Reconnections

One of the best things about social media (other than the fact that it pays the bills around here) is that I have been able to get in touch with people who I knew many years ago; people who, at one time, taught me, inspired me and befriended me. Finding them again, after much time has passed, has allowed me to be taught, inspired and befriended all over again!

One of those old friends is Melanie…and this is her guest post…actually, it’s the inaugural guest post on this site! Enjoy and be inspired to get organized!

Isn’t it great to reconnect with others you haven’t seen in some time? It’s refreshing to know that they are genuine, kind, and still so humorous, even after many years have passed. This is how I feel about Diane, and I’m so glad to know her, a former high school classmate. I feel blessed to be able to do my first guest post on her wonderfully realistic, witty, and entertaining blog.

The process of getting organized is often about reconnections, too. Have you noticed that? Think about a successful organizing system you’ve used in the past, and about how it has worked for you. Instead of trying a new-fangled tool, resource, or system, keep things simple. It’s not that those newer tools aren’t useful, but we can reconnect to what we already know works. Go back to the basics, and rediscover the simpler ways that help you to feel in control of your spaces. Your organizing systems don’t always have to be up-and-coming or sparkly-new; rather, they may be simple and basic. For example, to contain mail and cut down on clutter, you could simply put a box in your kitchen to collect mail. Your succinct and to-the-point system may help you to establish a visual limit, thereby cutting back on piles and piles of mail that threaten to take over your kitchen table. You may not need an expensive color-coded filing system to keep your daily mail under control.

Keeping things under control and thinking “back to the basics” makes me think of my own profession. School has started for the year, and as a teacher, I know it’s the same process here too. I don’t need to worry if my classroom includes all the newest gadgets, but instead, I should focus on what is working, and trust in those systems wholeheartedly. There are enough distractions in my day, so I must be able to understand what is working for me and what organizing systems help me to remain productive in my teaching life.

Here’s to reconnecting. Reconnect with people, ideas, strategies, and solutions that help you grow, make you stronger, and give you passion to improve your life. Sometimes, reflecting on those things in the past are the things that propel us forward in the future. It’s the same with getting organized.

Melanie Unger is a teacher and professional organizer. She started her own professional organizing company in 2008, called Organized Inspirations. She recently published her first book, Organized Teacher, Happy Classroom, which includes specific strategies and tips for helping teachers become their most organized.

For more information about her book, blog, or her company, check out her website: www.organizedinspirations.com.

Follow her on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MelanieUnger