Taking on an organizing project head on can feel a little like you are racing into battle unprepared. You may not know where to strike to maximize effectiveness, you could let your emotions get the best of you and you may not know where to focus your efforts. Having a little guidance in the right direction with some motivation can help you to face the battle field and ultimately claim success for yourself. If you are stuck and don’t know how to get started, here are six steps to get you through your first organizational project and hopefully, many more!
Know Your Battle Cry – 1
Before you even think about starting a project, you should know why you are doing it. Write down why you want to become more organized. It may seem silly, but not having a reason will become a reason to quit before you have even begun or during the project when things get a little hairy. It’s too easy to give in to frustration, boredom, or apathy if you haven’t established your reason for beginning in the first place. You can think about it all day long, but until you have set your hands to the task, your heart will not be in it, so make it a good one!
Pick a Fight - 2
Determine the area(s) of concern and start there. You may have many areas that are a mess or just a couple rooms that seem to become the focal point for clutter and keep you from a tidy and organized home. Decide which area is the most pertinent and focus your energy there. You will find that when you start tackling those troubling spots, you will have no problem slaying the rest. You may even start anticipating to see them all conquered!
Take Up Arms - 3
After you have chosen your plan of attack, you will need to begin by decluttering the space. Throw away anything that is broken, torn or worn, and donate unloved, unused, or multiples of items that are still in good condition. If you are unsure when to let something go, think about it in terms of time. When was the last time you used it, wore it, looked at it, or looked for it? Did you forget you owned it? Could you purchase it again in the future if, by chance, you needed it? Answering these questions will make it easier to let something go.
Gather the Survivors - 4
Survey what you have left after you have successfully decluttered the area.These items left should only be what you currently use and/or love and whatever is useful or adds value. Separate these into macro categories first, for example, if you are organizing a closet, you may start out with piles of clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, etc. You would then micro organize each pile. For instance, the clothes pile would then be further categorized as shirts, tanks, jeans, shorts, skirts, jackets, etc. Do each pile the same way until you have completed the categorizing process.
Attend to their care - 5
Clean, disinfect, and/or wash items before restoring them to their rightful place. Wipe down shelving units and vacuum or sweep the surrounding areas.
Claim Your Victory! - 6
After you have macro and micro organized your belongings, you will put them all back in their designated homes that will make the most sense for the items and the room where they are stored for accessibility. Then reward yourself for a job well done!!
"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."
