Organizing Essentials: Controlling the Influx of STUFF

It happens, life that is.  We make an effort to find a place for everything and maintain order, but sometimes we suffer a loss with the constant battle with stuff coming through our doors.  Here are some strategies that can reverse the outcome and leave our organization in tact!

Consider a minimalist mindset

We can begin by eliminating the unnecessary and 'just-in-case' so that we are left with only things that we use and bring absolute joy to our lives.  If we continuously edit and are mindful of what comes into our homes, the clutter no longer becomes a problem.

No more aimless shopping

Be purposeful with spending and try not to shop just for the sake of shopping.  Unsubscribe from retail store emails and catalogs.  Take time away from the numerous screens disguised as sneaky sirens calling us to buy more stuff to satisfy an imagined void.  (Those marketing agencies are great at their jobs!)  Cultivate the ability to distinguish needs from wants and essentials from luxuries.

Implement (and stick with) a one in/one out policy

To keep balance in your space and life, remove an item every time you bring a new one home.  This strategy works well with scheduling too - when we realize our time is precious, we get better at filling it with things that matter to us.  When we say 'yes' to something, we ultimately say 'no' to something else.

Leave (some) room to grow

There are times when expansion is necessary - think new child, new business, new hobby - so manage the corresponding space accordingly.  However, these types of systems are tricky to maintain without generating more clutter, so keep close tabs on what finds its way into those empty storage areas.  Be intentional with how those spaces are used.

Invest in multi-taskers

Declutter by replacing single task items with those that can perform many tasks.  This principle is key for kitchens and closets, especially.  Do not get suckered into buying single-use tools in the name of convenience unless it will be heavily used.  For example, a coffee maker can be a good single tasker, but not an avocado slicer - just get a good knife and expand your knife skills!  Buy the best quality little black dress (or suit) possible and use it to generate many outfits instead of buying an outfit per event.  Get those creative juices flowing!

Request experiences for gifts

Ask for a museum membership, theater tickets, spa treatments, charity donations, and other adventures in lieu of physical items.  These gifts reward us with new things to explore and enjoy without the need to find places to store more stuff.

Create a system for paperwork

Paper begets paper - we've seen evidence of this on our kitchen counters with ever-growing piles of mail, school documents and projects, magazines, etc.  It is absolutely necessary to set up a system to minimize the chaos and maintain sanity.  Convert to paperless statements, create electronic files and databases, and opt-out of catalog mailings and pre-screened offers to keep as much paper out as possible.

I hope at least one of these strategies can help you deal with the influx of stuff.  Granted, these ideas are all easier said than done, especially when more than one person is involved. Keep in mind it takes time to create and keep good habits, but the return on investment definitely outweighs the sacrifice!

Here's to staying organized!

Organizing Essentials: How to STAY organized

Whenever we find ourselves in one of those rare (and beautiful) organizing modes, we purge and arrange everything until we have achieved the "perfect" system.  Flash forward a week or month or year, we are distraught over how we got so disorganized again.  It becomes harder to find things, clutter creeps back and takes over our surfaces, and we are left with the mess we fought so hard to keep away.  Why is it so hard to stay organized?

It all begins with our habits, both the good and the bad.  If we neglect the steps to maintain our efforts, getting organized and finding a place for everything is all for naught.  Yes, it is important to start with an organizational system that will work well for you, but even the most optimal systems will fail if they are not maintained.  So here are a few simple ideas that once turned into habit will keep almost anyone organized:

1.  No task is complete until everything is put back into its place.  This is the most difficult habit to form because we are creatures of (bad) habit and prefer convenience above all else.  Following this rule is especially difficult when multiple creatures abide in the same abode!  But as I mentioned before, this idea is the entire basis for keeping our stuff organized.  The faster one masters this habit, the easier staying organized will be.

2.  A few minutes a day keeps the clutter away.   As a part of a morning or evening routine, taking time to put things back in their place helps to maintain organization.  Clear surfaces, put dirty clothes in the hamper, unload the dishwasher, sort the mail, recycle items, quickly purge a drawer or cabinet, etc.  If done regularly, 15 minutes can be ample time to get all things back in order.  For some, it works if they think of organizing maintenance as a household chore - something that isn't necessarily pleasant, but definitely necessary.  Note, the more often you put stuff back in the first place, the less time this routine takes (see number 1).  On a bigger scale, set aside time to periodically declutter closets, drawers, cabinets, and so on before they get out of hand.

