The two most common things I hear people say regarding getting organized sound something like this:
- I don’t know where to start. (So I don’t.)
- I’ve tried to get organized before but it just ended up a mess again.
In this week’s post, I want to help empower you to get organized whether you’re among the first group and you don’t know where to start, or you are in the second group and you’ve tried to get organized in the past, only to find everything a mess again within a few days or weeks if you’re lucky. You see, I’ve been in both camps in the past. Remember my basement storage area? For YEARS I was paralyzed by that space. It was in such a state that I had no idea where to start…so most of the time, I didn’t. And when I finally would, I was constantly frustrated by the fact that it would never stay organized. “Why do I even bother?” and “What a waste of my time!” were things I thought often.
But, like you, I knew there was a reason I continued to be bothered with it. I knew that the key to breaking the cycle of frustration and embarrassment (and doing away with that massive safety hazzard…yikes!) was to get organized. I just needed to learn how to do it the right way. Once I did…wowsa…GAME CHANGER! Not only has my space stayed organized, but having it organized has saved me time, frustration, money, embarrassment, and so much more! It is a breeze to find anything I need from the space and even to put things away. I can tell a family member exactly where to locate an item they are looking for and they can find it reliably, and with ease. I no longer have to repurchase items that I couldn’t find among the chaos. And I’m no longer worried about a friend or family member opening the wrong door and stumbling upon my mess. Phew!
In my time as a professional organizer, I’ve learned the key steps that anyone can take that will help them get better organized and stay better organized, once and for all. Let’s break it down:
- Take everything out: To get started the right way, you have to take everything out of the space you are trying to organize. Now, before you go take everything out of your master closet and throw it on the bed, there’s an important caveat that must be taken into account. You have to be careful not to bite off more than you can chew at one time. I always suggest starting small. If your closet is the main offender, choose a single shelf, or one small section of hanging clothes, or maybe just your shoes…whatever feels manageable given the time you have available. Don’t be afraid to start smaller than you think you need to. You can always do more if time and energy/motivation allow. But this whole idea of “take everything out” is important because you have to get a super clear idea of exactly what all you are dealing with in terms of “stuff.” What’s taking up your space? And by giving yourself the opportunity to physically touch EVERY item within that space, you’re also giving yourself the opportunity to reflect and make a decision about each and every item, essentially “shopping” your space for the items that you absolutely need/want/use/love and choosing what gets to stay. Which brings us to step #2…
- Declutter or purge your belongings: Here is where you get to stop and think “If I were at the store right now, would I buy this item?” If yes, why? Is it useful to you/do you use it often, do you love it, does it serve a specific purpose for you? If it isn’t useful, you don’t love it, or it doesn’t serve a specific purpose for you, why do you want to keep it? Really consider this! If you come across items that you aren’t sure about, it’s ok to set those aside so you can make a decision at a later time; no need to get hung up on a single item that’s been hanging in your closet for 6 years. During this step you can also make quick decisions about whether items that you decide to let go of will be donated, trashed, or sold. I recommend having a couple different colors of trash bags handy for this step so that all items to be donated can be easily kept together in one color bag, trash can be put in another color bag, and items to be sold can be set aside in boxes or bins. Only items that I choose to keep will return to the space at the end. This sorting process is a nice preview of step #3…
- Sort and categorize everything you are keeping: This is an important part of the organizing process because it helps determine not just how items you currently own and keep in this space will be grouped together, but it will also establish a place for future purchases to find a home. Let’s think through the closet example we have been working with. If I just took out and purged through a hang bar of clothing that contained all my tops, I might sort what remains by sleeve length (sleeveless, short sleeve, and long sleeve) and then I might even sub-sort those categories by color or occasion or both! Then next month when I purchase a new top, I can immediately see where it belongs, and I know where to find it when I want to wear it without even having to think about it. Categorization allows you to group your belongings in a way that makes it easy to access and return items to their home with ease.
- Organization: The last step refers to taking the categories you created and deciding how they will exist within the space. In the example of the closet hang bar, I would simply hang the items from each category together. If I wanted to, I could even include some simple dividers between the categories, such as hanging cedar planks, though this isn’t a necessary step. In other areas, you might consider bins inside drawers or on shelves to contain categories in a more orderly way. When considering bins or any other organizational devices, I always suggest “shopping” around your own home first as this can often times produce a suitable solution without having to make a trip to the store or wait for the Amazon truck to come. In either case, you want to be sure not only to measure the overall space the bins or other containers will be going into, but also take into account what’s going inside to make sure you find a solution that works best for all your needs.
That’s it my friend. Four simple steps to getting and staying organized that you can put on repeat through every space in your home to achieve the results that will support you in showing up and living life exactly the way you want to: take everything out, declutter/purge, sort & categorize, and organize. You’ve got this!