Do you feel overwhelmed by your home and every time you get an urge to declutter and organize it seems hopeless and you cannot do it? Well, let me tell you that you can in fact do it, and here is what you need to stop doing first.
Start Here
- Give up on being perfect
- Start small
- Set 30 minute timer
- Be consistent
- Keep it simple
Let me draw you a picture: Your clothes are scattered on the floor in your bedroom, so you decide to clean it up and put everything back in your closet. You have the motivation and energy.
So, you start dipping into piles, and here comes the overwhelm:
- you can’t put it back because you need to wash it first
- there is not enough space to hang and fold everything
- the closet system sucks and you wish it was different
- you hate your clothes, and you don’t wear 80% of them
- you think you should declutter, but making decisions and letting go is too hard
As a result, it becomes too much. Now you feel stuck, you don’t know where to even start.
Do you see what happened here? Instead of doing just one thing “put everything back in the closet” you made a whole list in your mind of things you should do and you gave up.
1. The Trap Of “Perfect Or Nothing”
Give up on being perfect. If you’re looking on Instagram or Pinterest and think you don’t know how to achieve this cohesive beautifully organized space, so there’s no point even trying, then turn it off. Organizing is about functionality and convenience. Moreover, 90% of the time those pictures are heavily edited and in the real-world, it’s not all white, bright, and matching.
2. Doing It All In One Go – Wrong
Rather than trying to do it all at once, start small. In fact, I’m going to recommend, you limit yourself. Focus on one specific task. For instance, a bathroom is a great place to start. A linen closet is another great one.
Small steps every day, will get you any result you want in life.
We have long to-do lists and then do a little bit of everything. At the end of the day, we were busy but didn’t accomplish anything.
Slow progress is better than no progress. Stay positive and don’t give up.
30 Minute Timer Game
As much as I love organizing, I hate cleaning. So I play this game and it makes it doable and even fun. Set a 30 minute timer and see how much you can do in that time. Sometimes I even set 5 minute timer and power clean the kitchen. Apply this game to organizing and see how much you can do. And if you play this game everyday, you’ll see major results in the end of the week. Involve other members of the family if possible.
3. Keep It Simple
There are so many crappy organizing products in the stores. In my experience, simple sturdy bins, dividers, and shelves are mostly what you’ll need.
Here are some of expert recommendations:
Canvas or wicker bins for closets
Plastic or acrylic bins for kitchens and bathrooms
Clear plastic bins with latches & sturdy shelves for garages and basements
At the end of the day, if you still find, that you’d rather do something else and have a professional come into your home, and organize it all for you, fill out the contact form, and we’ll be happy to help!