It wasn\’t until New Year\’s Eve that I realized the importance of this particular holiday: not only was midnight ushering in a New Year but a new decade as well. This is an opportunity to change your life for the better. Don\’t allow yourself, however, to get swept up into media hype. In other words, you don\’t have to revamp your entire life all at once. That endeavor is a sure fire invitation to fail! Now that I have the first three books out in the ‘One Year to…\’ series covering an Organized Life, Work Life and Finances, I thought I\’d share three tips... Read More

Ask the (Zen) Organizer tm Newspapers, magazines and the airwaves will be filled this month with ways to save this holiday season. In “One Year to an Organized Life,” I devote the lion share of instruction in December to just these issues. In this forum, I\’d like to take a peek at something else that may be on your mind: looking ahead to the New Year. It beckons to us like a blank piece of paper, inviting us to create something fresh, new, nurturing and inventive in place of our current reality. While it\’s easy to dream about a fresh start, it\’s very often difficult to... Read More

As if it were yesterday, I can vividly remember Thanksgivings at my Brooklyn, New York brownstone. My mother didn\’t fancy herself a cook or a great hostess. She also had no interest in learning any new skills in this area. The holiday was therefore always marred by her negative energy. She made no bones about letting my dad and I know what a big project this holiday was and how little she enjoyed it. In retrospect of course I understand that she was run by her fears and sense of inadequacy. Too bad my mom missed the era of self-help books, Dr. Phil and the Food Channel. Who knows what might... Read More

What is priceless, irreplaceable and fleeting? Yes, that\’s right…time. As I write this month\’s column I am home in New York City on business. Time is on my mind for many reasons. I\’ve changed time zones. I have work to do and friends to see. And it feels like there isn\’t enough time to do it all. I spent a day traveling and observing people at airports. So many had too much luggage! Why, I wondered, did they not take a little time and do some planning? This month I have some advice on time management, especially for those who are chronically late. Why would some have... Read More

This month\’s premier column is in response to Nancy in Schertz, Texas who wanted tips on de-cluttering the house. Too much ‘stuff\’ seems to be a common cause of stress in most American households. Let\’s see if we can\’t pinpoint the possible cause. Once you know ‘why,\’ you will be better equipped to resolve the issue. Here are five common culprits. Which one represents you and your home? This month we identify the underlying issue. Next month we\’ll discuss some of the common cures. Lack of storage: some of my clients feel guilty because they have... Read More

People ask me if I prefer organizing homes or offices. They are surprised when I tell them there is no difference. The principles remain constant. What changes are the objects I hold in my hands. One day it’s paper for a new file system and the next it’s suits and dresses in a closet. I follow the same Zen organizing guidelines. What are they? Well, there are three steps and two concepts to master. Let’s take a look. The first concept is simple: ‘The whole of anything is overwhelming.’ There you are ready to tear your office apart. You are so gung ho, your friends and family stand in... Read More

We freely give our hearts to them knowing from the outset that the relationship will be brief. We bring them home to satisfy our need for companionship only to discover that they have entered into the secret places in our hearts and our lives are better for the intrusion. We learn how to love them. We open our wallets and give them everything from biscuits to acupuncture. The one thing we have no idea how to do is say ‘good bye.\’ Miss Katie was a Golden Retriever who came into my life through the back door and stayed to help me when lovers broke my heart, when I was diagnosed with... Read More

I wish to thank all the ladies who came to my seminar last month. I am deeply sorry that my cough cut the event short before I could directly respond to your questions. Here are the answers to the first two questions that were asked. I\’ll answer the others in next month\’s column. – Can you please give us the Magic Formula one more time? The Magic Formula is simple yet powerful: 1. Eliminate 2. Categorize 3. Organize These 3 steps will enable you to organize absolutely anything from projects at work or school, to your closets, kitchen and garage. As... Read More

The arrival of Labor Day Weekend signals the inevitable start of the busiest season of the year. It\’s a challenge to handle our life responsibilities in general. Now the kids go back to school, we are either hosting Thanksgiving or making travel arrangements to join family and friends and of course there is the end of the year frenzy involving gifts, travel and parties. An extra 5 pounds, anyone? A calm, organized, peace filled home will enable us to think more clearly about all those added responsibilities. Let me begin by asking you some questions. You may want to make some notes in a... Read More

Recently a dear friend gifted me with a birthday party. While it was a great success, some things did not go as she planned. Doesn\’t that always happen when we have folks over? Her response, however, has been to declare that she is never going to entertain again. My suggestion is that we break the experience down and examine what elements were successful and which could have been handled differently for a better outcome. In the case of entertaining, a better outcome is one where the hostess is so relaxed she\’s enjoying her own party. Here are some questions to help you create a Zen... Read More