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Whatever other resolutions we make leading up to the New Year -- to call Mom more often, lay off the late-night snacks -- getting ourselves organized is likely near the top of the list. And that often means clearing out the clutter that keeps us from functioning efficiently, whether we're at work or at home.

Many employees -- whether they go to actual offices or do their jobs from home -- find the last week of the calendar year is ideal for sorting through e-mails, clearing their desks, and reorganizing their work spaces. Sorting through stuff is rarely fun, but those who tackle it now will find themselves a step ahead when their now-vacationing colleagues and clients come staggering back after the holidays.

 

According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, which sponsors the annual "Get Organized Month" each January to help folks take control of their time, tasks and possessions, 83% of members polled say that "paper organization" ranks highest on their individual and corporate clients' to-do lists. For people taking time off between Christmas and New Year's, this week offers a chance to get things in order before 2013 arrives.

 

Devoting time to both physically and mentally clearing out the "old" and embracing the "new" is about more than just getting rid of stuff. Being organized is really about being in control, says Susan Fleischman, a Chicago-based professional organizer, home stager and founder of clutterfree.

 

"As joyous as the holidays can be, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's is probably one of the most stressful of the year for people," she says. That's why spending the week after Christmas decluttering "really helps you recover and detox from the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

 

"It's very symbolic -- we're ramping up to the ultimate do-over. We all get to turn the calendar page and make a fresh start."

 

For those at work, says Fleischman, "the phone stops ringing, there are fewer meetings. Real work probably comes to a screeching halt. There are far fewer reasons to keep letting getting organized fall to the bottom of the to-do list." And these days, when employees often feel compelled to work harder and longer, being organized can be a real competitive advantage.

 

NAPO Industry Member Director Mary Dykstra says that on average, Americans waste time amounting to between six and 12 weeks a year searching for things in their offices and homes. "Just imagine if you could get out from under that clutter and spend that time helping your company build their business and ultimately, your career," says Fleischman, who was a public relations and marketing executive before launching her professional organizing business.

 

"Every minute counts when it comes to impressing the boss, your colleagues and clients. At work, we strive to project that we're knowledgeable, in control and experts. We're constantly accessing, sharing, reacting to information. Being able to put your hands on the information or generate some information means the better you'll be able to rise to the top and have clarity of thought and creativity, and maximize productivity."

 

But what about moving from work to the home front? Cynthia Ewer, the Washington state-based editor of OrganizedHome.com and the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Organized Fast-Track," suggests we use this in-between-holidays week to step back and reflect on our habits and how well they're working for us at home.

 

It's important to remember, says Ewer, that "there are different personality types. "Organized" is what works for you. There are filers -- people who love folders. They want the serenity of knowing where things are. Pilers like to keep their eyes on their stuff. Deniers have bags of paperwork shoved into closets. Instead of using a "What-does-it-look-like?" yardstick, it's a "How-will-it-work?" question. Know yourself, and come up with solutions that reflect who you are, she says.

 

After all, she says, " 'It's here somewhere' is the most frustrating phrase in the English language."

 

Cutting clutter also can boost the bottom line. "How many times do you go to the store and buy the things you couldn't find?" asks Fleischman. But cleaning up and cleaning out also can generate money, says Ewer.

 

"It can be a real fun process to turn your clutter into cash."

 

Nab tax deductions by donating cleared-out items to nonprofit organizations. Declutterers can send usable books, DVDs, video games, and music to third-party merchants in exchange for gift cards through the Amazon Trade-In Program. 

Even computer manufacturers like Apple offer gift cards to customers who send in an old iPhone, iPad, or computer for reuse or recycling if those devices still have monetary value.

 

"Leading an orderly life is about saving time, saving money, reducing stress," says Fleischman, who also blogs about organizing tips and clutter makeovers. "And that's energy you can spend on leisure pursuits, which is very important to emotional well-being."

 

Some tips for cutting through the workplace and home clutter this holiday week:

 

• Stockpile your supplies. Fleischman advises making sure you've got the right trash bins, shredders, file folders and markers at your fingertips before you start sorting and tossing. 

 

• Take it a zone at a time. Your office, home and car didn't become a mess overnight, so declutter in increments. Fleischman suggests starting with desktops, then floors, then moving on to file cabinets and bookcases.

 

• Go from horizontal to vertical piles. If you're purging papers, clear those piles from your desk and the floor by placing newly sorted files in a cabinet or an upright vertical file. This way, your eyes can quickly scan and identify what you need at a glance.

 

• Free up the fridge. "Get the ghosts of Christmas past out of there -- all those little cans of this and that, the beef sticks from the gift basket no one can bear to throw out," says Ewer. Besides, this clean-up also will save you some calories.

 

• Be realistic. If you really write out bills at the kitchen table and not in the home office, says Ewer, get yourself a wheeled cart you can roll where the work gets done. If your kids' toys actually live in the family room -- not in the bedroom toy box -- create a storage solution there.

 

"Look at your patterns of living and organize yourself accordingly."

