Have you ever wondered if you are organizing correctly?
“Am I doing this right?” is a question I get asked all the time.
So I thought I’d talk about the 3 biggest organizing mistakes we make. This week we’ll focus on Mistake #1.
Be sure to look for Mistake #2 in your inbox on Aug. 30th and Mistake #3 arrives Sept. 13th!
Mistake #1 is buying organizing solutions BEFORE you organize.
All those solutions hold the possibility of an organized space. It is easier and probably more fun to buy stuff rather than going through what we already own.
But buying a box does not make you more organized.
Here is the reality:
- Buying more stuff only adds to the mess
- You don’t know what you need so what you get is most likely not going to work
- There is a good chance you already own something you can use – you just have to find it
Plus, you waste a lot of valuable time driving to the store, picking out containers, trying to maneuver them into your car, driving them home, dragging them inside and then trying to figure out where to put them.
And if they don’t fit the space at home you have to do all that over again – just in reverse.
Most likely these containers end up stacked in the corner of some room, where you put stuff on top of them. Then the stack of containers becomes one more thing you have to organize.
So what’s the solution?
Spend your time and energy sorting a space.
While you sort and choose the keepers to store use containers and bags and baskets you already own. Laundry baskets are a great option!
Then I invite you to MEASURE the space where you will store the items. (Note: put these measurements in your wallet or on your phone – you’ll never remember what they are when you are in the store.)
This ensures the container you choose will fit the space.
Then choose the best of the best from the pile of keepers – keep only what fits in your designated space.
Often we pick the keepers and wonder “where will I keep all this?”
My suggestion is designate a specific amount of space for the category and choose only what fits there.
Otherwise things outgrow the space, can’t be put away, and are then considered clutter.
You can successfully de-clutter, but it doesn’t start with a trip to the store to buy more stuff. It starts when you choose a category of stuff to sort and then spend time going through it.
You can do this! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Mistake #1. Have you ever made it? Are you glad you can now avoid it?