Four solutions for an organized 2019
Can you believe we are halfway into the month of January 2019? Have you already let go of the goals you have set for yourself for 2019? Or, maybe you didn’t set any but have ideas about how you would like to evolve over time?
Here is how I can help.
Let’s talk home organizing solutions.
The words BE INTENTIONAL is my mantra when I think about how I want to live in my home. When I am having those "I don’t want to. I am to tired!" thoughts that come to me. I reset and think of my "why" for organizing our home. The answer for me is peace of mind. I want to enjoy living in my home and have a quiet mind.
Of course, no solution will be the end-all for everyone but what I can tell you is BE INTENTIONAL. Be thoughtful, calculating and purposeful in your desire to be organized.
If you cannot determine YOUR "why" you need to be organized you are most likely organizing under false pretenses. Maybe pressure from others, or embarrassment but either way if you are not all in the organizing you do will not stick.
Four organizing solutions.
1. Establish daily routines. Small daily habits save time and create calming effects. Make your bed every morning. Place junk mail directly into the recycling bin as your walking back from the mailbox. My favorite is my before bedtime routine: clean up the kitchen, wipe down the counters, prep lunches, set out the coffee cups, and pre-build the breakfast drinks. I start the day with a smile when I enter a clean kitchen in the morning.
I also suggest including in your routine a 60-second-or-less-put-it-away rule. If it takes you 60 seconds or less to put it away, do it. For example, when you get home, put your coat in the coat closet. When you are getting ready for the day, put your morning hygiene items away. When homework is done, the kids should pack it up so it is ready to grab and go in the morning. Done with a craft put it away. Take that time instead of letting it gather into a frustrating clean- it-up-later drop zone. Start with one routine and build upon it.
2. Start small. Begin with a drawer or under a sink. Do not take on the full kitchen as your first organizing tackle. I know it is tempting, but being intentional does not include overwhelming yourself. Once you begin an organizing project, take on one area at a time. And this is important. Do it to completion.
Now that you are ready let the organizing begin. Take everything out. Yes, I mean everything. Then put like with like. You now know exactly what you have, so ask yourself "How many do I need? Do I love it?, Is it trash? Is it no longer useful to me?" A helpful tool that organizers use is creating 4 sections when pulling everything out. These can be in piles, in baskets, on blankets, or in crates. Whatever works for you. The 4 sections include- one for keep, one for donation, one for trash, and the last one is for the items that do not belong in the room you are working in. Let’s call those the go home items. The go home category will allow you to finish what you started so that you do not jump into the next room because you found a shoe or a toy that doesn’t belong there. After this is complete,it is time to return the kept items to their designated area. Yes, it is going to get worse before it gets better. The mess is part of the process but the end result is calming.
3. Let it go. Create a location in your home for donation items. A basket in the laundry room, a box in your bedroom closet, maybe a basket behind a couch to toss clothes, toys and other items you are ready to let go of. One of the greatest changes you can make to simplify your life is let it go (purge) through donation. When the basket is full drop it off at your favorite donation site.
4. Strategic clutter catcher. Place a strategic basket on a lower stair or by the coat closet. Hang a bag on a door knob or stair rail. Drop items in it throughout the day and return the items to their designated locations as part of your night time routine. This helps keep clutter away and allows a quick pick-up at the end day.
Living organized is a continual process. Not a once-every-3-months- just-when-I-feel-like-it- life-style. Once a process is in place maintenance is necessary. Establishing routines will help keep the process going. If you know your "why" and you are ready to BE INTENTIONAL, you got this!
Living in an organized home does not require perfect stacks or straight lines, expensive baskets or labels on everything (although, I do love labels). It's creating a place for everything and using that space as designated when the item is ready to be returned.
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Organizing and smiling,
Rebecca