Let’s Get Organized!

Have you started your spring cleaning, yet? It can be a daunting task, but small steps, and a little preplanning, can help you achieve the organized space you desire.

Start by asking yourself how far you want to take your new organizational system. This is going to be different for everyone. For example, are you comfortable just with all your shirts in one drawer, or do they need to be arranged by color? Either way is fine. You need to decide what will be sustainable for your lifestyle. You might like the idea of alphabetizing your CDs, but will you be frustrated by having to maintain it over time? The best organization strategy is the one that will be the most functional for you.

Once you have your strategy established, it’s time to start actually going through your stuff. Remember to start small. Tackle the piles on your desk first, or start by sorting the odds and ends on the coffee table. We started organizing my daughter’s room by going through the junk on top of her dresser. As you gain momentum, you might find yourself moving from one space to another, accomplishing more than you thought you could.

The next step is probably pretty obvious. Sort your items into piles. This can vary, depending on what you are sorting. You will most likely need a pile for items to be thrown away, one to possibly give away, and a pile for items to keep. This third pile can be sorted further into items that stay in the location you’re organizing and items that need to be moved elsewhere. For now, just put those items in the proper location without further sorting. Focus on one space at a time.

Once you have eliminated the trash and misplaced items, take a look at what remains. Start grouping items by type. Let’s use a kitchen pantry as an example. You could group your canned vegetables together, your baking items together, and your cereals together. At this point, you can start to see if you need any additional organization or storage methods to make your pantry as functional as possible. I know we all love seeing pictures and videos online of pantries with rows of pretty containers, but that isn’t sustainable for everyone. For me, I buy baking supplies in bulk, so I portion out smaller amounts into containers in my kitchen pantry. The rest is stored in a separate location. Everything else stays in its original packaging, organized according to type.

As you start putting things away, consider how often you use each item. Reserve your most easily accessible drawers/cabinets/shelves for the things you use most often in that space. Higher, or harder to reach, storage spaces can be used for items that you may use on occasion. For example, you don’t want to stretch up to a high shelf every time you go for your favorite coffee mug. Alternatively, you don’t want your largest roasting pan taking up valuable real estate in your main kitchen work area, unless you plan on roasting a turkey every day.

Now that everything is in its place, take note of how easy it is to view and access the items you just organized. Are you working with a deep cabinet? You may want to add roll-out shelves to give you better access to items in the back. Are you organizing small items in a drawer? Consider dividers or small containers to keep them from sliding around and getting mixed up again.

Once you have your things organized, test out your new system. Give it some time, and see how it feels. Does it actually work for you? If not, make some adjustments and fine-tune the system. If you moved the spoons to the right side of the sink, but you keep reaching for them on the left side, maybe you need to move them. Pay attention to how you subconsciously respond to your new organizational method. Those behaviors will show you what system is most logical for you.

Good luck, and happy organizing!