Digging in...your "can do" plan for home organization this spring

Well, I knew I was in for some guilt when I started the topic of home organization this month. My closets? Ugh. My kitchen cabinets? Double ugh. The house in general? It looks nice if you don't open anything or look under tables and chairs.


But since I've been having to go on search-and-rescue expeditions lately--you know, for missing socks, toys, favorite teddy bears, favorite purses, kitchen spatulas, etc., etc.--I thought it might be time to find out what this "home organization" business is all about, and why I might be interested in getting down and dirty with a labeler, a container, and my closet.


Shiver.


Well, I had the pleasure of speaking with not one, but three local professionals to get an idea of how one might start a home organization project and why it might be worth it. So check it out. Here are several ways to self-start your inner organizer.


Pick a zone. "Feeling overwhelmed is the most common reason I hear from clients as to why they haven't started the task at hand,” said Amy Bolder, owner of Simplicity Professional Organizing. She said settling on a place to start is a great first step. But instead of breaking your home organization into a series of mini projects, a person should think about home organization as one project and plan simple steps to reach that end goal.

“See the zone as a big artist pallet and remember the picture is created one stroke at a time, color by color, until completion,” she told me.


Make a plan. Like any well thought out project, home organization should start with a well-ordered list. Here's a great one from Becky Marple, owner of Bee Neat Professional Organizing:

1. Write down everything you would like to tackle.

2. Decide on which project you will start on. (Similar to "Pick a zone" above.)

3. Schedule an appointment with yourself! (Put it in your calendar, arrange childcare, etc.)

4. Start early in the day, turn on your favorite music, and only--ONLY--concentrate on that one task for the day. Do not allow yourself to be pulled into another room!
Hmmm, good to know. That would save me from ending up in the kitchen when I'm supposed to be working on the closet, tackling the "Leaning Tower of Tupperware" for the fiftieth time...


Finally,


Choose wisely. Amber Austin of Dwelling Place Organizing recommends starting small and/or choosing a "difference maker." She says that a person should "choose an area to tackle that will get you off on the right foot and motivate you to keep going." She said it should be fairly small with defined boundaries, such as an entry closet, dresser, or even a neglected corner of the master bedroom. Or you can choose a "difference maker,"  which is the room in your house causing you the most stress.


Why go to the trouble of organizing? Well, at the end of the day, all three women asserted that we have more time to do the things we want to do when we don’t spend time hunting for things and buying things we already have. Being organized gives us more time for our relationships, more time to be healthy, and more time to be the type of parents we want to be.


Stay tuned next week for some quick tips on that kitchen and closet!