"Wheres that video I borrowed from the library last week? I need to return it today." "Ah, man. I finished that research paper on Wednesday night and its due this morning. Where-in-the-world is it?" Does this sound too familiar? When you were in school, it was a real pain-in-the-neck to not be able to find something in your dorm room when you needed itand maybe the consequences of not finding what you needed werent too big. But imagine what could happen if the thing you cant find is a report your boss needs first thing this morning? Your job could be on the line...all because your house (or apartment or office) is in chaos.

And if you think things are hard to find now, picture yourself a few years from now rummaging through a four-bedroom house for one small item! Its now or never...get your home (and your life) organized, or you may never know the peace and confidence of knowing where your 'stuff' is.

To make a success of your career (and your life as a whole), you need to know which end is up, where youre going, and...where your stuff is! When youve got a new career to build, you cant waste your time trying to figure out what youre supposed to be doing today, which meeting youre supposed to attend tonight, or where everyday items are hiding. Its going to take some time to get your life pulled together, but itll take less time now than it will if you dont try it until five or ten years from now, so its worth whatever time it takes.

What you need to do before you start organizing is to simplify. It makes no sense to take your precious time to beautifully organize a bunch of stuff you dont use, need, or want. So rather than trying to organize what you have, you need to sort through what you have and get rid of everything you dont need, want, use, or love.

Start in your bedroom. Spend an evening going through your dresser. Touch every single thing in every single drawer. Pick it up. Look at it. Think about the last time you actually used or wore it. If its been a year, or longer, toss it in a boxyoull decide later what to do with these things. Next, move to the closet and do the same thing. You may find lots of clothing items that you really like, but when you think about the last time you actually picked that item and wore it out of the house, you might realize that you dont really use or need it...in the box it goes. If you have a bookcase, or other furniture or dumping grounds, in your bedroom, continue repeating this same exercise until youve touched, and made a decision about, every item in your room.

Some situations you might come across while going through your things are broken items, items missing parts (or socks missing their mates), and things that cant even be identified. Until you get comfortable tossing unused and unloved items, you might hold on to things that you think youll need (or wear) sometime in the future. Face itif you havent used it or worn it in a year, youre not likely to use it or wear it again...unclench that fist and chuck it in the box.

Once youve pared down the stuff in your home to just the things you use, need, and love, find the most practical place for each item. Do you read in bed or on the sofa in the living room? Thats where your books and magazines should be kept. If you dont have and cant afford bookcases, get some baskets for keeping your reading material neat and orderly.

Obviously, kitchen items belong in the kitchendishes, utensils, and glasses should stay near the sink and dishwasher (if you have one), and pots and pans should be kept next to (or even in) the stove. Clothes belong either in the bedroom closet or a dresser...no piles on the floor! If you dont have a dresser, get plastic storage boxes to keep your clothes and shoes in order and free from dust. And for paying bills or bringing work home from the office, have one designated place for those things and never lay them down anywhere else.

You get the picturea place for everything and everything in its place. If you get yourself in the habit of always putting the same things back in the same places, youll never waste your time hunting for something you need right away...and you wont have to make up excuses like the dog ate my quarterly report. Simplifying and organizing your home (and your life) does nothing but good things for you, but you need to do it now...or maybe never!