Clutter Busting: The most important step in getting organized

Have you ever watched the organizing shows on television? Do you watch in awe that a space can completely be cleared out, renovated, and revealed in a one hour (or less) show and be completed in real time in less than 2 days? Want the secret to getting the same results in the same amount of time? The truth of the matter is that unless you have a carpenter, professional organizer, interior decorator and about 10 other trained professionals (or more), and a hefty budget, you are going to be disappointed if you want your space done in the same amount of time with the same results. Don’t be too disheartened, sometimes when you have to work a little extra hard you end up with better long lasting results. Also, the television shows often miss the most important step.

So, what is this step that I am talking about? What step could help keep your room looking great for months to come? You’ll have to wait a bit longer while I review the other steps in organizing your space.

Step #1: Purge
Of course you know this step, right? In order to make a space organized you have to clear out the clutter. One of the biggest mistakes that I see when people try to organize a room or space is that they forget to do this step first; and instead they head out to their nearest store and purchase containers.

Get rid of the clutter either by donating, tossing, or selling those items that are:
unneeded
unused
unnecessary
unliked
uninspiring
unappreciated
etc.

Step #2: Make your space work for you
Look at the space you need to organize and see how you can maximize what you already have. Most of us do not have an unlimited budget and a trained crew, so instead of waiting to afford television quality results, make the best of what you have. Have a small budget? My favorite organizing tool for an inexpensive room redo is tall bookcases.

Keep in mind, you must purge first and then you look at ways to contain what is left (not the opposite). Would you buy a brand new wardrobe for yourself before you lost the weight? Of course not! So the same is true for the clutter.

And finally…

Step #3: The final and most important step: Maintenance
How are you going to maintain the space? Clutter is most often the result of broken systems and procedures. You need to come up with some way to change your habits. Look to the areas where the clutter piled up the most and look for organizing solutions. Don’t just fix the result of the problem, rather figure out what caused the problem in the first place. For example, if you repeatedly have cluttered closets, simply keep a garbage bag or bin in the closet and when you are ready to donate the item, simply place it in the bag.

Create simple solutions for your everyday problems. Do the best you can with the time and resources you have available. Time is too short to wait for the right time (or wait for a TV crew to show up at your home). Start where you stand, accept help, and aim to do better today than you did yesterday, and better tomorrow that you did today!

Have fun creating new systems that will work for you!

Betsy