEWS FROM: Small Business Development Center North San Diego County 760-795-6740

For Immediate Release through November 12, 2010:

For More Information: Lynn Pittman 619-542-1898 Cell 619-316-6879 or lynnpittman@cox.net

Fall 2009 YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS PROJECT (YEP) Business Plan Contest and $1,000 Prize Winner was RetroSpecs, vintage sunglass stores created by Murrieta Valley High School Virtual Business Students, Kyle Wininger, Jenessa Witties, Holly Koval, and Phillip Gould.

Learn About MiraCosta College SBDC’s Young Entrepreneurs Project & How To Start A Business

San Diego, CA – Have you ever thought about owning your own business or you have a great idea? This is the event for anyone who is interested in being an entrepreneur, loves to do their holiday shopping at Barnes and Noble and is passionate about helping San Diego thrive. On Friday, November 12, 2010 from 6-8pm join local author, serial entrepreneur and founder of addSpace To Your Life, Kathi Burns at the Barnes and Noble, 2615 Vista Way Oceanside, CA 92054. Admission is Free.”   Kathi will be talking about the Small Business Development Center’s Young Entrepreneurs Project (YEP) & how anyone at almost any age can start a business and make money.  This event is being held to raise awareness and funds for MiraCosta College SBDC’s Fall 2011 Young Entrepreneurship Project or YEP. The Oceanside Barnes and Noble will donate 20% of all purchases to YEP. For information concerning the November 12^th YEP Fundraiser and program visit http://www.yepsbdc.info/index.html. Shoppers can provide YEP Bookfair ID at the Barnes and Noble Oceanside location or at www.barnesandnoble.com/bookfairs/ .

“Barnes and Noble created The YEP Entrepreneur Author Series and Book Fair Fundraiser to kick off the third year of MiraCosta College SBDC’s Young Entrepreneurs Project to promote to high school students entrepreneurship, reading and to help secure funding and prize money for YEP,” explains, Joseph Molina, MiraCosta SBDC’s YEP Coordinator. The Young Entrepreneurs Project  (YEP) is an online program encouraging entrepreneurship as a career path that any high school or college student can participate in.   Students learn how to start and manage a business. YEP participants create a business plan based on their best idea. The Grand Prize is $1,000 and First prize is $500. Students can register to participate in YEP for FREE at http://www.yepsbdc.info/register-now.html. High School Business Plans are due December 1st.  College Business Plans are due December 17th.

“Entrepreneurship is the backbone of our nation and we are dedicated to encouraging and giving students the knowledge and confidence to choose entrepreneurship as a career. As we enter the third year of the MiraCosta College SBDC’s YEP program, it continues to grow thanks to partnerships with local businesses, organizations and schools,” explains Molina.

Kathi Burns has been featured regularly in Better Homes and Gardens and on local, regional and national media.  She will share with the audience how to get started and thrive in entrepreneurship as well as sign copies of her newest book, How To Master Your Muck. Find out more about Syndicated Columnist, Publisher, Professional Organizer, Image Consultant and Spokesperson Kathi Burns www.addSpaceToYourLife.com.

“I am a self confessed serial entrepreneur who is committed to helping others achieve the “American Dream” of owning your own business.  There is nothing like having your own company. It’s better than chocolate! Many of my clients are entrepreneurs looking for office organization, time management and image consulting to help them achieve their dreams.   I also, work with families helping them organize their space and schedules so they have more time together.  My newest book, How to Master Your Muck provides easy solutions to help everyone get organized, update their image and manage their time,“ says Kathi Burns, Author of How To Master Your Muck and Founder of addSpace to Your Life!  She will provides tips and ideas on how to make money with your ideas and start a business.  Kathy Burns continues, “I am excited to be a part of the YEP Kick Off Event.  I love creating businesses – I have reinvented myself at least half a dozen times and started at least as many companies. There are many ways to make money and have a great business at any age. I started in high school and plan to continue until I am 80!”

The YEP curriculum is online and supported through the MiraCosta College SBDC and Business Department as well as California Virtual Enterprise.  “High school students gain team building skills, confidence and practical experience that will not only help them run and operate a business but any endeavor, says James Hayes, YEP Coordinator and Virtual Enterprise (VE) Instructor for the Vista Unified School District. Virtual Enterprise is a course in which students set up and run a simulated business in order to prepare them for working in a real business environment and is articulated with MiraCosta College. With the guidance of a teacher and real-world business partners, the students determine the nature of their business, its products and services, its management and structure, and engage in the daily operations of running a business. Upon the completion of YEP, students will know exactly how to start and run a business.

