ise en place is a French culinary term that means “putting in place.” For chefs, having ingredients prepared and arranged before the cooking process begins allows for greater organization and efficiency in executing a recipe. Applying that concept in everyday life can bring that same organization to almost any task.
“The ability to be organized has become increasingly more important because living in contemporary America, life has become very complex and multifaceted. We live in an age of specialization which creates more options and more decisions,” said Michael Osit, Ed.D., a psychologist, author and speaker from Warren.
Osit offers an example. Forty years ago, he said, one would go to the grocery store to buy orange juice and it was available fresh or frozen and came in either a frozen can or a glass bottle.
“I recently went to the local market and found 27 varieties of orange juice — pulp, no pulp, some pulp, concentrate, vitamin D, and it now comes in cartons, juice boxes, pouches, bottles, etc.,” Osit said. Such mundane decisions can overwhelm individuals and lead to an inability to focus, and in turn, to stay organized.
“To become organized takes a good deal of emotional control and focus,” said Michael Zito, Ph.D., a psychologist with offices in Morristown and Watchung.
To get (and stay) organized, individuals must be “convinced of the value of organization,” Zito said.
Organization, Zito said, leads to better mental health by creating a “less stressful and better functioning” state of mind.
“Organized individuals run their life instead of their life running them. They are in control, which optimizes positive outcomes and minimizes stress and crisis occurring in their life,” Osit said.
According to National Association of Professional Organizers Member Director, Lori Vande Krol, good organizational systems reduce stress and allow people to focus time and energy on what matters most.
“With the speed and volume of information and clutter in our lives today, it has become even more important to have the right systems in place to manage it all,” Vande Krol said.
Organized people, Osit said, can greatly reduce anxiety when life is relatively predictable and surprises are at a minimum.
“Organized people frequently have a plan B, so they do not feel trapped or victimized in specific situations,” Osit said.
The first step to getting organized, whether at home or at work, involves a commitment to putting in the work upfront.
“Employ a ‘work now, play later’ philosophy,” Osit said.
In other words, “become a list maker and prioritize items,” Osit said.
Other suggestions that Osit offers include the following: immediately enter appointments into either a mobile phone or calendar; promptly list items on a to-do list; leave buffer time for appointments and deadlines to account for unexpected events such as traffic or illness; and develop routines for daily tasks so they are automatically completed.
Although technology is often designed to help with getting organized, the opposite effect often occurs.
“Technological devices can be critical tools to help a person be organized in their life if used appropriately (calendar, reminders, to-do lists, alerts, etc.), but they are also a significant distraction from the task at hand, which can cause inefficiency,” Osit said.
The Internet, tablets and mobile phones, Osit said, have created a “tremendous distraction from the present moment.
“Even when people are not sending or receiving messages, a piece of their attention is on the device that could buzz or vibrate at any moment.” Osit said.
Simple advice, like make a plan and stick to it, can facilitate greater organization.
“Put the keys in the key spot and the junk in the junk spot,” Zito said.
In the last decade, the organization industry has experienced growth, as evidenced by the increase in membership in the National Association of Professional Organizers. In 2005, there were 2,945 members, and today there are nearly 4,000 members, about a 30 percent increase, Vande Krol said.
“Interestingly, I am seeing a revitalized interest in living a simpler lifestyle by downsizing space, possessions and activities,” Vande Krol said.
Heather Pierce, owner of House in Order, a professional organization company serving central New Jersey, said the most common request she receives is for help in organizing paperwork.
“Many people hold on to much more paper than they need to because they don’t know what to keep and what to get rid of,” Pierce said.
People often become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of paper that enters their home whether it’s via mail, their child’s backpack or shopping receipts, Pierce said.
“They do nothing to clear the paper clutter. The result is often cluttered kitchen counters, drawers or cabinets, overstuffed filing cabinets, bags and boxes of papers that get moved from place to place, but never sorted and dealt with,” Pierce said.
Pam of Toms River, a client of Pierce, said her “breaking point” with clutter came after she retired and was at home amidst years of accumulated items.
“I started feeling overwhelmed with my possessions,” Pam said.
With Pierce’s service, Pam was able to organize papers that had piled up for years.
“Now I follow a path that there is a place for everything. I’ve been able to break old habits,” Pam said.
When Pierce meets with clients, she discusses any fears or anxieties they may have about the reorganization process.
“Every client is different, so my plan for each client may be different — what works for one person does not work for all. It is important to set clear expectations as far as the desired outcome, projected time needed to complete an organization project, costs of completing a project and the roles each of us will play in the overall completion of the organization project, Pierce said.
It takes a great deal of courage for many people to reach out to a professional organizer for help, Pierce said.
“Many people feel shame, anxiety and embarrassment about the disorganization of their home or office,” according to Pierce.
By conquering the clutter, she said, clients are able to focus on the things that matter most to them.
“Generally, you first want to determine your vision. In other words, how would your ideal space or day look and feel?” Vande Krol said.
Seeing a revitalized interest in living a simpler lifestyle, Vande Krol said, has led to individuals downsizing space, possessions and activities.
Organization Strategies
Get Organized at Home
Some basic tips for better organization at home, according to www.webmd.com, include: find a place for every item; keep clutter out of the house; shop for containers after de-cluttering is complete; get rid of duplicates; de-clutter nostalgia, such as children’s artwork, by taking a picture of a child holding art work or crafts.
Get rid of old clothes using the 80:20 rule: we wear 20 percent of the clothes we own 80 percent of the time; look for simple solutions, like a key hook by the front door; and schedule de-cluttering for areas that need it daily, weekly and monthly.
Get Organized at Work
A focus on time, space and mindset is the key to organization at work, according to www.entrepreneur.com.
Concerning time, the website recommends that individuals start the day with structured time by sorting through email and responding to quick responses and referrals right away, deleting unimportant information and scheduling more essential tasks.
Space, which refers to physical and virtual space, is critical to productivity, the website stated.
The absence of office interruptions can improve concentration when writing or researching a topic, and this might be a task better completed away from the office, according to the website.
Switching off pop-up notifications on mobile devices and on computers, in addition to limiting the number of times email is checked, can result in greater organization of virtual space.
Finally, there is an individual’s mindset. To reduce the feeling of overload and the procrastination associated with taking on overwhelming jobs, divide large tasks into small chunks to better focus, according to the website.
Get Organized at School
It’s as easy as ABC to keep school-related tasks in order, according to www.scholastic.com.
First: “A” place for everything — keep a ready-to-use homework kit filled with school supplies. Next, “be” focused — studying needs to come first when scheduling time and planning activities. Finally, “calendars” posted in a central place at home can help students prioritize tasks, such as test dates and report due dates.
Children should keep a small, personal to-do list in order to get a better understanding of time management, according to the website.
Contact Information
Fo info, visit the National Association of Professional Organizers at www.napo.net.