A More Organized New Year
We’re not huge fans of New Year’s resolutions because they can be overwhelming and often put too much pressure on you—when life or the unexpected gets in the way, you may find yourself “breaking” them and giving up. Thinking in terms of journeys rather than destinations may ultimately be more fruitful when setting goals and intentions.
That said, the New Year is often a time when we reassess and think about our hopes for the year ahead, and becoming more organized is something many of us desire. So, as you begin your organization journey, we offer some advice that you can apply to organizing any space so you can begin living a more organized life:
Take on one space at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do too much too quickly. It’s easy to become exhausted, give up, and leave things unfinished or even worse than when you started.
Making a “mess” is the first step. Get everything out of that pantry or closet and start grouping like things together. Figure out what you can donate or throw away. And be tough on yourself! If you haven’t used an item in a year, you probably never will. Set aside at least two boxes—one for donations and another for trash—and use these appropriately while sorting. This step can be overwhelming, so perhaps work on one small area at a time.
During categorization, use sticky notes. These same notes can be transferred to your shelves to help you plan out where everything will go.
Make a plan and maybe sketch it out. Really take a look at your space and think about how and how often you use the items you are storing. Less frequently used items may be placed on higher shelves; if young kids need to access something, store those items lower. If you always use items together (like flour and sugar, for example), situate these in proximity to one another. With heavy or extra-large items, weight and/or shelf space may dictate where those things will need to go.
Use containers and separators. New bins or baskets are not necessary, but it’s helpful to incorporate products to contain, demarcate, or separate; you can use what you already have and get creative, or you start with a blank slate. If you want to purchase new product, make sure to measure your shelves and purchase bins and baskets that will fit your space and accommodate your belongings.
Start with a clean slate. Wipe down or vacuum the spaces you’ve emptied. When you create a system that works for you, you won’t need to go through a dramatic organization process for a good long while, so make sure everything is as clean and dust-free as it can be before putting everything back.
Use labels. Labeling is key to making sure everything gets put back in its proper place and to staying organized. People need cues and reminders, and labels nudge everyone (including yourself!) to put things where they belong.
Be flexible because change is inevitable. As you live with your newly organized space, you will inevitably find that your system will require tweaking. You may acquire new items that you’ll need make room for. Tweak away. If you’ve planned carefully, minor adjustments should be easy enough, and they are to be expected.
Schedule periodic maintenance sessions. Everything needs a little maintenance from time to time. Pencil in time every few months to assess what you have and what you can purge. Try to avoid adding without subtracting as not to disrupt the equilibrium you’ve achieved.
Ask for help. Really, it’s OK. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Getting your family involved will take some pressure and responsibility off your shoulders. If it’s all too time consuming, exhausting, or stressful or if devising a system or plan seems daunting, consider hiring a professional organizer—we organize and transform spaces like yours every day, so we can quickly and efficiently achieve the transformation you seek without you even having to break a sweat.