About The Young Entrepreneurs Project (YEP) – YEP is sponsored by MiraCosta College’s Small Business Development Center. The SBDC provides no cost consulting services and no or low cost workshops to existing businesses and entrepreneurs. Since 1999, The SBDC located at 1823 Mission Ave in Oceanside, CA has assisted over 13,000 business people establish 223 new businesses, create 1,000 new jobs, add $64.5 million in sales, retain 600 jobs and secure more than 23 million dollars in loans. For more information about the SBDC North San Diego County visit www.sandiegosmallbiz.com.

The SBDC is hosted by MiraCosta College and funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and by the California Community Colleges Economic & Workforce Development Program (EWD) and extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis.  All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA or the Chancellor’s Office of California Community Colleges.

Earlier this month I was featured on KUSI’s Good Morning San Diego. My news segment included tips for mastering your schedule which are based on strategies from the book, How to Master Your Muck.

Time is a finite resource. Everyone has the same amount of hours in the day and the same amount of days in the week. When your schedule is overbooked, the result is often subtle. Minutes and hours evaporate each day from your life.

Action Steps to Master Your Schedule

1. Make a list
2. Recognize and eliminate the unnecessary
3. Group tasks
4. Learn to say no
5. Umbrella Each Day^tm
6. Choose only one calendar

What’s Important and What’s Not?

1. 1. Do I need to do this task to become successful or fulfilled?
2. 2. Why did I initially add this task to my life and is that reason still valid?
3. 3. When was the last time I did it?

If the hours spent on a task outweigh the results, remove it from your schedule. Once you know what you need to do to be successful and lead a fulfilled life, you can move onto determining your set intention for each day of your week.

Time Management ─ Umbrella Your Day^tm

You will save countless hours by grouping related tasks together into the same time frame; for instance, making all of your follow-up calls together or researching for long, uninterrupted blocks of time. To umbrella your tasks, you first need to list the recurring tasks that you perform weekly on a sheet of paper. Then you can begin to allocate time in your schedule for these recurring tasks.

Block tasks into similar types of activities; for instance, phone calls, paperwork, outside meetings. Divide your main job activities into five days:

* Planning day (Friday or Monday is optimum)

Set goals/intentions, line up the week

* Current large project

* Outside appointments, client meetings

* Client Follow-up and Research

* Administrative, reports & paperwork

Create specific days and chunks of time for related activities. If you need to research client files every week, schedule your research for the same day each week. The benefit of this is that when a client calls for information, you can safely tell them that you will be working on it on a specific day. I know you are thinking at this point, But they want it now! Trust me when I say this, clients care more about the quality of your work and whether you meet your promised delivery date more than they care about instant gratification. Quality work takes time.

Here is an example of one business person’s schedule using the Umbrella technique:

Busy Moms can also create their own weekly Umbrella System

This is an example of one of my real life mom clients schedule:

How to Say No to New Opportunities

Once you have your schedule set up with umbrella intentions, always pause before adding a new obligation to your agenda. Realize that if you need to add another recurring task to your schedule, you might need to let go of something else to keep your life in balance.

Whatever life you live, you can always benefit by determining in advance what you wish to accomplish each week and each day. Try creating an umbrella of intention before your week starts and watch how much more you will be able to accomplish with much less stress!

Dave Davis and me in the KUSI studio.

What is the best way to keep a kitchen well organized?

1. Create zones to keep your supplies and tools within reach

2. Clean as you go

3. Keep a constant eye on the amount of tools and whether you are using them

What are the different types of zones?

Prep Zone = This area will include your knife collection, poultry shears, cutting boards and other prep containers including measuring spoons and cups and mixing bowls. This is also where your Tupperware, baggies and paper wraps should live.

Cook Zone = This zone is located on and around the stove and oven. Store all cooking utensils within arms reach of this zone. A ceramic jar takes up a small amount of space and keeps your spoons, spatulas and whisks close at hand. You will also need to store your baking racks, pots and pans and pot holders within this zone.

