Is your home a disorganized mess? Do you struggle with keeping it tidy and organized. Are you feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start? That’s okay. You are not alone. One of the most common struggles I hear from my clients is that they are so overwhelmed with their clutter that they don’t know where to begin. There are many things you can do. Here are 6 organizing tips to get you started.
ORGANIZING TIP 1: Sort Into Categories
Pick one area/space to declutter first.Sort like things together(all paper together, all pens together, etc). Find 4 boxes or large sterilite containers and create the following categories for sorting.
*Sell
*Donate/Give Away
*Relocate/Put Away
*Keep
Set up a trash bag and recycle area for collecting the items that fit into those categories. Once you have your decluttering stations set up, use the 15 minute method for a quick declutter session.
ORGANZING TIP 2: Use The 15 Minute Method
Use the 4 categories mentioned above and get a timer.
Set timer for 15 minutes. Declutter area by throwing out anything that is broken or expired. Check for duplicates of items and decide if you need to keep them all. Remove items that don’t belong in that space and put in the relocate box. Only work for 15 minutes. Stop when timer goes off. Continue to work in 15 minute increments until you are tired, then stop for the day. You can increase to 30 minute increments when you are ready.
ORGANIZING TIP 3: Start With A Small Space
If you are using the 15 minute method, you will want to choose a small space to start with. I usually suggest starting with the junk drawer or medicine cabinet. You can also work on a hotspot, such as the top of the dresser, coffee table or dining room table. Make sure you only work on an area that can be decluttered in 15 minutes or less. Now is not the time to tackle the garage, bedroom closet or sentimental items like photos and knick knacks.
ORGANIZING TIP 4: Keep A Donation Box In Each Room
I keep a donation bag in my bedroom and purge throughout the month.
Once it is full, I take it to the goodwill. I encourage you to try this at home. Feel free to have a donation box or bag in every room in your house. Set a goal for how many items you want to purge a day/week/month and stick to it. Challenge your spouse and children to do the same. You can turn it into a game and create some kind of prize for the person who purges the most stuff at the end of the month.
ORGANIZING TIP 5: Cleanup And Put Things Away
It is important to keep things as tidy as possible while going through the decluttering process. At the end of your decluttering session, take the trash and recycle outside. Go through your relocate bins and relocate items to their correct places. Put all your donations directly into your car and take them to goodwill or the charity of your choice. It is important to get into the habit of putting the donations into your car so they don’t sit in your garage for months and months on end. If you have anything in your give away box that belongs to friends and family, get it to them as soon as you can so it doesn’t continue to take up space in your home.
ORGANIZING TIP 6: Create A Tidy Up Habit
This is probably the biggest and hardest challenge for most people. It takes 63 days to form a new habit and 21 days to quit one. You must make a conscience decision to put things away after you use them. Instead of dumping your jackets/sweaters on the couch, get into the habit of hanging them up. Designate a place for mail and go through it daily to clean it from piling up. Put away your hairbrush, curling iron and hair dryer before you leave the house. Whatever you do, don’t give up. When you fall back into your old ways, pull yourself up and get back to your new way of living. It takes discipline, perseverance and determination but you can do it!
Now that I have given you some simple tips to get you started it’s time to get to work. Remember to pace yourself, take breaks often and discipline yourself to get into the habit of tidying up. To sum it all up; Sort into categories, declutter for 15 minutes a day, start with a small space, keep a donation box handy, clean up and put things away and create new habits.
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