Get Organizing

Happy New Year! May 2016 be a year full of many blessings for you. Maybe one of your resolutions for the year is to get organized? So here are some step-by-step ideas on how to tackle the organizing process.

1.       Be Prepared

Before you get started on organizing an area, my suggestion would be to have four containers ready:  “Goes elsewhere in the home”, “Donate/sell”, “Rubbish” and “Keep and Sort”. These can just be cardboard boxes or laundry baskets if you have them.  Also remember your play list of music to motivate you and some snacks at the ready for the all important tea break.  It also helps to have a pen and note pad at the ready to write down a “To Do” list of action items that might come up while you sort.  Instead of getting distracted by things that need to be mended etc. you can just jot down a reminder. Then use your list later to schedule in your planner/diary when you are going to do the various items on your list.

2.       Take Everything Out

Although it is quite messy and possibly overwhelming for a while, I have found the most helpful way to organize is to take everything out of the space you are organizing (cupboard/drawer/shelf) and put it on a large clear surface like a table or the bed or even the floor if necessary. Then it is easier to sort through it all before arranging it back in the space you are trying to organize. This sometimes makes such a huge mess that it easy to feel a bit overwhelmed! But sometimes it has to get worse before it gets better.

3.       Sort It

As you sort, chuck out the obvious rubbish first. Things that have been broken for ages and are not yet mended, things that don’t quite “work” for whatever reason need to go. Obviously you need to be discerning about what is “rubbish”, what can be recycled and what is worthy of giving away or selling. Use your containers to separate the rubbish from the rest of these things and also don’t forget to put aside things that don’t belong in the space but do need to be kept elsewhere in the home.

4.       Put Like Items Together

When you have everything that must go “out” sorted into the containers, then tackle the rest of what is left. It helps to make piles of like things together and then it is easier to get rid of unnecessary duplicates. While you are doing this try to keep in mind the function of the space you are organizing. What items are really needed to support what you do in that space?  Remember that you can only fit a limited number of things into the available space and so you may need to make some tough choices about what to keep.

5.       Give Everything a Home

When you have whittled down your things into the essentials that you really love to have and need to use, it is time to put the things back. Everything needs to have a home – “homeless” items can be difficult to find.  Think about where you would first look for an item – that is most likely its logical home to you.

Also remember to think about accessibility when you put things back. Heavy things need to be stored lower down while small things can be put onto trays or into containers to keep them from getting lost. Look around your home for suitable containers before you are tempted to go and buy new ones! You will be surprised how often you can re-purpose a bowl or box or tray.

* A note on containers: Sometimes containers are a helpful limit on what you can keep. On occasion, before I sort out a space I decide on what containers I already have that are appropriate for keeping the items I want to use in that space. Whatever can fit into those containers can stay and the surplus must find a home elsewhere or be donated. This doesn’t always work, but sometimes it helps to create boundaries before starting, especially with things like sentimental items and consumables. When everything has a home, it also helps to make labels so you (and others) can see where to put things back easily.

What organizing projects are you going to tackle in the New Year? Do you have any tips on staying motivated when tackling a big project?