Getting organized a good goal for '99

     By Tina Allen
     View staff writer
      Homework is lost in the stack of newspapers on the kitchen table. An important business contact's phone number is mingling in the middle of a pile of bills, which are mixed with a tower of proposals and old letters next to the desk. Clutter chaos is taking over.
      Americans waste 9 million hours per day searching for misplaced items, according to the American Demographics Society. And in the office, the average U.S. executive wastes six weeks per year searching for missing information in messy desks and files -- about an hour per day -- as reported in the "Wall Street Journal."
      "Clutter is extra stressful," said Jackie Allen, professional organizer and owner of Organized Solutions. "If people say `I don't mind the clutter,' they are deceiving themselves."
      Yet getting organized doesn't have to be an overwhelming process, according to Julie Morgenstern in her book, "Organizing From the Inside Out," but it will take time, effort and a lot of concentration, she writes.
      Morgenstern defines organizing as "the process by which we create environments that enable us to live, work and relax exactly as we want to. When we are organized, our homes, offices and schedules reflect and encourage who we are, what we want, and where we are going."
      Allen spent 20 years in the business world recognizing areas that could be improved to save both time and money, before becoming a professional organizer four years ago. She now helps companies, as well as households, implement organizational strategies which, she says, allow people more freedom and helps them become more creative.
      These days, more and more people are working in home offices. Although it definitely has its benefits, working from a home office poses its own set of problems when boundaries are not created between professional and personal life.
      Allen said: "Say to yourself, these are your working hours and be able to shut the door," when the work day is over.
      Yet many might find it convenient to do the laundry and vacuum in the middle of the day. It's OK to do household chores, Allen said, but do them during a low productivity time, setting aside a specific hour or two.
      And most importantly, she said: "Deem your work space, whether it's a desk or an office in the home."
      And when it comes to projects, Allen recommends streamlining the office in order to deal with the most important issues first.
      Morgenstern, in her book, suggests creating a color-coded filing system to visually distinguish between works-in-progress, completed projects and future ideas.
      On the homefront, Cindy Musser, assistant manager at Organized Living in the Northwest at 2182 N. Rainbow Blvd., said she finds a number of customers who come in the store are looking to organize their closets.
      "They don't have enough room (in the closets) when they move in a new home," Musser said. "All they give is a single bar."
      She said most customers can almost double their closet space through the use of mixed shelving units. Associates simply need measurements, and will assist in designing a package ready to carry out the door.
      Throughout January, Organized Living stores at both the Northwest and Henderson location, 501 Stephanie St., are holding a "Start out the New Year Organized" sale. Select items and shelving units will discounted 20 percent.
      Allen said many times she finds people will collect items of no value. She said it is important to analyze why the items are being saved in the first place, since often times the only way to keep them is by renting extra storage space.
      "The more they have, the more they are paying for their space," Allen said. "It's really money that's not going anywhere."
      Allen can be reached at 220-8084 or by e-mail at solutions@manifest.com.
     "Clutter is extra stressful. If people say `I don't mind the clutter,' they are deceiving themselves.
      " Jackie Allen Professional organizor