Thinking Through Home Organizing

I’ve been learning a key concept about a successful home organizing plan. I used to just buy containers for stuff, and trying to give everything a home. I’ve been fairly good at organizing using that method. Fairly good means being able to find items when needed, or within 5 minutes at the most. However, it’s the keeping up with clutter that was bogging me down. Things would get organized and put away. Then they would get cluttered again.

I’ve always read that an organizing plan was essential before one even buys a single container. But I never listened. Who has time to think of a plan when there’s clutter to be dealt with? I wanted to get to the finish ASAP.

Lately, though, I’ve changed my approach. I no longer have grand ambitions of organizing the entire house in one go. Instead, I focus on small areas. The kitchen counter. The junk drawers. My bathroom counter. Before I bought any of the containers that I now use for these areas, I thought about how I use them. Why do they get cluttered? What are the items that are always found in them? How do I handle those items on a daily basis?

The answers to these questions helped me formulate a method, and a corresponding storage or organizing tool, specific to that area. For example, most people won’t have a filing tote on their kitchen island. But that’s what I found works for me. I need things to be easily accessible. Put away and neat, but easy to pull out when needed. I have a shelf in the dining room where I could put the files away. But that’s not how I do things. If I have to walk, even a few steps, with mail in my hand, that mail is more likely to be placed on a counter than make it to its designated spot on the shelf. Sure, a completely clear counter is neater to look at, but it’s just not compatible with how I handle the many pieces of paper that regularly enter the house.

This particular organizing container may not be right for you. But if you think about how you work, chances are you can find a method that will be compatible with your daily habits.

Tags: clutter, clutter control, organizing, housekeeping, homemaking