You have a house full of books that you know you no longer need or will read! What to do with them can be a bit of a dilemma! Why not gift them to your family and friends. Simply bundle up a selection of books you think someone will like and tie them up with some nice ribbon. Attach a gift tag explaining that the books are pre-read (you can use...

Paper is one of the biggest contributors to household clutter. We don’t like dealing with it so we tend to put off, which can lead to bigger problems. Did you know? The average Australian household throws away 13,000 pieces of paper a year, most is packaging and junk mail. 5 Quick Eco Organising Steps to reduce paper clutter STOP Adding to the paper clutter. Unsubscribe to newsletters and magazines that...

Perfectionism is saying YES to everything. And although it is not immediately obvious, is a close friend of procrastination. The desire to have everything perfect and the reality of not being able to, or not having the time to, is so disproportionate, that a lot of people don’t even start. But often a job doesn’t have to be perfect – good enough but still meeting needs, budget and delivery date. Try...

Way back in 2007, the AAPO Executive had a conversation about Accreditation for Professional Organisers. Today we now have a very successful Accreditation programme. AAPO saw the implementation of this programme as one way to establish standards within our Industry. This not only benefits the general public when hiring an Accredited Professional Organiser, it benefits you, the Organiser! Currently, AAPO has 3 levels of Accreditation and you can apply for yours...

It’s been around for a while but just lately it seems to pop up in print media and on twitter. So I had a look what it actually was. First, don’t be distracted by the name, Pomodoro is Italian for tomato and it has to do with the one and only gadget you need for this productivity tool: a kitchen timer that ticks. It basically is about putting the focus...

Well it’s the start of a new year and I bet your head is full of great ideas you wish to implement into your business straight away. You know this is impossible, yet how to do remember them all? Do what I do – A Brain Dump! All you need is a pad of sticky notes, a pen and about 20 mins of your time. Sit down and write everything that...

Happy New Year and welcome back to work! We have greeted 2013 with record high temperatures and resultant bush fires around the country. As Professional Organisers our roles are many and varied. The one thing we all know is that everyone needs a plan. Whether this is an emergency plan, a contingency plan or even a Bush Fire Survival Plan (RFS NSW). Organising a plan for clients is just part of...

Does your laundry get stuck? It may sound like a funny question, but I often see laundry bottlenecks in homes I work in. The cycle works like this… Ready to Wear – Lightly Worn – Dirty – Washed – Dried – Folded/Ironed – Put Away – Ready to Wear Here are some common places laundry gets stuck, and how to avoid it… Laundry Bottleneck What to do about it Ready to...

Create your itinerary on an electronic diary. Use Outlook or iCalander share it with your family or friends via email, Google Calendar or iCloud. If you need to be contacted while you’re away someone will know your location. You can also update your Google calendar or iCloud calendar at any time while travelling. Back up your documents. Photocopy your passport, travel details and insurance papers, keep a copy in your carry...

To each and everyone, here is wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year. Thank you for being part of AAPO and for your support throughout the year. Sarah Cottman |AAPO President December 2012