Staying Organized
These days everyone seems to be obsessed with getting organized, in part thanks to the phenomenal success of shows like “Get Organized with the Home Edit.” Whether you choose a DIY approach or hire a professional organizer, there are amazing resources and products that can help you achieve a more organized home or business. But getting organized is just the first step; staying organized after you’ve implemented a good system is the key to your long-term organizational success.
The truth is that even professional organizers find their homes a little unorganized or even, dare I say, messy from time to time. But behind closed doors, we employ strategies that you can use to help get the mess and potential chaos in order before things spiral too far out of control.
1. Don’t put it down, put it away
Making a habit of putting things away in a timely manner is perhaps the most difficult key to staying organized, especially after a long day when you’re exhausted and feel like you have no energy to put your shoes, keys, etc. away. But make “Don’t put it down, put it away” your mantra anyway. You may not listen to your inner voice every single night, but when this guiding philosophy is part of your life, you will be more mindful about putting things where they belong more often than not. And of course, getting into the habit of putting things away is also easier if you’ve already done the work to get organized and have created a system and a specific place for each of your belongings.
2. Establish a tidying routine for each day (or night) as a daily reset
Every evening before I go to bed, I try to make sure that there are no dishes laying around and that the dishwasher is loaded and running so that I can unload it in the morning (after my first cup of coffee of course!). I may go to bed with a few things strewn about, but part of my morning routine is to pick everything up that wasn’t properly stored in the first place and put it away. It doesn’t take much time, and it allows me to start the day with a clean slate. If I don’t do this, the mess will just get worse over the course of the day.
3. With kids, remember WWBD—What Would Barney Do?
It may be a little corny and dated, but Barney the purple dinosaur actually offers great advice with his famous clean-up song used to encourage kids to do their “share.” At the end of the day, or after a playdate, or before you move on to the next activity, have everyone do as Barney advises, maybe even sing the tune to encourage everybody to pitch in: “Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody do your share.”
4. One in, one out
Don’t bring anything new into your closet unless you intend to make room for it by giving away or donating at least an equal amount. This is a great rule of thumb for buying new clothes or shoes. Also keep a to-be-donated basket or bag in your closet, and regularly drop donations off to clear the basket. When the basket or bag is full, it’s time to make that drop-off.
5. Avoid buying in bulk whenever you can
I know it’s hard to resist those great deals from Costco or Sam’s Club, but if you don’t have the space for those larger items, you are just going to disrupt your organization system by trying to find room for these often industrial-size items. Some people argue that they are saving money buying in bulk, and that may be true for larger families who will actually use or eat everything purchased; but for most of us, a lot of that extra food will often go to waste because we can’t possibly eat all of it before it’s expired or become stale.
6. Take regular inventory
In the pantry or refrigerator, check your expiration dates once a month. And dispose of items that have exceeded their shelf life. If you have unexpired nonperishable items that you know you won’t use, gather them together and donate them to a food pantry. Mark your calendar for maybe the first of the month to perform a quick, 5-minute inventory that will help keep your kitchen ship-shape.
7. Keep your home a “No Junk Mail Zone”
I avoid bringing junk mail into my house by throwing it in the recycle bin in my garage as soon as I’ve checked my mail. You may have a different setup and may not be able to keep your recycling bin outside or close to your front door so it can make a quick exit on recycling day; regardless of your situation, do create a recycling zone, and dispatch junk mail immediately to that zone. Do not let it sit around cluttering your counters. And on a related note, if you subscribe to magazines, as soon as you get a new issue, make sure your last issue hits the recycling bin as well.
8. Deal with mail and bills weekly
Dealing with mail and bills in a timely manner is a corollary to the “No Junk Mail Zone” rule and together they will help you keep paper clutter under control. If you’re not going to deal with your mail or bills immediately, at least open and discard envelopes in the recycle bin and place the to-be-dealt-with papers in your in-box. Set aside a specific day each week dedicated to clearing your in-box. When it comes to paying bills, I know most of us want to wait until closer to a due date to pay them in an effort to regulate cash flow. However, the beauty of paying your bills online is that you can deal with your bills today, while selecting a specific payment date in the future.
We often say that organization is a journey, not a destination. By incorporating some of these strategies into your daily, weekly, and monthly routines, you can make sure that you stay on track or even get back on track when you find yourself making an occasional detour.