Rightsize . . . Right Now!: The 8-Week Plan to Organize, Declutter, and Make Any Move Stress-Free

223 Pages·2015·1.29 MB·English

by  Regina Leeds

P R L
RAISE FOR EGINA EEDS
“Making your New Year’s resolutions? If your goal is to finally clear the clutter,
One Year to an Organized Life will break the task down week by week.”
—Parade
“The perfect book for anyone wanting to find important papers instantly or have
a navigable closet. Full of useful information for everyone, from the person who
needs simply to clean a messy desk to the person requiring a whole new
approach to life; highly recommended.”
—Library Journal on One Year to an Organized Life
“[Leeds’s] advice is simple, practical, and essential. . . . Calm and empowering,
this handy guide is so well thought-out that just leafing through the pages might
make you feel more in control.”
—Boston Globe on One Year to an Organized Financial Life
“Readers should find plenty of smart, straightforward and rewarding ways to
eliminate chaos from their work lives.”
—Publishers Weekly on One Year to an Organized Work Life
“Leeds covers it all. Week-by-week tasks provide clear, realistic goals for the
determined mother-to-be, and some weeks involve simply thinking about
organizing or creating routines. The emphasis here is on the difficult choices that
have to be made, and the logistics behind making them. Leeds will likely change
the thinking of many a would-be parent: being organized is actually far easier
than the alternative.”
—Publishers Weekly on One Year to an Organized Life with Baby
“Leeds gets right to the point and offers simple, attainable advice.”
—Library Journal on The 8 Minute Organizer

Also by Regina Leeds The 8 Minute Organizer
One Year to an Organized Life with Baby (with Meagan Francis) One Year to an
Organized Financial Life (with Russell Wild) One Year to an Organized Work
Life
One Year to an Organized Life
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Decluttering
Sharing a Place Without Losing Your Space
The Zen of Organizing

Copyright © 2015 by Regina Leeds “The Zen of Organizing” and “Zen Organizer” are registered
trademarks of Regina Leeds.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. For
information, address Da Capo Press, 44 Farnsworth Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02210
Designed by Linda Mark
Set in 10.5 point Guardi LT Std by the Perseus Books Group Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Data Leeds, Regina.
Rightsize . . . right now! : the eight-week plan to organize, declutter, and make any move stress-free /
Regina Leeds.
pages cm Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-7382-1802-1 (e-book) 1. Moving, Household. 2. Orderliness. I. Title. II. Title: Right size . . .
right now!
TX307.L434 2015
648’.9—dc23
2014039459
First Da Capo Press edition 2015
Published by Da Capo Press
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
www.dacapopress.com
Da Capo Press books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the U.S. by corporations,
institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department
at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, or call (800) 810-
4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail [email protected].
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Charlie and all the companion animals who have so generously graced my
life.
I am humbled by your ability to love, forgive, and inspire.
Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.
—ANATOLE FRANCE
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
The Zen of Organizing
The Magic Formula
Zen Organizing and Your Move
Time Frame for Rightsizing
Structure
The Power of (Good) Habits
The Ultimate Helper: A To-Do List
Seek Help
Why Am I So Tired?
Tell Me Your Story
Words of Caution
A Closing Thought
WEEK 1:
MAKE A PLAN
The Solution Is in the Details
The Moving Mantra
Preparation Is Key
Making a Move Notebook
A Tidy Tool: Categorized Moving Files
The “B Word”: Making a Budget
Considerations for Moving to an Address to Be Determined
Box It Up!
Finding the Mover of Your Dreams
When to Start Packing
Fresh Eyes Exercise
A Quickie to End the Week
Week’s Summary
A Closing Thought
WEEK 2:
TAKE THE FIRST STEPS
Mover Meetings
When You Should Definitely Hire Professional Movers
When You Are the Mover
Creating the New Space
Stuff Disposition: Strategies for Clearing Unneeded Items
The Power of Fear
What Was That Mantra Again?
One Room at a Time
Clearing the Clutter: Packing the Kitchen
Planning for the Next Kitchen
Packing the Laundry Room
Packing Tips for the Kitchen and Laundry
Kitchen Moving-Day Box
Kitchen Exit Ritual
Week’s Summary
A Closing Thought
WEEK 3:
TELL THE WORLD AND TAKE ANOTHER STEP
Mail Call: Prepare Your Forwarding Paperwork
To Be or Not to Be a Geek
Upending the Inner Sanctum: Packing the Master Bedroom
Packing Tips for Clothes and Linens
Bedroom Moving-Day Box
Planning for the Next Bedroom
Time Suckers: Behaviors to Avoid
Week’s Summary
A Closing Thought
WEEK 4:
RUB-A-DUB-DUB, LOTS OF FOLKS IN THIS TUB
Shaving the Excess: Packing the Master Bath
Packing Tips for the Bathroom
Bathroom Moving-Day Box
Planning for the Next Bathroom