If you work for a company that sells organizing products, does that mean you’re organized, too?  Alicia Rockmore of ButtonedUp.com shares what she does to keep her head above water.

My life (like everyone else’s) is crazy year round.  I find that if I plan a little and focus on what I need to get done, life for me and the family runs a bit more smoothly.  Here are 7 things I do to get organized to save me time (and my sanity).  Hopefully a few of them will help you too:

1.  Write it down – Each night I make a list of no more than 5 things I must get done the following day.  It helps me focus on what I must do and creates less stress the first thing in the morning.

2.  Family plan – We keep a family calendar on the kitchen counter to keep track where all of us are and what we are doing.  It is a simple but effective way to know who is doing what when.

3.  Ask for help – Ask for help from everyone in the family.  I do.  A 4 year old can put their clothes in the hamper.  An 8 year old can clear and set the table.  The more others do…the more time for you.

4.  Email free time – Every day I block off 2 hours for no email or interruptions.  It is during this time I get the most done.  Try it…it works.

5.  10 minute list – I keep with me in the car a list of calls and things I can do when I have 10 minutes in the car pool lane.  Makes the waiting time so productive.

6.  Trash can in every room. Yes…even the closets.  The more junk you clean up and throw out immediately, the more time it saves you later on.

7.  Shop from a list – Whether it is grocery shopping or errand running, start with and stick to a list.  It will save you time and money, too.

About the Author

Alicia Rockmore, Queen Bee

Alicia Rockmore is a self-proclaimed organizational maniac who seamlessly juggles a fast-paced career and full home life. She is detail-oriented and list-driven and never misses a thing. Her friends and family describe her as over-the-top organized and call on her to help them get their lives Buttoned Up and pulled together. This includes everything from organizing closets to managing financial information to planning a family reunion.

Prior to co-founding Buttoned Up, Inc, Alicia was a marketing whiz working for well-known brands like Wish-Bone Salad Dressing, Ragu Pasta Sauces, Total Cereals and Wheaties. Alicia received her MBA from the University of Michigan in 1992 and her BA from Claremont McKenna College in economics in 1987. Prior to her marketing career, Alicia was a CPA with Ernst & Young.

Alicia and her husband, Adam, live in Los Angeles, California and have moved eleven times in 16 years of marriage…as a result, she truly knows the value of having all of the disparate parts of her life organized and under control.

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