Bake Zone = If you love to bake, you might find it handy to store your flour, sugar, baking powder, a set of measuring cups and spoons, your favorite mixing bowl, etc. together in one convenient spot. Right below these items will be the cabinet with the cookie trays, baking sheets etc.

Serving Zone = Everything you need to set the table including plates, bowls, platters, flat wear, napkins, trivets, cups and stem wear and the whole shebang!

It might even make great sense to keep your much loved and frequently used condiments here: salt and pepper, hot sauce, liquid aminos? Whatever your family uses with most meals.

Clean Zone = This is obviously by the sink and hopefully the dishwasher too. Keep your soaps, towels, scrub brushes, drying rack all in this area. A pretty ceramic flower pot will keep your scrub brushes upright and the hole in the bottom will keep them drained and free of muck and slime.

Waste Zone = This area is getting more complicated as we endeavor to recycle as much as possible. You will want an area large enough to hold your trashcan, recycle bin and possible even a compost container. The best location will be close to the cleaning and prep zone.

Storage Zone = If you are lucky, you have walk-in pantry, if not you still need to create a zone to keep all of your excess dry and canned goods.

A Bonus Zone = If you have kids, another great zone to create will encompass breakfast and lunch. Use lower cabinets to hold breakfast bowls, cups with lids, cereals and possibly even the peanut butter and jelly. The ideal location 6twill be close to the prep zone so it will be easy to make sandwiches and bag up your lunch items in a snap!

What about my pantry? How can I keep that organized?

There are many ways to organize a pantry but the most organized pantry will also have specific zones created within.

Here are a few examples of pantry zones you might use:

Condiments, Sauces

Canned Goods: Soups, Veggies

Baking Zone

Rice/Pastas

Teas / Coffees / Canned Beverages

Snack Zone

International Foods

Breakfast Zone

Entertaining Foods

Do you have any favorite organizing devices for pantry items?

For cans – If you have a large amount of shelf area, use stepped stacker shelves. These shelves come in white plastic or metal and expand to fit your shelf width. Make sure to buy the extra large shelves, the regular size typically accommodate spice jars, not canned goods.

For cans – You can also use extra large Lazy Susans with a tall lip on the edge. The extra large susans will hold 20-30 cans and maximize your recessed corner areas. Simply spin and find what you are looking for in a snap!

For bottles of sauces – Lazy Susans are the best storage device. Use as many as you need to hold all of your sauce bottles. I also use these in the cabinet next to my stove for quick access to oils and vinegars.

For Bags of Beans and Rice – Remove packaging them and store into tall rectangular containers. You could also keep them in their original packaging and pile them on top of each other in the plastic or glass containers with lids that seal tight. Avoiding round containers will save precious shelf space.

For Pastas – Baskets or plastic square or rectangular open bins keep these packages from falling all over the shelves. You can place this basket conveniently beside the marinara bevy.

Any Other Tips For an Organized Kitchen?

1. Keep all papers off of the kitchen counter. If you do bills in the kitchen, designate a drawer to hold the bills in between payments. Keep stamps, envelops, and pens within the same space. If you don’t have an extra drawer, create a vertical storage space that will live at the far end of a counter against a wall. Keep all papers and materials within that container. Stepped vertical file holders or stepped baskets work well. Only use tools that require minimal counter space and please do keep everything vertical and out of piles on the countertop!

2. Wipe down and clean out one drawer or shelf at a time at periods when they are the most empty. Cleaning a little at a time makes it less of a chore.

3. Determine where to store items based on how frequently you use them. For instance, if you only use your crockpot during the winter months, store it away from your main cabinets. It might even make sense to store it on the garage or somewhere outside of the kitchen area.

4. For those items that you use on a weekly basis, keep them in easy to access cabinets front and center, not high up or in the back out of reach. If you use one appliance every day like a small food processor,, it might deserve to live on your counter right beside the stash of knives and cutting boards.

These tips came from my interview with Betsy Karetnick & Sunny Anderson on Martha Stewart Living Show broadcast on Sirius Radio October 18, 2010

Remember the organizing holidays throughout the year! Feel free to download any related news column in my archives if you publish it with the short bio and website information listed below.

For more tips, interviews or information regarding these or any other organizing theme, call Kathi at 760.840.9997.

