Get Organized! Five Steps for Organizing Your Home

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Compton, CA 90220
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ORGANIZATION AT HOME

How would you like to have everything you need, at your fingertips, when you need it? You can by simply getting organized!

Creating an environment that supports your needs is what organizing is all about. Imagine using a room in your home with complete ease and comfort. Imagine there is no clutter, because every item has a space of its own that makes sense. It makes sense because you have carefully considered the purpose of each item, and then placed them in such a way that those items used most often are right at your fingertips.

William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement in the 1880s, once said, "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful." Imagine how that rule can simplify the organization of your home!

Being organized doesn't have to exist only in your imagination. You can successfully organize your home by following these five steps: evaluate, plan, sort, put back the keepers, and maintain the system.

Evaluate. Keeping the Morris rule in mind, go through your home. Look around as though seeing it for the first time. Carry a notepad to write down your observations. Begin at your front door: is the entryway cluttered with seasonal outerwear (sandals, shoes, sweaters or coats)? Is there a better storage location for these items? Is the hall closet a danger because it's so crammed that opening it could create an avalanche? Moving through each room: is there anything in the layout that prevents a smooth flow? How can you make the furnishings work smarter, providing extra storage space, for example? When you have completed the evaluation, you are ready to move on to the next step.
Plan what changes need to be made according to your evaluation. Get input from family members who will be affected by the changes. A large organizing project, such as that of the entire home, will need to be broken down into smaller phases. Plan the work in sessions according to the amount of time you have available to devote to the project. Remember, if organization is important to you, you need to make it a priority. Schedule uninterrupted time to complete the plan for each room. Make appointments with yourself and write the appointments in your calendar. Allow time for clean up since a project is not considered complete until everything is put away. Also make sure you have the necessary tools and products on hand before you start each phase of the project. This brings us to the third step.
Sort using the three-box method. You can use either bags or boxes. Label the bags or boxes "trash," "belongs elsewhere," and "charity." When you are making decisions about your belongings, ask yourself these questions: When was the last time I used this? Do I even like it? Your answers will help you determine which box the items go in. When you are finished sorting, take out the "trash," put away the "elsewhere" and arrange for delivery of the "charity." Now you can move on to the fourth step.
Put back the keepers in a place that makes sense. A.A. Milne, creator of Winnie the Pooh, believed that "one of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." Your goal with this step is to prevent that kind of excitement, particularly if you've been overwhelmed by it. Group like items. Place them as close as possible to their point of first use - dish towels by the sink and cooking utensils near the stove, for example. According to the near/far rule, items used on a regular basis should be at your fingertips. Those items not used on a regular basis should be stored in a less-accessible place. Once you have placed the items where they make sense, and in a system that works for you and your family, all that remains is the final step.
Maintain the system on a regular basis. Prevent buildup of clutter by using "belongs elsewhere" collection points. For example, if your house has two levels place a basket on the stairs to collect the things that belong upstairs. When you go up, take the basket and put away the items in their appropriate spaces. Clutter will be kept to a minimum if you train yourself and your family to follow this rule: Never leave a room empty-handed. Simply take a look around before you move into another room - is there anything you can take with you that belongs in the next room?

Remember to adapt your organizing system as your needs change. After experiencing the sheer pleasure of having everything you need at your fingertips, you will never want it any other way!

Reprinted with permission from the National Association of Professional Organizers.