Organizing…The Key To A Less Hectic Life…
I can’t say enough about organizing. I’ve said it for years; “An organized life is a happy life”. (I know there are other things that make for a happy life. 😛 ) But really, how many times do you have to lose your keys before you simply make a hook beside your door? Or have that one spot you drop your keys onto every time? Where is that bill? Under the stack of newspapers only to get accidentally tossed out in the recyclables? Where is that shirt…only to find it underneath the mountain of clothes you keep tossing here and there, because deep inside you are hoping one day you will make it into the Guinness book of world records with the highest pile of laundry?! How many times must we miss-place things before we make a change? The frustration of always “looking” for whatever it is can be such a waste of time physically and mentally.
I am not OCD about organizing. My books are not alphabetically arranged (though that could be cool…hmmm maybe one day…), I don’t break down if something is out of place, but here in my home, things do have their place, which makes my life easier as I cheer–care for–and love the people and myriad of animals that come into my world.
If your house is in a crazed-disorganized mess, don’t fret! Take one thing at a time. Start in on one area (the bathroom), or one corner of a room, or one table-top; one surface at a time! It can be overwhelming. So start small. Once you see a cleared off spot, it will motivated you to tackle another area.
I’m going to give you some easy tips on what I do and have done in the past.
In the beginning, at the start of your organization; turn on some music. Whatever music that gets you in the mood to sing along! It’s a must for lifting the drugery of “Gah…so much to do!” 😀
Now, get three containers. 1. Trash. 2. Donate. 3. Keep. I usually will have a trash bin and two laundry baskets; marked keep and donate. As I pick from the pile I make the decision right then and there. After the pile is gone, I immediately take the trash out and disperse it in the proper trash bins (recycle, mulch, trash). I will put the donation things into a bag and put it in the car. All the “keep” items, I then put where they belong. Repeat until everything is in it’s place. It really is that simple. If this still sounds overwhelming, call a friend, you know, the friend that has a clutter free home… 🙂 Sometimes a friend can help make decisions you have difficulty with; “Should I donate that those jeans, shirt, shoes, I never wear?” “How about the hula lamp?” “The sofa in the garage?” You will find donating feels good because you are not throwing “good” items into the trash and knowing someone can benefit from the things you don’t need anymore is indeed a good thing.
To avoid piles of chaos again, I try not to allow my laziness to creep in and simply put whatever it is in its rightful place. It can be difficult sometimes when you are dog tired, but the benefits to those seconds of wanting to toss your jacket over the chair, or shuck of your socks and leave them on the bedroom floor, or not putting the hedge clippers back on the hook in the garage, will be out-weighed when the next time you are looking for said object, you won’t be cussing at yourself at where you haphazardly laid it, as well as your home will be “guest-ready” for the next time you have an unexpected visitor. You will thank yourself for putting things back in its place.
I find having a place for everything is the key to a less stressful life. For me having things in their place and the ease of finding what I need gives me a mental boost knowing I am not wasting my time always in the “looking” mode!
I will be posting a series of organizing tips, tricks, and ideas to hopefully help you in your home and life. Let me know, if you would like me to post about a certain organizing problem, issue, or question. Please, let me know if this was helpful to you. Happy organizing!