January             Clean Out Your Closets Month
February 12      Clean Out Your Computer Day
March 12          National Organize Your Home Office Day
March 24-30    Clutter Awareness Week
April                  Stress Awareness Month
April 24             National Secretary’s Day
May                   National Moving Month
May                   National Mental Health Month (Declutter, de-stress!)
June                  Rebuild Your Life Month
August 5-9       Simplify Your Life Week
September       Self-Improvement Month
Sept 7-13          Improve Your Home Office Week

Mid Sept         ADHD Awareness Week                                                                        October           Clean Out Your Files Month
October 5-11   Get Organized Week
November       Clean Out Your Refrigerator Month
December       Stress Free Holidays Month

By Marni Jameson / Special to The Seattle Times

If you file it away, you can find it someday.

“Mom, I need my birth certificate” — triggered the lost weekend. The minute my 15-year-old finished driver’s education, that paper…

“Although computers have helped cut down what we need to file, we will always have papers to deal with,” says Kathi Burns, professional organizer and paper-flow expert.
Enlarge this photo

“Although computers have helped cut down what we need to file, we will always have papers to deal with,” says Kathi Burns, professional organizer and paper-flow expert.

The simple request — “Mom, I need my birth certificate” — triggered the lost weekend. The minute my 15-year-old finished driver’s education, that paper was all that stood between her and her driver’s permit. (Please send any Valium prescriptions you’re not using.)

“Your birth certificate?” I repeat, stalling because thinking about where it might be hurts.

“As in proof I was born,” she says, her tone implying I have the IQ of a flatworm.

My brain rewinds years, to a time before car seats, tooth fairies, 2 a.m. calls to pediatricians and endless drives among Brownies, ballet and barns, and tries to recall where in the universe I stuck that little piece of paper that said I now possessed a live birth that would entangle me in more ways than I could imagine for the rest of my life.

“OK, but you have to help.”

She follows me to the garage. “My birth certificate’s in the garage?”

“It’s not personal. Mine should be in here, too. Somewhere.”

I scan the crammed garage, where the file cabinet landed on moving day five years ago, and has since been buried so deeply we need an archaeologist. “There,” I point.

“Seriously?”

Between us and a two-drawer lateral file lie two bikes, a broken lawn mower, an air compressor, a scooter, four pairs of skis, a set of crutches and a bale of hay. We unearth the cabinet to find it’s locked. “Swell,” I say, “finding Osama bin Laden would be easier than finding the key.”

“I bet other families don’t live this way.”

“I guarantee you, parents of 15-year-olds all over are going through the same thing.”

I spy a sledgehammer.

“Stand back.” I swing it like a wrecking ball into the cabinet’s locked face. It feels good. The lock smashes open. The top drawer rolls out exposing my past: long-expired insurance policies, failed investments, projects from three careers ago, unfinished novels, old résumés, and other papers I once thought important. “Taa-daa!” I pull out a dog-eared file that says “Birth Certificates” and feel something like redemption.

However, the moment forces me to face not only the awful condition of my personal records, but also of my office files. I then do what I always do when facing a domestic crisis: shop! This time I bring home an ugly, four-drawer, upright filing cabinet in vanilla metal.

In my office, I dump contents from all cupboards onto the floor, five years’ worth of resources and articles in every stage of revision and print. After a weekend of sorting and wrecking my nails, I fill four recycle bins, and feel that cleaned-out feeling you get after the stomach flu. I then realize: Unless I want to go through this again (never!), my habits must change.

I call Kathi Burns, owner of addspacetoyourlife.com and a San Diego-based paper-flow expert. I start by whining: “But filing takes so much time!”

“Not filing burns a lot more time,” she says.

“So you think I need to convert?”

“You think you should have to move a lawn mower to get to your birth certificate?”

As we talk, I learn ways to thin my files even more.

“People think when they throw something away, it negates their past. That just isn’t true,” she says, offering these filing tips:

Know your papers. Every paper falls into one of five categories: action (stuff to deal with soon), research and reference (stuff you’ll need later), agreements (insurance policies, contracts), tax-related stuff (receipts, W-2s, returns) and permanent records (birth and marriage certificates; education, medical and property records). Some people use color-coded files for each category, which seems neurotic. I divided categories by file drawer and location.