 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

 

* Do your New Year's resolutions include a push to clean up? Here are some tips to start

* Being organized is about being in control, says professional organizer Susan Fleischman

* Cleaning clutter can eliminate the need to buy what you simply can't find

 

-By Maureen Jenkins, Special to CNN

Nayabad Mosque is situated on the bank of the Dhepa river in village Nayabad in Ramchandrapur Union under Kaharol Thana of Dinajpur district, about 20 km to the north-west of the district town. The mosque, built on about 1.15 bighas of land, has been renovated by the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh. A madrasa has recently been built in front of the mosque.

An inscription on the central doorway records the date of its construction as 2 Jyaistha, 1200 BS (1793 AD) in the reign of Emperor shah alam II. According to local traditions, the mosque was built by Muslim architectural workers who had come to this place from the west to build Kantanagar Temple sometime in mid-18th century. They had settled in Nayabad, a village near the temple, and had built the mosque for their own use.

It is an oblong three-domed mosque with octagonal towers at the four corners and measures 12.45m ´ 5.5m externally. The walls are 1.10m thick. Of the three arched entrances the central one is bigger than the flanking ones. These are equal in height and width. The central arch is 1.95m high and 1.15m wide. There is an arched window each on the south and north sides. Multi-cusped arches have been used in the doorways and windows. There are three mihrabs inside in the western wall in line with the three entrances. The central mihrab (2,30m high and 1.08m wide) is bigger than the flanking ones which are of equal size. Three hemispherical domes cover the mosque, of which the central one is bigger than the side ones. Pendentives have been used in their phase of transition. The parapet and cornice are straight.

Of the four corner towers in the four outer corners of the mosque two (northeastern and northwestern) still possess the cupolas on their top. The top of the other two is now bare. The corner towers are plastered and gradually tapering; each had a lantern-like chhatri on the top crowned with a cupola. Four bands at regular intervals decorate the surface of each tower.

The terracotta plaques used in the decoration of the mosque have become loose and most of them have been damaged. At present there are about 104 terracotta plaques (rectangular in shape, 0.40m ´ 0.30m) used in the surface decoration of the mosque walls. Though damaged some of them show floral and creeper motifs. It is noteworthy that one contains a depiction of a pair of peacocks.

Nine-Dome Mosque is located on the western bank of the Thakurdighi, less than half a km away to the southwest of the tomb-complex of Khan Jahan. The mosque is now a protected monument of the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh.

It is a brick-built square structure measuring about 16.76m externally and 12.19m internally. The 2.44m thick walls on the north, south and east sides are pierced with three arched-openings on each side; the central one, set within a rectangular frame, is larger than the flanking ones

The interior of the mosque is divided into three aisles and three bays by two rows of stone pillars, two in each row, thus creating nine independent square bays, each of which is covered with an inverted cup-shaped dome. All the nine domes are internally carried on four intersecting arches springing from stone pillars and brick pilasters attached to the side walls. The phase of transition for each dome is achieved by means of traditional Bengali pendentives.

The qibla wall is internally recessed with three engrailed arched-mihrabs, which correspond to the three archways on the eastern facade. Here also the central mihrab is larger than the side ones and has an outer projection.

The stone pillars, supporting the domed roof, have stepped square pedestals and capitals. Their shafts are octagonal and are separated from the pedestals and capitals by raised bands. The engaged brick pilasters have also stepped square bases and capitals with stone imposts on the top. The corner towers emphasising the four exterior angles of the building are circular in the Khan Jahani style. All these towers, having moulded bases and plain tops, do not rise above the roof level. The cornices are gently curved.

The decoration, wrought in terracotta, is now confined to the archways, mihrabs, corner towers and cornices. On the exterior surface the rectangular frames, enclosing the archways, are enriched with net patterns. The narrow vertical sunken panels between the archways depict at their bases a pair of mouldings with lozenges. The space between the mouldings are decorated with rosettes alternating with diapers and sometimes with running scrolls containing small rosettes. Inside the building the spandrels of all the entrance arches depict large full-blown lotus flowers, while the faces of the arches at the key-point are embellished with large lozenges containing bordered rosettes. Three moulded bands ornamented with rows of small rosettes and lotus petals crown each of these archways. The narrow sunken spaces in between the bands depict necklaces, scrolls, tendrils and flowers of varying designs.

All the mihrabs are very richly decorated. The spandrels of the central mihrab arch are enriched with flower motifs. The space between the two moulded bands on top of the mihrab arch is docorated with vine scrolls containing bunches of grapes. The semi-circular mihrab niches are marked with decorated horizontal sunken panels, each being separated from the other by a raised decorated band. The motifs of ornamentation vary from panel to panel and consist of necklace designs, lotuses, palmettes and different types of interlocking patterns. Dividing the semi-circular mihrab niche a chain hangs down from the apex of the half-domed top and ends in a rectangular pendant, now bare. The rectangular frame, which encloses the mihrab arches, is filled with interlocking designs with rosettes. Above the frame are two boldly projected bands decorated with a row of rosettes. A frieze of ornamental crests crowns the whole composition.

The curvature of the cornice gives the building a pleasing appearance. The two cornice bands, running all round the building are enriched with rows of lozenges, while the sunken space in between them still depicts ornamental square panels at several places. The corner towers, divided by moulded bands, depict such decorative motifs as lozenges, lotus petals and pellets.

The mosque is stylistically dated to the time of khan jahan. Local tradition ascribes the building to one of Khan Jahan’s officers who had his residence nearby on the same bank of the Thakurdighi.