Life a Mess? Read This Column Before You Misplace the Paper
Years ago in the Midwest I worked in a small newspaper bureau where, to be kind about it, the files were a disaster. The secretary was very nice; organized she wasn’t. Finally she was told she had one week to get the office in order--or else.
The next Saturday morning I came in to help her conquer years of disarray. After a couple of hours, I saw her packing up her things. “You know what,” she said, “It’s not worth it.” She quit right there.
Jane Reifer of Fullerton can tell you worse. “You’ve heard about homes where there’s only a path to get from room to room because the clutter is so bad? I’ve seen lots of them,” she said. She’s even seen arguments over clutter lead to divorce.
Reifer is an organizing whiz. She’s so good, a few years ago she decided to go into business helping others clean up their clutter. Reifer--and many others like her in Orange County--will not only reorganize your home or office, but show you how you can keep it up on a continuing basis.
I mention this because next week is National Get Organized Week. It’s the one time of the year where we’re supposed to be motivated to get our act together, both at home and at work.
I’m not one who can preach; my own work area needs considerable improvement. But I can pass on an example that impressed the daylights out of me:
A few months back I attended a reception in the executive office suite at the Fluor Corp. in Irvine. One of the staff took a few of us on a small tour of the place. When we got to CEO Leslie G. McCraw’s office, I almost choked on my celery stick. You could have stuck it on the cover of Architectural Digest.
Not just that it was big, with thick carpet, lots of overstuffed chairs and magnificent paintings; I expected that. But you could almost see your reflection in his desktop. There wasn’t a paper out of place; in fact, I didn’t see any paper anywhere. Surely it must be a ceremonial office, I thought. But the staffer assured me McCraw worked there every day, putting in long hours running a multibillion-dollar company.
Many top executives, however, have no clue how to be organized, Reifer told me. Her clients are 50-50 residential and commercial. Some of the worst organized, she says, are sometimes among the wealthiest of her clients.
How bad can it get? So bad that there is actually such a thing called Clutterers Anonymous. Orange County has two chapters. They’ve got 12-step recovery programs for members to follow.
If that’s going too far for you, you can always call Organizers Network of Orange County. It’s made up of people like Reifer who make a living organizing others. Each year it runs a contest for those who would like a free make-over for home or office. This year’s winner was an Irvine single mother who wants to go only by her first name, Carol. (I’ve got the biggest mess is hardly something you want your full name attached to.) Her problem was she moved with her son, now 15, from a large house to a small apartment and took everything with her. “What [the Organizers Network] did for us is amazing,” she said. “One woman spent the entire day just organizing our closets. When they finished, they left me with a structure to go by, so that I can keep it up myself now.”
Not that everything is perfect. When other people clean up your mess, you don’t always know where they’ve put things. Carol is still looking for her garlic press.
Clutter Clues: Here are a few tips from the Organizers Network I found interesting and beyond the obvious:
“Buy only clothes you love. Keep only what makes you look your best and feel wonderful.”
“File, don’t pile, your papers. Be ruthless in tossing paper.”
“Open your mail next to the trash can.”
“Always clear off your work area at the end of the day.”
Air Lovers Alert: Next week is also Rideshare Week in Southern California. Carpooling is something my wife feels strongly about. It’s my fault we don’t ride together more often.
I listen to Don Imus on morning radio; she likes Rick Dees. I like to poke along and smell the flowers; she’s Mario Andretti. But we’ll pick up our carpooling pace next week to honor Ridesharing.
The Southern California Assn. of Governments, which promotes Rideshare, has sent out a list of suggestions to companies. Among them: hold three-legged races in your parking lot, urge carpool partners to dress up in Halloween costumes, “challenge employees to write their scariest tale about driving alone” and “hold a scavenger hunt with rideshare-related clues.” I’d like to see the list of companies that adopt that last suggestion.
Here’s another incentive to try ridesharing next week: If enough people do, we can all breathe a little easier.
Celebrity Fish Stories: If you’ve ever wondered what happened to TV’s Martin Milner (“Route 66,” “Adam 12”) he’s still around and about to go fishing in Orange County.
Milner still makes occasional TV appearances. He’s also co-host of a radio fishing show out of San Diego. Next weekend, he’ll be among the guests at the second annual Celebrity Shoot-out in Newport Bay. It’s sponsored by the United Anglers of Southern California, the state’s largest nonprofit fish conservation group. Stella Stevens and Christopher Atkins (“Blue Lagoon”) from the movies and Robert Fuller (“Laramie”) and Traci Bingham (“Baywatch”) from TV are among the other celebs.
Your $125 gives you a line in Saturday’s fishing derby, plus a cocktail party the night before and an awards brunch the day after, both at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. You want a celeb in your boat, it’s $500 extra. Among the causes the money goes for is restocking fisheries. Call (714) 840-0227.
Wrap-Up: If you feel a need to join Clutterers Anonymous, there is no hotline number to call. But you can learn where and when the local groups meet by calling Organizers Network of Orange County at (714) 726-5095.
Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling The Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com
