Ahhh, Fall. The crisp air, the changing leaves. The household clutter.

Wait! That last one isn't so great! We should take care of that this fall, and that's why we're proud to introduce our newest contributor here at FitPerez: John Trosko!!!

Professional organizer John Trosko is Hollywood’s go-to-guy for shaping up those shoe racks and organizing those Oscars! (well, Emmys, Grammys and SAG awards too!) John is owner of OrganizingLA and a two-term President of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. He’ll be joining us for productivity and personal organization advice.

And here is his first bit of advice for us — Fall organizing tips:

Make a Plan - Fall is excellent “downtime” season. Use this time to ask these questions: what do I want to get done by year’s end? How will I benefit if I accomplish this project? What are the resources, time and tools I will need?

Start Small – Break bigger projects into smaller manageable tasks—clean out a junk drawer or the coat closet, free up your desktop, clear out your purse or wallet– tasks that can be finished in an hour or less. Transfer the “start small” philosophy into larger traditional problem areas like the garage, office, closet or playroom.

Categorize – Harvest like items with like items in accessible appropriate places. Provide homes in labeled bins and baskets. Donate, repair, recycle, re-sell anything unloved and unwanted.

Value your time – Even at home, time is a valuable resource. Use a kitchen timer to set up limits for sorting and reviewing. Prioritize tasks to get the most important elements done first so you won’t get distracted from your primary purpose.

Reward Yourself – Following completion, a manicure, massage or a trip to the pumpkin patch are sure-fire simple incentives that encourage us to complete mundane tasks.

Fall Into Better Behavior – Put items away as-you-go. Set time on your calendar to review your new systems (also known as your organizational handiwork) and make changes if necessary. Remember, organization is really about long-lasting adjustments in behavior and not a status realized in one day!

Wow! Off to a great start, John! Thanks! AND WELCOME!!

How would you get into an organized and productive mindset this fall? Tweet your thoughts and challenges to @johntrosko or visit John’s blog OrganizingLA.

Tags: advice, benefit, clutter, hollywood, john trosko, los angeles, love, organizer, question, questions, tips, tweet, twitter