HOW TO KEEP AN ORGANIZED HOME
Have you always wanted an organized home but just never knew how or where to start? It can feel so overwhelming to begin, which is why so many just don't. I myself used to be MESSY! I want to start with my journey and then share a few tips and trick that have really helped me to get and stay organized over the years!
I remember a few distinct instances that made the biggest difference for me. Many people have a "junk" drawer which in my case was a closet. It had gone from extra storage to basically if I didn't know where to put it I tossed it in there! My (now) Mother-in-law helped me go through it making separate piles, keep, donate, and throw away. We made a major dent and it felt so great having that room more organized than before. I do have to say I had SO MUCH STUFF, hand-me-downs from all my older siblings, crafts, knitting supplies, all the books, and endless amounts of knick knacks. So after we had gone through it together I went through it THREE more times, chiseling down what I really wanted to keep ending with everything organized and in stairlight containers.
The next experience that was huge for me was studying abroad, for 6 months I lived out of my suitcase, this was the most minimal I have ever been and loved it! Yes there were times I wish I had more shoes to chose from but it was also so freeing! Once I returned I realized how many items I didn't even miss, so I went through my belongings and got rid of SO much!
The last instance got me to the place where I could fit everything I owned in the trunk of my small car! This was moving a few times! While in my last year of undergrad Tanden and I got engaged and I knew I'd need to move my "extra" items out of my parents house. This got me into full blown organization mode and I narrowed the "extra" down to only "memory box" and a small amount of clothing. I am not super sentimental so that helped me a lot.
Now that you know a little bit about my journey with organization lets talk about ways to get organized and to stay that way!
1.) Stop buying crap you don't need!
This one is so important and will help you stay organized! It is so easy to buy something just because it is on sale or to say yes to random things someone is getting rid of. That just makes staying organized more challenging! It is simple the less you have, the easier it is to keep it all contained. So buy less and buy quality!
2.) Start with a quick sweep of your home
The first step is taking a quick run through of your home and get rid of things you already know you don't need, especially duplicates! I know this can be really hard, you may think what if I need this someday, odds are you wont.
3.) Move to "Deep Organizing"
For this I personally like to tackle the "bad" areas first, (maybe thats your closet, a junk drawer or area, kitchen, the most unorganized place you have) but for some it may be easier to start in the least bad area. Every single object you own should have a home (notice this is where buying more and more can get you in trouble). Take the time to go through everything decide if you really need it or not on each item. If you decide to keep it find it a home and that is where it should always go. For this step I also recommend going through these areas a few times, each time the space should become more and more organized. Be sure to take in consideration memory items and simply keep a box with these pieces.
4.) Stay Organized!
Don't let your home get out of control. This used to be my biggest downfall, I would keep my space clean and then I'd struggle to find the perfect outfit and my room was all of a sudden a disaster. With no time to clean up it would spiral from there. Things like this happen, it's is just life. But how do you avoid the spiral? I almost always make sure that at some point in the day I do a small sweep of our home and put away the objects that have been forgotten, my shoes, random essential oils bottles, clothes from the day before. Yes it is way easier if you just do it in the moment but that doesn't always happen! The other thing I do is I accomplish the "worst" mess first! Lets say we didn't do the dishes the night before, there are a few articles of clothing on the chair, and I left a pair of shoes in the living room. I'll start with the dishes, then put away the clothes, then my shoes last. For me accomplishing the "hardest" work first makes it so much easier to just finish it all!
5.) Still struggling to keep it organized?
Not your first time trying to stay organized? Still not working for you? Take some time to really think about why you want to be organized and why it isn't going through. For me anytime I start to feel like I can't keep our home clean it is because I have started my old habits of accumulating items I really don't need! I recognize that is my area of weakness and then go through get rid of the "stuff" which then gets me back on track and really sets myself up for success!
xx nichole
