ORGANIZING TIPS YOU WILL ACTUALLY STICK TO

January 13, 2021 by Julia Weaver

There are countless benefits to becoming (and staying) organized. Less stress, better sleep, and more productivity, just to name a few. The hardest part for some, however, is knowing where to begin on their journey towards a more organized home.

There isn’t one right way of organizing, and it’ll take time to find what approach works with your lifestyle and habits. From designating time every day to creating to-do lists, there are several solutions to conquer the clutter. We’ve asked experts, from Atlanta to Sacramento, to share their best advice on becoming organized so you can keep the clutter at bay.

Take 10 minutes each day to clean and organize

Pick any space in your home and spend 10 minutes each day to dedicate yourself to that room. From the kitchen to the bathroom, frequently check expiration dates on products. You don’t want to put expired materials in or on your body. – The Global Organizer

Think like a chess player

Think ahead before you buy something. Imagine where you’re going to store it, how long you will realistically use it, and when you finish with it if it will cost you time and money to store it or cost your children their future because it will end up polluting the ocean, earth, or space. For example, you don’t need a little plastic device to take the pits out of cherries or stems off strawberries. Anything that’s a novelty item or fad, you don’t need. The thought of all the Peloton’s piled on top of each other in some future electronic graveyard haunts me. – Design Organized

Start every morning with a clean desk

As a professional organizer who specializes in working with entrepreneurs and those of us that work from home, make a resolution to clean off our desktop at the end of every day. Doing this will give you a feeling of accomplishment as well as a nice clean slate to start from the next morning. – Get ReOrganized

Start small

Often people get overwhelmed trying to organize all the things but little wins can make the difference in completion and maintaining the space. I encourage people to start with a junk drawer or a group of items in the pantry (baking or snacks). Get that one space under control and that will give you confidence and experience to move to another space – and it won’t take that long which means it’ll actually get done! – A Fresh Space

Create a donation station

The station can be a bag, box, or basket. I recommend one per floor- somewhere to put items that you don’t want anymore the moment you decide it’s a donation, rather than setting it back in your pantry closet or on your shelf thinking you’ll get to give it away the next time you do a big purge. A donation station means you won’t have to stop everything in your life to do big purges anymore because it’s the ultimate clutter maintenance! – Simplicana

Use a post-it note for a daily top-three to-do list

Keep it on the back of your phone so you can glance at it quickly multiple times throughout the day. Focusing on just 3 priorities and keeping them visible is key to making noticeable progress. Simply Convivial offers encouragement and coaching for homemakers to improve their skills and mindset. – Simply Convivial

Don’t organize alone

It can be overwhelming. Have a non-family member with you – or an organizing pro – to help you quickly make decisions. None of your items are meaningful to them so it will bring a helpful perspective of what really is important to you and why.  – Haven Home Solutions

Tune into your habits and routines

Being organized is not about perfection or mastering the latest organizing craze. It’s about finding creative ways to make your space work best for your unique habits, routines, and style of living. – DP Organizing

Always start with a plan

Never just empty a room and think you are going to organize it within a couple of hours. Start small, take it one drawer or cupboard at a time. It gets messy when you organize and to avoid having a complete disaster don’t take on more than you can accomplish. Organizing is emotionally and mentally exhausting. Give yourself the time to do it right. – How to Get Organized at Home

Use the “One in, Two Out” Method

When you buy a new item, throw out two items in the same category that you are not using.  I tell my clients that when they part with an item that no longer serves them in their current life, they are making way for something better to enter their life. – Organise Pro

Store things where you use them—not where they “should” be

If you use it in the kitchen, give it a home in the kitchen, whether it’s a charging cable or your daughter’s hairbrush. Think about the small headaches in your day—if your kids groan about going back to their bedrooms for socks, keep a bin of them where you store shoes. Forget rules—store things in places that will make your day easier.  – An Organized Start