As Professional Organizers, we don’t just get clients organized, we also teach them how to stay organized. Since  we are “back to basics” this month at Connections for Women, here are seven basic home organizing concepts that we teach people every day.
1. Be decisive!
Everything that is on your countertop or desk right now most likely represents decisions that have not been made. Clutter results from putting off these decisions for later. Your ability to get and stay organized is directly related to your ability to make decisions! Here are some of the questions you can answer more decisively:
- Keep or toss?
- Donate or sell?
- Action item, or reference item for filing?
- What is the next action to take with this item?
- Where is the best place to store this item?
2. Give everything a parking spot.
Quick—can you tell me where your underwear is? I bet you can. Most people have a special drawer for their underwear, and most people know exactly where their toothbrush is, because those things have a specific home. Virtually everything in your home can have its own parking spot so you can find things quickly and easily. Whenever possible, use a label maker to label the parking spot—just like reserved executive parking spaces!
3. Plan ahead.
A few minutes of planning and preparation can save hours of time and loads of frustration. Think ahead, anticipate! What will you need? Can you combine trips to save time? What issues may come up? What do you already know now that you could proactively do something about before it becomes a problem?
4. Group like things together.
When you are sorting your things, ask yourself what is going to make it easiest for you to find and manage later. If you are organizing a bathroom, you may group things by type, such as dental care, hair care, and first aid. If you are organizing a kitchen, you might group things by function, such as serving utensils and food preparation tools. Here are some of the ways you can sort things to group them together:
- By color
- By alphabet
- By size
- By type
- By name
- By function
5. Assume laziness is the norm.
It’s just human nature - we want to do things with the least amount of effort possible. Especially kids! Assume that people are going to be lazy when you create an organizing system, and work with habits that your family has instead of trying to change them.
- Make things easy to see and choose. It’s all about having visibility to your items! You want your system to be Visible, Easy, and Obvious. (“VEO” is Spanish for “I see.”)
- Use labeling whenever possible to make it very easy to find things and put them back.
- Make it easy to put things away. Avoid lids, doors, extra steps, and anything else that makes it take longer or require more effort.
6. Put things right where you need them.
We professionals call this concept storing things at the “point of use." Put the laundry soap next to the washing machine, and put the pot holders right next to the stove or oven.
7. Batch up your tasks.
Sometimes it's easier to do something multiple times while you are at it -- that is why the assembly line was invented for greater efficiency in production. Think ahead about anything that you can do in batches like this, such as phone calls, filing, or correspondence.
Using these concepts, you can approach the fall with renewed motivation and enthusiasm to “get your house in shape!®” If you need help, our expert team is here for you 7 days a week online in our affordable Clutter Diet® membership program, for less than the price of a pizza!
Enjoy more articles from Lorie Marrero
Certified Professional Organizer® Lorie Marrero is the author of The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on  OrganizingYour Home and Taking Control of Your Life. She is also the creator of ClutterDiet.com, an innovative program allowing anyone to get expert help at an affordable price. Her organizing books and products are sold online and in stores nationwide. Lorie has been a spokesperson for Brother label makers and Microsoft, and she is a sought-after expert for national media such as CNBC, Family Circle, WGN News and Woman's Day. Lorie is the new National Spokesperson for Goodwill Industries. |