Create AAA filing systems. Active files for home and work go on your desk. Consider a small, space-saving vertical file. At Hand files of often-needed reference should be in easy reach. Archive files can go in a closet or basement.

Remove and replace. When the new versions of certain documents — insurance policies and Social Security and investment statements — arrive, toss the old.

Thin it. I’m a magazine junkie. Some I plan to read; others contain articles I’ve written. Burns lightened my life with this advice: Tear off the cover, tear out the article you want to save, toss the magazine. Wow. My magazine stack shrunk by 98 percent.

Trust technology. Old habits compelled me to keep a hard copy of stuff stored on my computer. But if you have a good backup system, you’re covered. Really.

Ask before you hoard. When tempted to save an article or brochure, ask whether you could easily find more current information online later. If so, let go.

Bust paper before it gets in. Open mail over the trash. Shred credit-card offers, pay stubs and other sensitive documents. File what matters. “Don’t shove papers in a ‘To File’ file,” says Burns. “That’s as bad as a ‘Miscellaneous’ file.”

Syndicated columnist Marni Jameson is the author of “The House Always Wins” (Da Capo), available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You may contact her through www.marnijameson.com.

How to Master Your Muck has been named by the judges as a finalist in the Self Help category of the San Diego Book & Writing Awards.

How exciting! Click here to see other contestants and for more details about this competition.

Feel the need to get better organized? Pick up the new magazine Secrets of Getting Organized by Better Homes and Gardens.

There are organizing solutions for almost every room in your home provided by the nation’s leading organizing experts.

Here are a few of the articles included in this clutter-busting magazine:

Sort it, File it, Find it Faster!

Cut Clutter in Every Room

From Cluttered to Clean: The art of organizing

Get Motivated and Get Started

I provide tips for handling your daily mail in the Paper Busting Guide. Here is a quick summary: Only check your mailbox if you have two hands and two minutes. Designate an indoor backup mailbox. Stay vertical and centralize your mail into one area. To read the details, pick up a copy before they leave the stores.

This is a special interest publication produced by Better Homes and Gardens and you will find it in the magazine section of your local book and drugstores until early June.

The Mayor and City Council along with the Board of Library Commissioners and the San Diego Public Library hosted a reception last Saturday to celebrate and recognize published authors at the 44th Annual Local Authors Exhibit.

I am very  incredibly fortunate to have my book displayed in the front kiosk for everyone to see as they enter the library. If you are interested, all local author’s  books will be showcased from January 30th -  February 28, 2010. Stop by and see the works of the many incredibly talented authors who live in sunny San Diego!

Featured Organizer:

Kathi Burns, CPO®, Author and Founder  of Add Space to Your Life!

Sunny San Diego, California is the home of professional organizer Kathi Burns. She began her business, Add Space to Your Life!, in 2003.

How did you get started as a professional organizer?

My organizing education began early in life. My father is the ultimate organizer. I dub him “Mr. Systems Man.” He used to drive the entire family crazy with his systems within systems within systems. He began labeling items and drawers way before the advent of label makers. He not only organized everything in my life, he can also find any item requested instantly.

Ironically, it didn’t dawn on me until a year into my new business as a professional organizer that I had learned most of my organizing skills from my father. It might be true that you become what you most dislike in your parents. Fortunately, what was so aggravating about Dad in my youth has grown into a very valuable skill and profitable business. He is never at a standstill and constantly creates new ways to become better organized.

What are your specialties?

I am a paper flow specialist, space efficiency expert, image consultant, columnist and soon-to-be-author.

What was your previous career?

Over the course of 25 years I have worked in seven different industries. I was blessed to have a mother who told me again and again that I could succeed at anything that I wanted. The hardest part of this advice was determining what I actually wanted!  I have been a classical violinist, audio engineer, travel writer, national sales trainer, publisher, advertising executive, sailing instructor and a US Coast Guard licensed captain.

Many clients ask me how I learned the skills that I use in my career today. Reflecting on that question, I realize that like everyone else, I am the culmination of all that I have experienced in the past and things I learned along the way.

For instance, I learned after living for months aboard a small vessel, that almost every possession I owned back on dry land wasn’t important for me to live my life to the fullest. I did not value, miss or even think about any possession left behind.

