It’s a common sight: soda cans, gum wrappers, and snack bags
strewn all over the floor; books, magazines, and carrying cases
haphazardly placed on a seat; and miscellaneous papers and
trinkets shoved into any nook and cranny available. What is this
disorganized place? A college frat house, a mad scientist’s
office? No. It’s the typical disorganized car–and it could
easily belong to you or someone you know. Whether you’re
traveling for business or pleasure, the automobile is still the
most common means of getting to your destination. In fact, for
many people, their car has become their “home away from home,”
with extended car trips a part of daily life.
To avoid traveling in a perpetual mess, do a little pre-planning.
Before your next road trip, take time to totally clear out your
vehicle. Don’t forget about the glove box and side door
compartments. By the time you’re done, you want your car totally
empty–just like how you received it from the dealer. Now that
you’re car is empty, it’s time to stock it and organize it for
stress-free travel. Here are five easy tips to get you started
and to keep your car organized when traveling:
1. Stock the glove box and side pockets with necessities.
Contrary to popular use, your glove box is not a “catch-all
compartment” or a trash can. It’s a place to store traveling
essentials. For day-to-day use, simply keeping important car
documents (like your insurance and registration cards), a pen or
pencil, a pocket-sized notepad, and a small first-aid kit is
sufficient. For travel purposes, you’ll want to beef that list up
a bit. Include maps, directions, extra sunglasses, a camera and
film, reading material for passengers, and a few small trash
bags. Remember, the purpose of your glove box and side door
compartments is to keep essentials at hand during a trip, so you
don’t have to keep pulling over to open the trunk.
2. If you’re traveling with children, let each child pack a
small backpack or travel bag. In it they should put things they
can do on the road–a walkman and tapes, comic books, handheld
video games, etc. Keep the bag near the child, either on the
floor of the back seat or on the seat itself, so they can easily
retrieve their items and put them away when done. A small bag of
items takes up less room and produces less clutter than five or
six individual items strewn in the back.
? Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger’s Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com