You'll love my new, exclusive . . .
Get Organized Now! BINGO! Organizing Printable!

It's a new, quick, easy, fun way to get organized. Each GON Bingo! card lists 24 easy organizing tasks you or your family can accomplish. Get five in a row horizontally, vertically or diagonally and you get to select a reward from the rewards list. Kids love to play too!

To access and print it, visit:
getorganizednow.com/free-resources.html

Happy organizing and enjoy some GON BINGO! organizing fun!

Maria Gracia

P.S. Please forward this newsletter to friends and family so they, too, can access this resource. Thank you for spreading the love!

A GON Reader Asked:

What are some ways to motivate an adult family member who has moved back with you, to encourage them to organize and reduce their possessions, such as memorabilia?

--Jo

Maria Gracia Responded:

Hi Jo,

Good to hear from you!

I hesitate to give you a 'one size fits all' answer because I don't know all of the circumstances. Is this person moving in with you because of a hardship (health, financial, loss of a relationship, etc.) in his or her life? If so, asking this person to weed out memorabilia may be a bit too much to handle at the moment.

Is this family member planning on staying for the long haul, or just a short time? If it's an 8-week stay, for instance, like the person is on medical leave for a few months, then I would likely look the other way for this short time, if you're only storing these possessions for a few months.

But maybe it's long-term.

In this case, I'm guessing, by the way that you asked, that this family member has not given any indication of wanting to organize and/or reduce his or her possessions. If that assumption is correct, then I have to also assume that this person's collection (or the volume of it) is a concern for you. Maybe it's in the way...or perhaps your home is simply too small for all of it?

If this is the case, I get it. It's never easy when you're used to your home's current set up...and you now have to make arrangements to fit another person's stuff.

You may have to set up some boundaries, keeping in mind that, when you agreed to this person moving in, the invitation included this person's possessions...or at least some of them.

For instance, my dad moved into my sister's house shortly after my mother passed away. My sister gave him the guest room and the large closet in that room. Those areas are his to have and store whatever he wants to and my sister never questions it. He also has a few dedicated cabinets in her kitchen, and his own shelf space in the shared bathroom. He didn't have a memorabilia collection that was large, but if he did, I'm guessing she would have given him some shelves in the basement as well.

I would recommend you give this person some storage areas within reason, and if it's not enough space, I think you could then suggest ways for this person to cut back a bit on his or her possessions, whether it's cutting back on the memorabilia, or clothing, etc.

You could say, 'I want you to feel welcome, of course, and I would love for you to be able to store everything, but I feel that my house (or storage space, etc.) is not big enough for your large collection.' (Or something like that, depending on your reasoning.)

See what the person says. Maybe this alone will be encouraging enough to this person to begin the process of weeding out/organizing.

If you feel you have to go further, then add, 'How do you feel about cutting back a bit? I'm happy to help you go through it all because I know it's a large collection.'

Maybe, when you get to this point, you can write back again with more details. You mentioned this person is 'moving back' with you, so I'm guessing this person may be a son or daughter?

There are other solutions, of course, like this person renting outside storage space if he/she doesn't want to cut back. But, I do think you have to handle this with care, patience, and understanding.

Usually when an adult family member is moving in, something else emotional is going on at the same time...unless the reason is something simple, like a 20-something year old moving back home after spending the past four years at college. Hugs to you both, no matter what!

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P.S. When you visit the link, you'll also find out how to get Behavior Training for Dogs complimentary. I'll remind you up until the deadline on Friday, March 19th, at 11:59 p.m.

___ 1. Do today's task on my March Monthly Organizing Checklist. The March 19th TO DO includes a spring cleaning challenge! Visit GetOrganizedNow.com to access my March Monthly Organizing Checklist.

___ 2. Say goodbye to 'something winter'. Say goodbye to something you thought you'd use this past winter (clothing, tool, accessory, etc.), but didn't? It's the perfect way to say HELLO to spring!

___ 3. Begin saying good-bye to this. Having this in your life will always cause stress...and the stress won't go away until it's gone. Visit GetOrganizedNow.com to access this Dirty Little Secret

'A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.' (Steve Maraboli)

I'd love to hear from you.

I LOVE GON reader mail! Whether it's a comments, suggestions, or just a note to say hello, REPLY to this email with a short note.

And remember...there's no better time to get organized, than to Get Organized Now!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!
getorganizednow.com

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-- Maria Gracia