Tips for Organization In Your Home

The hardest part with organizing and de-cluttering your life is probably the start. Nobody looks at the piles of mess around them and thinks, "wow, this will be easy." Oftentimes, we are so busy in our day to day lives that certain tasks just get left behind, and then those tasks start to build up, literally, and transform into areas of clutter around our home. This can leave most people feeling frustrated and feeling like there is no hope, but I am here to tell you there is. If you have the drive and determination to get started on your de-cluttering endeavor, you are sure to be successful, even if you just do a little bit at a time.

The most important tip for organizing and de-cluttering is to start small. Don't try to do everything at once and don't think that you will get it all done in one day. That is just an unreasonable expectation. Instead, think of a small space, maybe a corner in your living room or the hallway, or some other small area that you can focus on first. Go over to that area and envision what you would like for it to look like. Then, think about the items that are there. Are any of those items worth keeping, or are they just taking up space? Come up with an "outline" for how you will organize this area and focus all of your energy on this small space. By starting small and just working on one small space a week, you will find that the task will be easier than you thought, and you won't be spending all of your free time cleaning and organizing your house!

Once you have determined the space you are going to focus on, get two containers. They could be cardboard boxes, baskets, or whatever you have on hand. Dedicate one container for the things you know you will keep and the other for things you want to give away, donate, or possibly sell. Don't spend a lot of time in this process. Typically, the longer you sit and ponder about a particular item, the harder it is to decide to keep or throw out. For the most part, if it is something with deep sentimental value, you should definitely keep it. If it is something you haven't used in a long time and don't have as much emotional connection to, consider donating it or selling it. Maybe someone else could better use this item. Always know that whatever you do, finding a good place for your unused items to go is an important part of the process. Don't literally "throw out" items that may be still useful to someone else. (Unless they are broken or actually trash) De-clutter with purpose and give someone else the benefit of this item. This will help you overall feel like you are making a positive change not just in your life, but in someone else's too.

Consider whether the items you decided to keep actually belong in this space. Are these items that you set here temporarily but have another designated space somewhere else in your home? If so, put them back where they need to be. If not, but you still feel they don't belong, decide on a designated place to put them. Maybe you find out that some of the items would be better suited in another room, or maybe they should go in a storage box in the closet. The most important factor here is knowing that everything you decide to keep has its own special place in your home. This will make the organizing and de-cluttering process more meaningful to you.

Now, scope out the space. Do you have furniture in this area? A small table, a bookshelf, or some other means of organization? If so, restock the shelves or the table with your items in a way you feel is better organized and more polished looking. If not, consider gathering some containers, storage boxes or cubes, or other easy storage items. If you do not have any, consider going to a local store to get these items. (Most storage containers and storage cubes are not that much money to buy). If you don't have any money for this, think about maybe creating your own storage containers. Do you have old shoeboxes lying around? Do you have some boxes that you could upgrade into storage cubes? How you decide to arrange the space is entirely up to you, but the main point is to ensure that the space is intentional, that it serves a purpose, and that it looks more organized than when you first began. If you can check all of those boxes off of your list after completing the space, then you have accomplished proper organization.

After you have organized one small space, decide on how you will move forward with the rest of your home. I recommend continuing to work on small spaces. Think about how frequently you can put aside time to do this. Maybe you can do a small space every day, or maybe you can only allot one space a week. It doesn't matter how long or with what frequency you are organizing, just as long as you are making a plan and sticking to it. If you feel overwhelmed and like you won't be able to follow this plan, don't be discouraged. Tell a friend or roommate. Ask them to hold you accountable for the organization, and maybe even ask them to help you de-clutter or sort! However you choose to move forward, be sure that it is something that personally works for you.