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?
