Did you know the first week of October is National Get Organized Week? What an ideal time of the year. We're swapping out summer wardrobes for cooler weather gear and preparing our homes for the fast-approaching holiday season. If you think you missed out, don't worry. Organizing in between all the regularly scheduled parts of life definitely takes more than seven days.
My approach is to do an organization overhaul stretched over the entire month. This year I started with one of the biggest support spaces in our home: closets. They hold a ton of stuff, mostly intentional. Sometimes things end up in closets to be momentarily removed from sight. The problem is out of sight turns into out of mind, leaving stuff to accumulate and be forgotten. So if you find yourself buying things you thought you didn't have only to discover you did but forgot because they were tucked away, it's time to open up and organize those closets.
step 1: pick a closet
Depending on the type of home you live in (apartment, condo, house, etc.), you may have slim to tons of closet space. If you have multiple, choose ONE you want to work on and decide its main purpose. Is it dedicated to linens? Cleaning tools? Craft supplies? Perhaps a front entry drop zone for coats and shoes? Whatever you want it to be, name it. This will serve as a mental reminder of what needs to be housed there versus what's better suited somewhere else.
step 2: let it all out
ALL of it. Removing everything removes mental distractions so you don't get stuck on things being in a certain place. Give any shelving or hooks a wipe down, and the closet floor a sweep and mop or vacuum.
step 3: edit everything
Take a good look at what you've pulled out, then pick up each item one by one. Anything you immediately know is used, needed, and liked goes to a KEEP pile. If you can create separate keep piles for similar items, you're ahead of the game. Anything not useful, needed, or liked anymore can be set in a donate or toss pile depending on its condition and what it is. I highly recommend boxing donations and discarding or recycling the unwanted stuff before continuing. You'll feel like half the job is done (because it is!) and your eyes and mind will be able to focus on the fun part -- organizing!
step 4: make it intuitive
You've made a mess. and pruned your closet down to the must-haves. Now it's time to put those essentials back, but in a way that makes sense for you. This takes a bit of trial and error. I certainly don't get it right on the first try and that's okay. It's a puzzle with a functional and aesthetic endpoint, so if you find yourself arranging and rearranging you're on the right track and you'll be so proud of your efforts and perseverance in the end.
Full disclosure: Closets are a bit of an undertaking. Depending on the size, contents (quantity and type), and location, organizing a closet can turn into a multi-closet project. If you want to start smaller, try a single shelf then work your way up.
what closet in your home needs an organization overhaul?
I love a good closet refresh. Even though everything remains behind closed doors, it matters. Like sorting through the lists and goals swirling in your mind -- sometimes you need to do a good brain dump to remember what's there, recognize what's most important to you, and figure out how to bring them to the forefront and fruition.
Always,
Kommentare