In retrospect I believe that my de-cluttering habits began on my very first long voyage out to sea. When I returned home, I went into a deep purge of my possessions and got rid of almost half of everything that I owned. The original result was so incredibly liberating that I have continued to do this after every long trip or return from sea. This is why I haul my client’s items away at the end of each day. I want them to experience the feeling of space and freedom the day they decide to let go of their unnecessary clutter. It feels fantastic and is extremely cathartic!

What are some of your favorite organizing products?

The one product that I use on almost every project is the Sterilite shoebox (either the single or double size). These amazing little ditties are workhorses that flexibly perform amazing feats from dividing drawers to organizing office supply cabinets. Not glamorous but extremely versatile.

Give us your BEST organizing idea.

The concept that adding space and creating order in a physical environment sometimes appears to be a small change. These small changes often create huge, unexpected and lifelong benefits with the way the client views the world.

It is not boring to be organized. Becoming organized allows you to have more freedom to create and work with your true passion. Additionally, there is no “one way” to organize anything! As a creative process, organizational systems should be customized to how each client thinks, uses space, and, most importantly, remembers details.

Tell us about your most interesting organizing experience.

The first organizing job that I performed was indeed the most interesting and life altering

My friend Lyn Snow, an aspiring artist, was a bonafied packrat and thrift store junkie. She loved shopping for bargains and her home was bursting at the seams.  We both decided that she needed to clear her house and wardrobe to create new beginnings and add more energy to her life. We began clearing in earnest and at the end of that first day she said, “Hey, you are really good at this! And you were really gentle when you made me get rid of the things that no longer worked for me,” to which I replied, “This is really fun!”

These few words brought about an epiphany. I realized that my crazy quirky love for change is exactly what people need who want to transform their environment or image. Many folks are afraid of change. They are resistant to it even when they know deep inside that they need it. I saw that my greatest strength could be used to help people transform and improve their lives.  Instead of being a detriment, my openness to change means that I can help clients change. I can effortlessly see their lives transformed long before they can. I now gently hold the space and shine the light for them until they move into it and embrace it fully for themselves.

Kathi can be reached at:

kj@addSpacetoYourLife.com or by calling 760.840.9997

Visit her website today – www.addspacetoyourlife.com.

Remember the organizing holidays throughout the year! Feel free to download any related news column in my archives if you publish it with the short bio and website information listed below.

For more tips, interviews or information regarding these or any other organizing theme, call Kathi at 760.840.9997.

January           Clean Out Your Closets Month

February 12    Clean Out Your Computer Day

March 12         National Organize Your Home Office Day

March 24-3    Clutter Awareness Week

April                 Stress Awareness Month

April 24            National Secretary’s Day

May                    National Moving Month

May                  Natl Mental Health Month (declutter, de-stress)

May 29th          529 College Savings Day

June                   Rebuild Your Life Month

August 2           American Family Day

August 5-9        Simplify Your Life Week

September        Self-Improvement Month

Sept 7-13            Improve Your Home Office Week

September 13  Grandparent’s Day

October             Clean Out Your Files Month

October 5-11    Get Organized Week

November        Clean Out Your Refrigerator Month

December         Stress Free Holidays Month

Short Bio and Link

(must be included with any published articles written by Kathi Burns)

Kathi Burns CPO® is the founder of addSpace to Your Life! a Professional Organizing & Image Consultancy and author of How to Master Your Muck ~  Add Space, Get Organized and Live Your Passion!

To learn more about Organizing and Image and to receive your free addSpace eBook 33 Organizing Tips to Transform Your Life, visit: www.addSpaceToYourLife.com

Media Topic Ideas

* Master Your Muck!

* Organizing for Out of Town Guests

* Get Your Closets Organized

* Refrigerator Organizing Tricks

* Handling The Back to School Schedule

* Organize Your Office

* Organizing Kitchens and Pantries

* Learning To Keep Papers Off of Your Desk

* Time Management for Busy Moms

* Managing Business Contacts

* Creating Effective Paper Flow Systems

* Handling the Daily Mail Deluge

* Creating a Powerful Image

* Update Your Wardrobe with Ease

* Get The Mess Out Of Domestic

* Garage Organizing 101

* Organizing Tactics for Busy Moms

* Creating a Harmonious Family Schedule

* Effortless Packing for Travel

*  The 5 Finger Mail Sort

*  Go Green and Get Organized

* Supercharge Your Interview Image