Get Organized Like a Starr
July 4th, 2008 | Allie Frey | Home
Spring Cleaning Has Sprung…
So, here I am. It’s July and New Year’s came and went – exactly six months ago! Some of my resolutions I kept – get a job (thanks Chronicle!), eat less chocolate, and shop less. But unfortunately my real resolution – to get organized – has NOT been kept. Sure my apartment is clean-ish, my car stays relatively junk-free, and my errands get done eventually, but my personal life is a mess.
Each morning my alarm goes off at 6:30 and I open my eyes to a busy day. Showering, dressing, sometimes making a lunch, dashing for the bus, working, working, glancing at my to-do list, working, sometimes cooking dinner, snatched conversations with my devoted boyfriend, maybe 10 minutes of tv, and then sleep. What have I accomplished? I’m treading water in a sea of lengthy to-do lists, unfinished business, canceled social plans, and frustration. This isn’t the life I had imagined for myself as a young professional, was it?!?
The challenge has become apparent. Can I cut down on the craziness and refocus, re-center, and reshape my life – can I really, finally, get organized?
Lucky for me (and now for all of you readers out there), I have The Personal Organizing Workbook by the lovely, sparkling Meryl Starr. And, even better, I have Meryl’s phone numbers, too! Famous the world over, Meryl has a legion of adoring fans (even celebrities) whose lives she has changed through her simple, solid advice. I am her latest guinea pig.
To be perfectly honest, I’m a little bit nervous. Sure I go on cleaning rampages, but I’ve never found lasting success with any of my tidying. And organizing my studio apartment is not the same as organizing my life. This will really be a test- can I achieve the freedom, happiness, and clarity that Meryl advertises for her clients?
With Meryl’s voice ringing in my ears, I started by confronting my disorganized reality. Don’t judge me – I’m laying my disorganized “cards” on the table.

My next task was to start reading Meryl’s book. As I read, I found myself nodding my head. Constantly.
I can never find the things I need.
I’ll never get through my mile-long to-do list.
I never get to see my friends and family.
I never did host my housewarming party/cocktail hour/book club meeting.
“Will I ever succeed?” I asked Meryl the very next morning. “Yes,” she said, “but you need to want to change. You need to organize one piece at a time. Don’t try to fix the whole picture, just take it one step at a time and everything will fall into place.” Here goes nothing.
Follow along every Friday to watch my process and see for yourselves. Post your own tales of disorganized woe and share your tips for staying afloat. And at the end of the series, one lucky commenter will win an autographed copy of Meryl’s Personal Organizing Workbook and her Home Organizing Workbook. Isn’t that enough incentive to get organized?
Allie Frey
Assistant to the President
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