3.  Find a system for the inevitable.  There is one thing that can sneak up on even the most organized person - PAPERWORK.  This includes mail, bills, magazines, flyers, invitations, memos, and so forth.  Maybe it's football/soccer/basketball season and laundry will increase exponentially, or an upcoming work deadline will require longer days at the office, so dinner will need to be planned ahead.  Whatever the inevitable is for you, take the time to setup a routine for dealing with it  - that way, when the time comes, you will have a greater chance of staying organized.  

4.  Change the system.  Sometimes the first attempt at organization isn't 'perfect.'  That's ok.  Just reevaluate and try again.  Sometimes we set something up for how we want to be and not our actual tendencies.  For instance, we create a system that requires a lot of folding when we actually hate folding clothes.  We all go through different stages of life, and our organizing systems need to adapt to us, not the other way around.

5.  Be mindful of what comes into a space.  Often we absent-mindedly bring items into our spaces that we do not need or use.  Always ask if an item adds value to your life before bringing it into your home - diligently guard your efficiency.  The more aware we are regarding our stuff, the easier it becomes to keep ourselves organized and clutter at bay.

There were not a lot of 'how-to' tips in this post and that was on purpose.  The key is to give you the reasoning behind organization and apply it to your life.  There are plenty of ideas on how to organize a closet or kitchen or garage out available to you - but here, I want to show you how to think like an organized person, whether you are in an office, dorm room, apartment, loft, small home or dream home.  The principles stay the same wherever you are!  And remember, regardless of one's method of maintenance, it is worth mentioning that the less you have, the easier it is to maintain.

Here's to staying organized!

Organizing Essentials: A Place for Everything

I recently read somewhere being organized means that one is able to find what they need in 60 seconds or less and that it takes 5 minutes or less to pick up a room/space.  Don't fit the description? No worries, we all need help.

Before we go any further, I have one disclaimer:  Hopefully (and ideally), one has completed a decluttering session and determined that each remaining item is useful or beautiful.  Why spend time and money organizing things that do not add value to your life? 

Today, our main goal is to find a single home for everything, which will ultimately create our organizing systems.   To do so, we begin with these tried-and-true guidelines to help us find the right place for our stuff:

1.  Like with Like:  One of the basics.  Here, similar items are kept together.  This makes it simple to find something.  It also helps us to know where to put additional acquisitions or when to pare down, if necessary.

Example:  Pajamas tops and bottoms are in the same drawer.  The broom, mop, and vacuum stay in the same closet.  All batteries are stored in a single storage bin.

2.  Put it where you use it:  Wherever you use an item, store it nearby so that it will be easier to get and easier to put back.  This rule allows us to place items in unconventional, albeit more efficient, locations.

Examples:  Lint rollers may live near the front door so clothing is quickly cleaned before heading out the door instead of running back to the closet.

3.  Create zones:  This guideline streamlines certain tasks by grouping together all items necessary to complete the task for easy access.

Examples:  A coffee/tea zone near the coffeemaker in the kitchen; a basket with all products needed to get ready in the morning beneath the bathroom sink;  a homework drawer with paper and writing tools near the kitchen table.

The first few guidelines aid in finding homes that make sense for all of our stuff.  But, adding another level of organization can sometimes make things even more efficient.  After narrowing down a general area, consider how often you use an item when determining it's home.  If you use something: 

• Once a day/week:  keep it on the counter or in easy to access locations, like the front of a drawer.  
• Once a month:  keep it in a cabinet.  
• Seasonally:  keep it in a harder-to-get-to storage area, like the cabinets over the refrigerator or the top shelf of a closet.

After taking the time to find a place for everything, try making labels to help you (and others) maintain your hard-earned organization.   Labels clear up confusion and also serve to make us put things back where they belong.  At the end of the day, remember the law of diminishing returns and the difference between organized and neat - we only need to be organized enough  to make our lives run smoothly!

Here's to being one step closer to being organized!

