How To Start Organizing
Anytime is a wonderful time to get organized. See my below tips on how I organize in a client’s home, and how you can utilize them and apply them to a project of your own.
General “Rules” To Follow
Everything Should Have A Home
Every single thing should have a home within your home. Things shouldn’t get lost. How crazy do you feel when you can’t find something? When you are looking for something, there should be a few (no more than 2) places it could be.
Just cleaning up a room doesn’t mean you’ve actually created sustainable systems, so the mess is bound to reappear. If you take the time to think through how you use your space, you can create solutions that you’ll be able to maintain.
Editing Is Necessary
If you don’t edit, you’re just moving things around. You have to pull it all out. As an organizer, I never ever make someone get rid of something they don’t want to. But assessing (aka taking everything out) is so important. If you don’t, it’s too easy to think “Oh, I like everything in there.” When you take everything out, it makes it a decision.
For those items you still can't decide on, stay in the groove and keep moving. You can reevaluate in the same edit session (just not at a later date- it’ll only be that much harder).
Work For A Long Term Purpose
Work for a long-term purpose with your systems and organizational goals. When the area is stuffed full, the chances of running into another organizational issue is high. Leave a little bit of room for your newly organized area to breathe.
Maintenance is crucial to long-term success, so start by getting your whole house involved in the beginning stages and letting them participate. They’ll be more likely to keep things organized if they know where to find everything, and where it goes once they’re done.
Now, Get Started
Interview Yourself
Ask yourself the following questions and answer them with how they apply to your project:
What am I looking at?
How do I live in this space?
What is this space supposed to be/do?
I.e., What do these shelves/this drawer consist of?
Or, What is this closet supposed to be?
Does all this stuff on the floor (or thrown into drawers/on the shelf) bother me?
What do I want to accomplish here?
What do I envision for this space?
What does my best day look like with an organized space?
What’s the most frustrating thing about this space?
What in this space works for me?
Now, tweak the the things that work for you
And apply new systems that elevate what’s working for you
START SMALL
Do: Take off a bite-sized piece.
Do: Start with one drawer in your house (like, in a bathroom or kitchen).
Don’t: Don’t take on too big of a project because you’ll run out of steam.
Don’t: Paralyze yourself.
Don’t feel like you need to tackle an entire room at once. Instead, start with smaller projects like a junk drawer or the space under your sink, and move your way up. Not only are they less time-consuming, but they give you the same reward!
How To Shop Like a Professional Organizer
Edit First
Before purchasing anything, make sure you have done a thoughtful edit of your space. Once you eliminate clutter you will have less to store and you may even find the perfect bin or basket when you review your belongings. I can’t tell you how many times a client has hired me to purchase storage solutions and by the time we are done editing and organizing we find that they already have everything they need!
Make a List
I have a rule that I can’t enter the Container Store without a list. Here’s why: All of those bins and baskets and organizers are so shiny and exciting! They beckon to us “buy me!”and it’s far too easy to get carried away. Instead, once you have edited, assess your space to see exactly what you actually need, then make a concrete list to shop from and stick to the list. A typical shopping list for a kitchen will look like this: x12 glass jars for food storage, x2 utensil drawer dividers, x1 spice organizer and labels, dish soap dispenser.
Measure
This is crucial. It’s a real pain to trek out to the store, shop, and return home only to realize that your drawers are only 2″ deep and your 3″ tall drawer organizer won’t fit. Save yourself the hassle and measure shelf and drawer width, depth, and height so you can ensure that the products you buy will fit just right.
These simple steps truly don’t take much time or energy, and will spare you from having a house packed with storage solutions you don’t need and can’t use.
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