Simple Tips For Getting Organized

I like to organize. When everything has a place, it seems my home has a good vibe as well as being neat and clean. Organizing also helps clear the clutter in my brain. When I am organizing something, I am thinking about the task at hand, but it also mentally helps me find solutions to other things in my life. But organizing can be overwhelming – you might think, "Where do I begin? I need to organize this room, that room, this closet, that junk drawer..." Below are some simple tips to help you get started.

 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!