Organizing Essentials: Two simple, yet elusive, rules of organization

There are a plethora of mantras to help us get organized, such as "like with like" and "put it where you use it."  While both of those examples are critical principles in creating effective systems, they are not the foundation of organization.  When it comes to organizing physical objects, these two rules are the basis for getting and staying organized:

1.  A single home for everything, and

2.  Complete the task and put it back.

All other rules or mantras help us to either create or maintain these two rules.

A single home for everything

We often make getting organized more complicated than necessary.  We have habits, but maybe not effective ones.  For instance, we don't put our keys, work bag, or dog leashes in the same place.  So we frequently search for them instead of heading out the door for work or getting Fido outside in time.  Regardless of the item, if everything has a place to call home, we will know where to look for it.  I included "single" for a reason - the more places an item can be, the harder it is to look for it, hence our ability to make things more complicated.  True, there might be a few logical places for a thing to call home, but we must select one and stick with it.   If we find that another location better serves our purpose, then by all means, relocate, but that place now becomes the new solitary home for the item.  The best place to start is by finding single homes for items used or misplaced on a daily basis.  Once you reap the benefits of this rule, you will gladly extend it to other areas.

We have his/hers decorative bowls that sit on our countertop to house our keys and glasses.  Whether your home is 'pretty' or not, the main goal is that it is functional - so get creative!

Complete the task, put it back

The ability to stay organized hinges on this principle.  When we are finished using something, we should consider the whole task incomplete until everything is returned to its designated home.  For example, we fail to hang our clothes after multiple exhaustive "finding the right outfit" sessions and our once organized wardrobe never returns to its former glory.  We use the screwdriver to tighten the door hinges but leave it inside the closet instead of returning it to the toolbox.  What happens when someone else needs it?  We've all been there.  Sometimes we are tired and just want to go to bed, or we say we will get to it later or various other reasons.  This rule is probably the hardest to turn into habit, which is why staying organized seems to be so elusive.

This rule operates differently when we create a 'productive' mess - such as the ones we make while working on a project.  The task is completing said project, so we might not want to constantly return and retrieve items as it disrupts work flow. However, there are generally a few pause points encountered while completing a project; it is at those times when this rule is invoked. Most of us do not like to return to a mess, so during those pauses, it makes sense to put everything back so we can start again without stressing about finding things.

Mother knows best - or at least what's best for her sanity...

Excuses, excuses

Sure, someone could say, "Clothing has multiple locations - the closet, the hamper, the laundry room - so I can't stick to that rule all the time."  My response is two-fold:  1) dirty clothing does not belongs in the hamper not the closet, and 2) washing clothes is a task that is only completed when all items are returned to their designated home, such as a closet. Now some busy folks may retort that they do not have time to fold and put all clothes back. Trust me, I've been there.  However, in those cases, it's best not to ignore the rules but to reconsider our current systems to make sure we are maximizing our efforts and maintaining our sanity.  In this instance, maybe folding is overrated and you can be efficient without it. Remember, neatness is not a requirement for organization. Regardless of your system, be encouraged to fight against our natural tendency to find excuses and have the courage to take action against disorganization!

So if you did nothing else but practice these two rules, you could call yourself organized.  Try it out and let me know it works for you!

Introducing Organizing Essentials!

Long time, no see! Hope that you are enjoying the transition into fall! Undoubtedly, things are busy for all of us, especially as the holiday season approaches.  We crave something (anything!) to grant us more organization and simplicity to help us get through our whirlwind days and weeks.  With that in mind, I want to give you some valuable information to help get you organized now and keep you organized later.  Introducing a new series entitled 'Organized Essentials: Tools to Get and Stay Organized'!

Over the next several weeks, I'll be writing about ideas that anyone can use to make their lives more efficient so they have time for the important things (like reading the book before going to see the movie :).  These posts are to serve as a guide into understanding how and why organization works and how organized people seem to stay that way.  It's important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to getting and staying organized, so there will not be a lot of step-by-step procedures, but rather principles and tools that can be applied in a myriad of ways. 

Some topics include:

• The two simple, yet elusive, rules of organization
• Creating your own organizational system without professional help
• How to stay organized

...and more!

Stay tuned for all the awesome tidbits I'll be sharing to help you be the most organized person you can be! Be sure to sign up for email notification so you don't miss a thing!

