Step 1: O - OUT AND OFF
- Whether you are cleaning a set of drawers, a cupboard, or a closet, the first step should be to get EVERYTHING out of the space. Take everything off the desk, clear everything out of the cabinet, move everything out of the room. By clearing out, you will be able to be more selective about what you put back into the space and how you put it there. This high-level clearing will also give you a chance to thoroughly clean and sanitize the space that you are addressing.
- Truthfully, we ALL have things around our homes that we could do without. One of the best ways to deal with cluttered messes is to proactively reduce the amount of stuff we have. In some cases, we can reuse an item elsewhere or repurpose it for greater functionality. Sometimes we can have a broken item repaired so that it will be useful to us again. Other times we may find that someone else might enjoy a piece of our clutter more than we do. Most of the time, though, we can call it what it is --- JUNK --- and dump it. The reduction process is often the hardest to go through and, simultaneously, one of the most rewarding. Do not let your possessions own you; you acquired them to be enjoyed and used. If your things are causing you stress, they are taking away from your life not adding to it. Get rid of what does you disservice and focus on the peace that you will have in your home once the chaos is gone.
- When I think about organization I often ask myself, "What would a store manager do?" Stores are usually beautiful places with distinct organization and style; your home should reflect the same appeal. One trick store designers use to make their stores more convenient and attractive is to group like-items together. Think about it---condiments here, shampoos there, meats at this counter, veggies in this display. If store owners decided to throw things every which way, you would be a very confused, frustrated, and angry shopper. Hmmm...confused, frustrated, and angry...do these feelings sound familiar when you consider your mess at home? If your answer is yes, it may be time to take a note from the local store and start grouping like-items together.
Step 4: A - ASSIGN APPROPRIATE CONTAINERS
- Quick! Try stacking four pairs of shoes on top of each other. What happened? You probably ended up with a little pile of mismatched shoes. Bummer. Now, put each pair of shoes in its own box and try stacking them again. WOW! A neat, easy-to-manage, vertical stack of shoe heaven. This result is exactly why stores box up their items for sale --- it makes a large amount of weirdly-shaped stuff easier to deal with. Containers reduce wasted space and create opportunities for you to encapsulate oddly-shaped items. By using appropriate containers for the job, you increase your chances for maximizing space and minimizing chaos. Don't know what kind of container to use? Call me. I will help you decide.
- One of the biggest mistakes I have made in my own organizing projects is to put items I use frequently too far out of reach. Putting the items you need near you reduces the likelihood that you will create an organizing system that will fail. Let's say you use paperclips every day but you decide to put the paperclips 10-feet away from you in the back of a drawer in your filing cabinet. Chances are that you will forget that you have the clips, head to the neatly arranged store, buy more clips, and then just throw them on the desk where they are close to you. Now you have more paperclips than you need AND you have clutter back on your workspace. One day it's a little box of clips then the next it's a hoarding disaster! Avoid the chaos and always consider the tools you use the most. Keep the items you need nearest to you!
- When I am organizing a space, I imagine someone else trying to find something important in my home without being able to contact me. If I were travelling and forgot my passport, how would a neighbor find my documents for me? If a friend needed to borrow some sugar from my kitchen, how would they quickly find it? How would they know it was sugar at all? LABELS! I cannot stress this enough---EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE IDENTIFIED WITH LABELS. Containers are absolutely useless if you don't have a way to know what is inside of them. Use labels and make life your easier.
Step 7: Z - CREATE ZONES
- Another important part of the organization process is to create zones for your belongings. By assigning zones to your groups and containers, you create efficiency. Things will be easier to find and will be more useful to you if you give them a home in a zone. Think of zones as grouping like-items together but on a grander scale. As a store manager, you wouldn't sell dresses next to canned beans. Instead, you would create a clothing department and a food aisle. Do this in your home; you will notice a huge difference in time-saving.
Step 8: E - MAKE IT EASY AND EFFICIENT FOR YOU
- No matter how good a system of organization is, it will fail if it is not easy and natural for you to use. Don't try to fight your clutter by being someone you are not. Instead, know your limitations, habits, and patterns and work out from there. Whatever you do to get organized, make sure that it is sustainable and EASY. Organization is not about creating more work and more hassle; it is about creating systems that make life less chaotic and less stressful.
Well, there you have it---my official ORGANIZE method is now yours to have and use. I hope that you will use my tips and bring order to your home. I promise that a little work can bring you a tremendous amount of serenity. Try it, you'll be surprised at the outcome!
Still feeling buried in clutter and emotionally overwhelmed by your junk? Call me. I love to roll up my sleeves and attack a good mess. We will look at your problem areas together, create a plan, and implement a personalized system for you. In very little time, we can take you from an organizational disaster to an organizational demigod. I am always available to be of service to you.
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Regards,
