GOPACK®Method...bring order to your time and surroundings
Is purging a problem?Scroll down to Step 2 for Tips.
Easy Toss List click here
MAP Formclick here
CLUTTER= Indecision + other people's expectations of ourselves
The GOPACK® Methodis the 5-step proven, simplified method of getting organized. Without the GOPACK®Method, you can easily become distracted, then discouraged, lose interest in the project, fail to achieve results and ultimately get nowhere. The GOPACK® Method helps you to begin with the end in mind. You set a goal and plans to achieve the goal.
Remember, small steps = big results!Take it one step at a time and you will achieve success!
How it works...GOPACK® is an acronym that stands for: Group Object, Purge, Assign, Contain, Keep it up
1. GROUP OBJECTS
This step is where you put like items together to determine exactly how much of something you have. For example, if you're organizing your bathroom vanity, put all cosmetics together, all shampoos, all soaps, etc. Use small plastic containers to hold each category. Then proceed to the purge step. If you're working in an office situation, put all related items together that may be spread throughout your workspace, then proceed to the purge step.
Place like items together gives you a true sense of how much you have of a particular type of item. There's nothing like seeing it all together to gain a realistic picture of how many art supplies, gardening tools, toys, kitchen cookware, office supplies, etc. you actually have.
2. PURGE
The lack of purging is why most people have clutter. When purging, begin with the obvious. Anything broken, damaged and unrepairable, old papers, coupons, etc.
Here's where you utilize the five containers: Donate, Consign, Return, Go Home, and Trash Utilize large labeled boxes. If you are using this method at home, the only box of collected items that actually stays in the home is the "Go Home" box so here is where you will make tremendous progress in removing unwanted or unneeded items.
Here's what each box is specifically for:
Donate = Items no longer fit for resale, but still in fairly good condition. In a home situation, these items would be donated perhaps to Good Will or the National Kidney Foundation or whatever charity of your choice. If you are using the GOPACK Method in an office situation, these items may be no longer suitable for your workspace, but possibly functional for someone else. The key is to remove them from your space by offering the items to someone else, or storing them in a supply closet, or tossing if they are no longer relevant.
Consign = Items eligible for resale at a consignment store. Remember to check your local store requirements. Many stores will only take clothing that is no more than one or two seasons old. Consign could also be items that are sold on ebay or craigslist. In other words, you are trying to recoup some cash for them. But do your research and weight the time/money value as to whether it's worth your effort. You may just want to donate and take the tax deduction.
Return = Any items found in your home/office that either need to be returned to someone you know or a store. For personal items, this could be found money if you return them to a store.
Go Home = When purging, set up a Go Home box in each room you are working on. You fill this box with items that do no belong in that particular space, but in another space in your home or office. For example, if your kitchen, you may wind up with a heap of paperwork that actually belongs in the office. OR, perhaps some of your children's items have accumulated in the kitchen space and need to "Go Home" to the child's bedroom.
Trash= Anything broken, not in working or resalable condition; garbage, extra packaging that is no longer needed.
CLUTTER= Indecision + other people's expectations of ourselves
Tips for Purging:
Go with your gut—if you think you won’t use it, you probably won’t. Put it in Donate, Consign, or Trash.
Avoid telling yourself that you should make individual piles for particular people. Place it all in one box, invite friends and family over to look in the box, and let them take what they’d like. Attach a time limit to this offer.
If you haven’t used an item in the past year, you probably won’t. Research says that 80% of the paper you file will never be accessed again
Enlist the help of a supportive friend who will be honest.
Pace yourself—Remember to take sufficient breaks throughout each stage of the process. Eat snacks and stay hydrated. If you’re beginning to feel overly emotional, stop and regroup. Return to the Purge when your energy level returns and you’re prepared to make decisions.
3. ASSIGN Here's where you determine where items that you are keeping will live. What will you put them? Don't worry about what they will live in just yet. This step is about putting things where you use them and assigning a space for them. For example, office supplies such as stapler, tape and paperclips will live on a shelf behind the desk (we will Contain in the Step 4).
During Step 3, this may also be a good time to rearrange furniture to more effectively utilize your space. When I first started out in the organizing business in 2003, among other things, I learned that when organizing your office, specifically, the only things or stuff that should be within arms reach are what you use everyday. So sit in your desk chair, put your arms out in front of you, and swing all the way around. If you're putting your hands on or near items you're not using daily/weekly, they can be stored in another space, leaving you to focus on the tasks at hand. Therefore, anything that isn't accessed daily, place across the room.
If you're working in a kitchen, during this step, you'll consider where to locate the spices, the pots and pans, the dishes, etc. Yes, the kitchen cabinets are containers, so you're accomplishing Steps 3 and 4 simultaneously.
Tips for Assigning:
Keep items where you use them. There’s no sense in keeping the vacuum cleaner in the basement if you use it on the first floor.
Contain small items such as paperclips and staples in smaller containers within a drawer space.
Keep like items together.
Eliminate duplicates. Be realistic about how many items in one category you really need.
Special projects: If you’re working on a temporary project that needs to be transported outside the home, use portable containers and find a parking space for the containers in an out-of-the-way area in your home or office.
Once you have determined where you will place items, then move onto Step 4, Contain.
4. CONTAIN
I love containers! Who doesn't? The problem comes, however, when one doesn't first follow Steps 1, 2 and 3 so they are choosing the appropriate containers. Once you have actually decide what will live in a container, you can then choose the most appropriate one. For example, in an office, if you have copy paper in four different colors, you now know that you'll need some form of a stackable container that will house all four colors so they are easy-to-access because they're not all placed one on top of the other. OR in a kitchen, once you have determined that you will keep your utensils in a particular drawer, you can then choose the best container to divide them into more specific categories so they are better organized.
Tips for containing:
If your budget allows, choose containers that reflect your personality and make you feel good. If budget is a concern, there are numerous options and price points are available online. Be specific in your Google search.
Use containers that are consistent in shape, color, and size. The eye finds it easier to process what it is seeing when the containers are consistent (shoe boxes covered in gift wrap from a discount store work just as well). Organize.com now offers "organizing by color." Check it out at http://www.organize.com.
Label everything. This is the best way to ensure items will find their way home. It makes the systems easier for you—and others—to maintain because the label immediately identifies what lives in that container.
5. KEEP IT UP Now that you have taken the time to effectively organize your space, you'll want a system to maintain it. This could mean simply taking 10 to 15 minutes at the end of the day to put items back in their "home." If it's paperwork, for example, mail, you'll want a system for maintaining it. Check my blog for various systems that may be appropriate for your specific needs. If not, email staceycrew@gmail.com and I'll be glad to make suggestions.
