Tip 1: Get your mind right.
Pick a day and set time aside
to focus on the task at hand. If you just ‘think’ you will take Saturday
morning to organize the kitchen cabinets, trust me, something else will come
up. Put it on a list, a calendar, something that commits the time to that task.
Tip 2: Layout the plan.
I like lists – lots of lists.
Lists for my lists. Make a list of all the rooms, closets, drawers, storage areas,
fridge, and freezer – everything that needs to be organized. It may be a lot,
but do not let the list overwhelm you; we are going to tackle it in small
sections. Which one on the list is the smallest? Maybe it is the junk drawer, a
small pantry, or maybe the bathroom cabinet under the sink. Pick the small one
first – here’s why: once the small sections are completed, they provide a quick sense
of accomplishment and will keep you motivated to keep forging ahead with organizing
your home. The success of the first one will feel so good that you will be
motivated to continue to the next organizing task.
Tip 3: Get in the Groove.
Anyone who has watched me
organize knows that I organize to music. My choice of organizing music: Disco. Seriously! I queue up Spotify and my brain and mood start get pumped. Find some good upbeat music and put it
on while you organize – trust me, it helps!
Tip 4: Empty and Execute.
I have tried different approaches
to organizing, but the most effective way I have found is to empty the space. Empty the
junk drawer; empty the closet, the pantry, the utility closet, whatever it is,
take everything out. Once complete, clean the area. Even a small drawer can
gather dust and other odd dirt-like things. By cleaning the area, you will have a good
foundation to begin your organizing task. Clean space means you don’t want
to put junk back there.
Create three areas for the
following: Discard, Donate, Keep. Have a box set aside for those items you would
like to donate. Have a paper bag or trash can/garbage bag near your discard pile.
The pile designated for keeping – take an assessment; you may need some baskets, cloth storage boxes, or maybe rubber bands to gather small items or keep similar items together. Once
you have sorted everything, it is time to place the keep items back in the space.
Personally, if I am doing an area with shelves, I put items
that I keep, but don’t use much on the top shelf. For example, something seasonal
– you do not use it all year round, but is a keeper for a certain season, it goes higher up.
The items I reach for on a daily or weekly basis are easily available on lower shelves.
Organizing does not have to be
overwhelming – with the right plan, beginning with the small things, you can
organize anything. In the next blog post, I will take an example from my life –
I will be organizing the utility closet!