No Organization Required: Reclaiming My Closet

How many of us look into our closet and say, "I absolutely love everything in here!"  Well, I absolutely do not love everything in my closet.  Yes, there are some pieces that I love, like my classic black semi-formal dress and oh-so-comfortable midnight blue jersey maxi skirt.  Some things I keep because of the occasional need to look business professional or for wonderful vacays to the beach.  Then there are those pieces that have remained as a dream deferred, unworn due to poor fit or short-lived trends - each hanger holding a reminder of an impulse buy or bad decision.  Enough is enough. 

But take heart! I have slowly made progress in making my closet a much happier place to be and you can too.  Today's post describes the steps I took to reclaim my closet without organizing it, but by transforming it into a place of inspiration and delight.

Step 1:  Find Your Style

The whole process began over a year ago when I loosely followed this four-step plan to "never buy the wrong thing again" from Real Simple.  The general process was fairly straightforward: 1) understand what works to find your style, 2) examine what doesn't to uncover your weaknesses, 3) pinpoint what is missing or needs replacing, and 4) learn to shop more effectively.  Surprisingly, the plan took more effort than I initially thought, but it was worth it because I finally identified MY style and mastered how to shop for it, both of which have almost eliminated my haphazard spending and buyer's remorse.  After questioning all the items I did not like, I realized that my poor shopping decisions occurred when I need something immediately, as I tended to focus on meeting my need more than my style.  Now, to thwart bad purchases, I keep a list of items that I'm looking to add or replace, so when I come across an item that matches all the criteria for need and style, I know it's a worthwhile purchase.  

My main takeaway:  recognize why you like what you like and why you hate what you hate.  Knowing these two things will help you know what to look for, what to buy, and what to leave on the rack.  

Make your closet a better place by also incorporating these principles:

Be aware of your color palette:  know what colors enhance your features (skin color, eye color, hair color) and try make sure you have them in your wardrobe.  I used this classification from The Chic Fashionista site.

Work with your body type, not against it:  understand what specific shapes and cuts make your body look balanced and use them to your advantage.  I'm a proud pear shape - so horizontal stripes above the waist only!

Incorporate more flexible pieces:  clothing that can work in multiple outfits and multiple seasons will allow you to be more creative without cluttering your closet (and it makes packing for trips easier, too!)

Step 2:  Clear the Racks

But there was still more work to do after I was done with the Real Simple article.  I had to get rid of the chaff, the pieces that were making my closet a miserable place to be.  

First, I removed items that I undoubtedly did not like.  That part was easy and fun.   Next, I evaluated items that I was ambivalent about keeping - this was the step in the process that required the better part of a year because I went through everything seasonally.  These were the items that held a certain meaning or could be worn if I toned up certain areas or (insert excuse of choice here).  I tried everything on, making note of the appropriateness and flexibility of each piece of clothing.  I decisively eliminated pieces that no longer fit me well or worked for my body type, regardless of my excuses or trends.  At the next season, I revisited the items I kept, made sure they were still working, and started the process all over again.

After 14 months of toil, my closet is now a place where all of my clothing fits me in my current state, makes me feel comfortable, and represents my style not someone else's.  I currently have 188 items stored in my closet.  Geez, sounds like a lot, but I'll comfort myself by saying it includes clothing for all seasons (or at least the lukewarm and hot seasons here in TX) and a few timeless pieces for when special occasions arise.   Depending on how the next year goes, that number may dwindle even more, especially when shoes and accessories come up on the docket.  There are a few items remaining that currently fit me and technically match my style, but aren't completely ideal - like the light grey pinstripe suit that I would like to trade for a charcoal grey one.  But until I find a replacement, I'll keep the pinstripe suit.  I do have one point of weakness though - a black and white halter dress that I absolutely LOVE, but desperately need to take to a tailor!  I've given myself until the end of the summer to get it done.

No matter where you are in the closet spectrum, you can reclaim your closet and make it work for you.  In addition to the article I mentioned earlier, here are some links to other (albeit more intense) closet-clearing plans:

The 40 Hanger Closet (Ruth Soukup, Living Well Spending Less) - create a wardrobe using only 40 hangers

Project 333 (Courtney Carver) - a minimalist challenge to dress yourself for 3 months with only 33 articles of clothing

Here's to making our closets happier places to be!