We love hearing how our GON Readers make organizing part of everyday life. Here are five
clever, heartfelt, and inspiring reader-submitted tips to keep the motivation flowing.
GON Reader Letter #1
Basement Door Birthday
Boost
I have a perpetual calendar on the inside of the basement door. It reminds me of upcoming birthdays and anniversaries (dates that don't change from year to year) every time I go to the basement!
-- Sue Metzler
GON Reader Letter #2
One Thing Leads to Another...and Another!
Dear Maria,
Regarding your July 12 issue, have you been in New Jersey lately? Because I feel like you have been watching me! Your article today about getting motivated and out of a rut just seems to have been... well, I won't say stolen but heavily influenced by my own mental state and ways to
overcome it! This week I told myself I could definitely just do 10 minutes on my new treadmill which I was so excited to get a few months ago... but somehow have been overlooking it. I did it and although I'm so out of practice, I stretched the 10 minutes to 20 because I'm pretty good at tricking myself once I get
going.
While I was on the treadmill, I cooked up a batch of a Polish ethnic dish to send to my two single and elderly neighbors who appreciate anything I send. Check!
Then I
cleared two more boxes of stuff I no longer need and sent that to a local church-related thrift store which is very active and things turn over quickly, helping local community residents.
I also whipped up two icebox summer pies because I'm also on a quest to clean
out my pantry and use things that have been stored for a long time and some just past their expiration dates but still fine.
In the meantime, I'm reflecting on how yesterday I picked up an 84-year old friend in not great health and took her to visit a mutual friend who was her neighbor for 37 years...and we went to visit her in an
Alzheimer's facility. It meant a lot to both of them.
And tonight, I will be calling my cousin whom I have not seen in a year but when we get on the phone together, it's at least an hour or two for a marathon catch up.
I deleted a hundred emails today and have read 50 pages in my current book.
And yes, each of these things is a little thing and when I think of them all at once I feel a bit overwhelmed, but if you just keep saying to yourself "What am I going to do next?" you keep your
focus on being more productive.
Each little thing eventually adds up and changes your mental attitude of "Oh, I don't feel like doing that" to "Look what I accomplished today!"
Hope you're having a great summer!
-- Marie Cox
GON Reader Letter
#3
Keep Scissors in the Car!
Regarding your June 27, 2025 issue, I want to second the story about scissors where you need them. I
have a pair in each car. It’s surprising how often you need scissors in your car! -- Paula Scott, GA
GON Reader Letter #4
Inbox = Action Box
I use a wooden in-tray on my kitchen counter as my household’s “action box.” Anything that needs attention...permission slips, to-pay bills, forms,
receipts, reminders...goes in there.
I check it once a day and try to never let it pile up past one inch tall. It keeps my counters clean and my brain clear.
-- Jillian Reese, Roanoke, VA
GON Reader Letter #5
One Shelf a Day Keeps the
Chaos Away
I pick one shelf or surface to declutter while I’m on the phone. I use a headset and clean without even realizing how much I’ve gotten done by the time the call ends. Bonus: I talk to my sister more often now too!
-- Nina Brooks, San Mateo, CA
On another note...
Are you prepared for the school year ahead? You'll find backpacks, school supplies, lunchboxes and more on these two links:
and/or
