By Valerie Green
When I read articles about simple ways to get organized, and see them in my client’s homes, I have to laugh, as I anticipate a list of detailed and onerous sounding tasks that even I wouldn’t do. Check all the expiration dates on food items? Scan documents I want to keep? Not only does that sound like a burden, it’s not really solving the problem of things feeling like a mess. Most people I know feel overwhelmed when faced with the task of organizing, and are uncertain about how and where to start. So I wanted to share my top five tips for how to get started organizing that I hope are actually simple!
1) Be clear about why you’re doing this.
I always tell my clients, I’m not here to make you get rid of things, I’m here to help you meet your goals. Your goals determine what you should focus on, and are a guiding light during the process to keep you focused and accountable. Here are some examples of how goals shape direction:
2) Have a plan for getting stuff out of the house.
My clients are usually delighted when I pile stuff into my car to take away and donate. Sometimes this is the most exciting part for people, when they can breathe in the extra space they’ve created, while knowing these items will be finding a good home. Before you even start organizing, know where you can take items to discard, recycle, and donate (this may give you additional motivation as you imagine supporting good causes!). If items can’t leave your home at the end of a session, put them in bags and as close to being outside the home as possible (front door, garage, etc.) so you can experience the results of your work and the joy of a less cluttered space.
3) Start with what’s most annoying and bulky; don’t sweat the small stuff.
Start organizing an area that’s really bothering you, or that has larger items that are taking up a lot of space. Completing these areas first can make a big impact on the space, and bring much needed positive momentum to the process. Save smaller, denser, and emotionally laden items (such as papers, knicknacks, and memorabilia) for later as they are very time-consuming, don’t take up as much space, and don’t give you as big a win. However take a moment to organize them into bins or bags so they are that much easier to process later.
4) Work in increments.
I don’t recommend pulling out everything from a room and going through it -- now that’s really overwhelming! Instead, work by zone. Choose an area to start and complete at a time, bringing in similar items from other rooms as relevant. For example, if you’re going through a bookcase, address books in other areas as well, so you can make decisions on what to keep based on all the books you have, and can decide on optimal locations for them.
5) Prototype with boxes – buy stuff later!
I’ve found that when people want to get organized, they tend to go out and buy organizing products such as bins. While these items can be helpful, they might not be the right solution for a given space, and can thwart the process if you are trying to make them work. Instead, I recommend that people keep some boxes in the home (especially shoe boxes and bankers boxes), and use those to prototype. Once you see what you have, and have decided where to put things, you can do a better job choosing something to help organize that area.
6) Be relentlessly positive.
Organizing can be draining and exhausting. There’s a lot of negative self-judgment (like Why do I still have this?!), difficult emotions, and tough calls to make (like what to do with gifts). And people have a tendency to focus on unfinished tasks (the Zeigarnik effect), so sometimes you’re not even giving yourself credit for what you’ve done. Give yourself support by making the organizing experience positive and fun. Here are a few ways to do that:
I hope these tips make organizing feel less intimidating and even fun!
When I read articles about simple ways to get organized, and see them in my client’s homes, I have to laugh, as I anticipate a list of detailed and onerous sounding tasks that even I wouldn’t do. Check all the expiration dates on food items? Scan documents I want to keep? Not only does that sound like a burden, it’s not really solving the problem of things feeling like a mess. Most people I know feel overwhelmed when faced with the task of organizing, and are uncertain about how and where to start. So I wanted to share my top five tips for how to get started organizing that I hope are actually simple!
1) Be clear about why you’re doing this.
I always tell my clients, I’m not here to make you get rid of things, I’m here to help you meet your goals. Your goals determine what you should focus on, and are a guiding light during the process to keep you focused and accountable. Here are some examples of how goals shape direction:
2) Have a plan for getting stuff out of the house.
My clients are usually delighted when I pile stuff into my car to take away and donate. Sometimes this is the most exciting part for people, when they can breathe in the extra space they’ve created, while knowing these items will be finding a good home. Before you even start organizing, know where you can take items to discard, recycle, and donate (this may give you additional motivation as you imagine supporting good causes!). If items can’t leave your home at the end of a session, put them in bags and as close to being outside the home as possible (front door, garage, etc.) so you can experience the results of your work and the joy of a less cluttered space.
3) Start with what’s most annoying and bulky; don’t sweat the small stuff.
Start organizing an area that’s really bothering you, or that has larger items that are taking up a lot of space. Completing these areas first can make a big impact on the space, and bring much needed positive momentum to the process. Save smaller, denser, and emotionally laden items (such as papers, knicknacks, and memorabilia) for later as they are very time-consuming, don’t take up as much space, and don’t give you as big a win. However take a moment to organize them into bins or bags so they are that much easier to process later.
4) Work in increments.
I don’t recommend pulling out everything from a room and going through it -- now that’s really overwhelming! Instead, work by zone. Choose an area to start and complete at a time, bringing in similar items from other rooms as relevant. For example, if you’re going through a bookcase, address books in other areas as well, so you can make decisions on what to keep based on all the books you have, and can decide on optimal locations for them.
5) Prototype with boxes – buy stuff later!
I’ve found that when people want to get organized, they tend to go out and buy organizing products such as bins. While these items can be helpful, they might not be the right solution for a given space, and can thwart the process if you are trying to make them work. Instead, I recommend that people keep some boxes in the home (especially shoe boxes and bankers boxes), and use those to prototype. Once you see what you have, and have decided where to put things, you can do a better job choosing something to help organize that area.
6) Be relentlessly positive.
Organizing can be draining and exhausting. There’s a lot of negative self-judgment (like Why do I still have this?!), difficult emotions, and tough calls to make (like what to do with gifts). And people have a tendency to focus on unfinished tasks (the Zeigarnik effect), so sometimes you’re not even giving yourself credit for what you’ve done. Give yourself support by making the organizing experience positive and fun. Here are a few ways to do that:
I hope these tips make organizing feel less intimidating and even fun!