Getting organized isn’t easy, I know, but there are steps you can take to make it a lot less burdensome. Often, simply changing your approach to organizing is all that is needed. Read on as I share my top three tips to help you get … and stay … organized.
1. Have a home for everything
My number one tip is to find a home for all of your belongings. Clutter starts to build up on your counters, in your cupboards, even on the floor when your things don’t have a place to call “home.” Getting organized and staying organized is so much simpler when everything has an assigned place. For those items you use most often, make sure they’re easily accessible. Store things in the rooms they’re most used. And, when making purchases, think ahead to where you will store these new items. Keep it simple, and keep it up, and this tip will make organizing tasks so much easier.
2. Put things away instead of putting them down
This tip can be the hardest, even for me. You’re busy. You’re juggling dozens of tasks. You don’t have time to put every single item away after you’ve used it. But, getting in the habit of putting things back where they belong as often, and as soon, as you can will go a long way in helping you maintain order. Some people find it easier to set aside a few minutes every hour, or an hour every evening, to put things away. The key to success is to find the solution that works best for you and to stay on top of it. A few minutes here and there of putting things away instead of just putting them down will save you hours of tidying up in the long run.
3. Purge often
How you decide to approach purging is up to you: pick a room, or just a cupboard, or simply set a timer for ten minutes collecting as many unwanted and unneeded items as you can find. Whatever method you choose, make the commitment to start purging. When you really dig in and look at your belongings objectively, you’ll likely find many things taking up space and causing clutter that are better off being donated or discarded. The less items you have to deal with the easier it is to stay organized. Purging also creates additional space, giving you more room to better organize the belongings you actually need, use and love. Sure, purging can be hard, but it can also be freeing. Often, once people get in the habit of doing it, they can’t stop.
So, if getting organized has been a challenge for you, or even if you do a pretty good job of it, but are looking for ways to make organizing easier for you, give these three tips a try. Practiced regularly, I promise they will lead to a more organized life.
If you would like my help implementing organizing strategies like these for you, contact me for a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation.