July 2008, Issue 9

Summer Loving

Whether you are married, partnered, or are amidst a fabulous love affair with yourself, the relationships in your life will improve - simply by being organized. Think back to the number of arguments you've had with your spouse over lost keys or misplaced bills. Or how many times your "you time" has been compromised by having to re-organize your closet or search through stacks of papers. The goal of being organized is to have more space for the things you use and love, and more time for the activities and people who mean the most to you.

This month, love it up.

1. Have a One on One. Make time to sit down with your beloved to discuss the organizing snafus in your life. As I always say, give a when to your what; so set a time and date for your talk, and mark it in your calendar.
2. Identify the Point of Contention. With a pen and paper, write a list of every organizing issue that comes to mind. Not enough room in the closets? Important mail often gets lost in the shuffle? After writing everything down, review your list, and pick the top three problem areas.
3. Come to a Solution Together. Take the team approach: couple vs. the clutter. (The goal is to avoid what probably happens most often, which is: you vs. your partner.) Partnering up and creating an alliance against the clutter will empower you as a couple, and solve your organizing woes more quickly and easily.
4. Leave Room for Trial and Error. After brainstorming some solutions together, put your plan of action into effect. Keep in mind, however, that new habits take time to develop, so be patient with yourself and your loved one. Also, some of your solutions might not work, or may need some tweaking, so schedule a check-in a few weeks after the new plan has taken flight.
5. Celebrate Your Victories. Once your strategies have proven victorious, go out there and celebrate! Open a bottle of wine, dine at your favorite restaurant, or buy each other small celebration gifts. You've come to a solution as a team. And any couple that successfully finds solutions together is one pretty spectacular team.