Want to get organized but don’t know where to begin?
Here is a BIG secret.
It does not matter where you start – it simply matters that you do start!
Many of my clients are frozen and stuck in the muck of their organizing projects. Overwhelm and inertia is a common phenomenon. It often comes from wanting to make your home, life or workspace perfect or it might simply be caused by not knowing where to begin.It really doesn’t make a difference where you start, it simply matters that you DO start!
Tackle one room at a time. Or tackle one drawer at a time.
To begin in a room, take an empty laundry bin into that room and place everything that does not belong in that room into your basket. This is step one. When you have removed all items that don’t belong there, take a trip through the house and return those items to their proper homes.
If you get to the room they belong but can’t find a place where they should live, don’t worry. This is step one, Simply place them somewhere inside that room or cupboard. Even if they don’t yet have a proper home, getting them into the right room is one big step in the right direction! And the room they were in to begin with is now a bit tidier. Organizing is all about baby steps and every space affects another during your organizing process.
If you decide to tackle a drawer instead of a room you can start by emptying out the drawer. Empty the entire contents and ebgn sorting ‘like’ with ‘like’ IN other words, create groupings of items so you can see what you really have inside the drawer and how much or each items there is.You will be surprised how much stuff can fit into a drawer!
Once the contents from your drawer are grouped together, begin to eliminate the extras and the old and crusty or singles without a mate if you find them.
Before you automatically put items back into your drawer, or out to another area in the house, ask yourself these questions:
Is this the best drawer/ place for these items to live?
We often place items in storage areas without much thought and in reality there might be a better location. For instance, the drawer you emptied was the top drawer of your dresser and it contained hosiery. You rarely wear hose anymore but it is taking up your best real estate within the dresser. You might want to consider moving your hose to the bottom of the dresser and perhaps your undies to the top! You also might want to eliminate almost all of your hose and keep only a few pairs for that super special occasion when you might possibly need to wear them. See what I mean?
Can you keep these items grouped together using box lids, plastic containers or dividers?
If you have spent the time dividing and organizing the contents, why not put a system in place to keep them organized? This can be a simple as using a box lid to separate the white socks from the dark, or the rubber bands from the paper clips. Think about how you might best partition your drawers to maintain the categories you have created and your organizing systems will be more sustainable.
Do you actually use, need or love these items?
Back to the hosiery example. Many women no longer wear hose. If you are one of these women, you might consider getting rid of almost every pair and keeping only a few for the once a year times when you might need them. Don’t automatically keep anything you find.
Learning how to let go begins with flexing and developing your ‘letting go’ muscles.
Always ask yourself, do I use it, do I need it, do I like or even love it. You can use the Marie Kondo method and ask yourself – does this spark joy? I know that my hosiery do not. They are uncomfortable and I am glad to get rid of them – Good riddance!
There is no one or perfect way to organize anything and it really doesn’t matter that much how you do it. The key to organizing is to get started. Start with small tasks that you can and will finish and keep moving through your home.
If you get stuck or need to move through your home more quickly, call on a professional organizer. I can help you get things done super fast and also help you create sustainable systems that you and your family will enjoy for years to come.I work with clients in person and also virtually via skype.
Contact me at [email protected] to request more information and to explore how I might help!
Would like to feel more organized? If so, Kathi is here to help you.
Kathi’s expert advice has been featured in national media outlets including Oprah Magazine, Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes and Gardens, Entrepreneur Magazine, and more.
As the author of 2 books, Kathi has also developed several online courses to help clients get better organized and energized in all areas of their home, life, and business.
