An Organized Home
I have said it before, and I will say it again - I am NOT a naturally organized person. To me, organization takes extra work. However, I am constantly learning the benefits of organization and as I work at it, I am also learning to make it more of a habit for myself.
Recently I have been taking the time to organize our home - one closet, one cupboard, one room at a time. I can honestly say that this has been changing my days for the better. I have felt my stress levels gone down, I have felt more of an enjoyment of being at home, and as I continue to organize and eliminate stuff, I am becoming more and more of a minimalist. Stuff is becoming less important to me as I go through each drawer and each shelf.
It is freeing.
I don't think we realize the hold that stuff has on us until we actually start to eliminate that stuff. The beginning is difficult, but as time goes on I have felt myself become less and less attached to my stuff the more I choose to get rid of it. It has been an incredible feeling of relief.
As I organize my home more, I also am realizing that I have more time and I am spending less. More time to do the things that I have been putting off forever. After our stuff is organized and sorted it is easier to take out that which needs to be completed or accomplished without stress of finding where something is or first making sure everything needed is there -- in this way I am saving money by not buying things that we already have but I simply could not find. By being organized I have a better idea of what we do have at home and therefore when I find a good sale I know if it is something we could use or not. (Rather than simply buying for a good sale, or skipping out on the sale thinking I might not use it, and am in need of it later.)
An organized home allows me to wake up and begin my day with more peace.
How am I going about doing this? Here are some steps I am taking to make organizing my home part of my daily life:
1. Pick one closet or drawer at a time. For a person who is not naturally organized, thinking about organizing my entire house is completely overwhelming. Instead I choose to take one closet or one drawer at a time. Depending on my week, sometimes I will simply organize one closet that week. If I have a less busy week I will count that in and plan for a few spaces that need organized.
2. Daily Organization. Daily pick up and organization is so important so that those spaces I am tidying up don't become a disaster once again. When I get home from a shopping trip, it is essential that I put everything where it belongs. Mail needs to be sorted instantly (this honestly takes about 2 minutes), and when I am done using something it needs to be put where it belongs. If not... this happens:
3. Make a place for everything. As soon as I am noticing something does not have a place, instead of sticking it in a random drawer, I am choosing to make a specific and intentional place for that thing. This means I have no excuse for anything to be in a random spot.
4. Eliminate 5 things a week. This concept came to me from another blogpost, which I simply can't remember where from. (I wish I could!!) I have adopted this concept and I love it. Whether it is 5 pieces of clothing, 5 kitchen items, or anything random...making sure I get rid of 5 things a week allows me to be constantly aware that stuff really doesn't matter. At first this task seemed daunting... would I really have that many things to get rid of? As I began I realized I have WAY more items to get rid of then I thought. Every week seems to be just as easy and I often end up getting rid of more than 5. Whether I choose to give the items to charity or other, throw them out or try to sell some of the items, the act of eliminating them is giving me a feeling that I can manage my stuff and not be controlled by it.
Perhaps you could use some organization inspiration today -- start with one of these steps and see how it impacts your days in the most positive way!
Recently I have been taking the time to organize our home - one closet, one cupboard, one room at a time. I can honestly say that this has been changing my days for the better. I have felt my stress levels gone down, I have felt more of an enjoyment of being at home, and as I continue to organize and eliminate stuff, I am becoming more and more of a minimalist. Stuff is becoming less important to me as I go through each drawer and each shelf.
It is freeing.
I don't think we realize the hold that stuff has on us until we actually start to eliminate that stuff. The beginning is difficult, but as time goes on I have felt myself become less and less attached to my stuff the more I choose to get rid of it. It has been an incredible feeling of relief.
As I organize my home more, I also am realizing that I have more time and I am spending less. More time to do the things that I have been putting off forever. After our stuff is organized and sorted it is easier to take out that which needs to be completed or accomplished without stress of finding where something is or first making sure everything needed is there -- in this way I am saving money by not buying things that we already have but I simply could not find. By being organized I have a better idea of what we do have at home and therefore when I find a good sale I know if it is something we could use or not. (Rather than simply buying for a good sale, or skipping out on the sale thinking I might not use it, and am in need of it later.)
An organized home allows me to wake up and begin my day with more peace.
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| Waking up to an organized home can be a beautiful thing. |
How am I going about doing this? Here are some steps I am taking to make organizing my home part of my daily life:
1. Pick one closet or drawer at a time. For a person who is not naturally organized, thinking about organizing my entire house is completely overwhelming. Instead I choose to take one closet or one drawer at a time. Depending on my week, sometimes I will simply organize one closet that week. If I have a less busy week I will count that in and plan for a few spaces that need organized.
2. Daily Organization. Daily pick up and organization is so important so that those spaces I am tidying up don't become a disaster once again. When I get home from a shopping trip, it is essential that I put everything where it belongs. Mail needs to be sorted instantly (this honestly takes about 2 minutes), and when I am done using something it needs to be put where it belongs. If not... this happens:
 |
 |
| ...and this. |
3. Make a place for everything. As soon as I am noticing something does not have a place, instead of sticking it in a random drawer, I am choosing to make a specific and intentional place for that thing. This means I have no excuse for anything to be in a random spot.
4. Eliminate 5 things a week. This concept came to me from another blogpost, which I simply can't remember where from. (I wish I could!!) I have adopted this concept and I love it. Whether it is 5 pieces of clothing, 5 kitchen items, or anything random...making sure I get rid of 5 things a week allows me to be constantly aware that stuff really doesn't matter. At first this task seemed daunting... would I really have that many things to get rid of? As I began I realized I have WAY more items to get rid of then I thought. Every week seems to be just as easy and I often end up getting rid of more than 5. Whether I choose to give the items to charity or other, throw them out or try to sell some of the items, the act of eliminating them is giving me a feeling that I can manage my stuff and not be controlled by it.
Perhaps you could use some organization inspiration today -- start with one of these steps and see how it impacts your days in the most positive way!
Great tips for organizing a household! Every time I declutter an area of my home I feel a sense of freedom and satisfaction. Less really is more! One habit I instilled in my two daughters is that when one item comes in (a new purchase) then one item must go out (something old and not needed). This concept has always served us well. :-)
ReplyDeleteThat is SUCH a great idea! I love that...I might even just instill that for myself!! :) A great habit to try!
DeleteI love these tips, especially "taking one thing at a time." We are about to move and I am determined to get organized once we move to our new home.
ReplyDeleteThat is the perfect time to start getting organized! Can be overwhelming, but yes taking it one day at a time will help that for sure. I think that when you move is when you really realize how much stuff we have that we don't need!!
DeleteSo often I just want to throw everything away and start again, ha! I declutter constantly but there is always more junk somehow. Ugh! Thanks for sharing your tips!
ReplyDeleteI totally know what you mean... It definitely can feel like a never ending job, but it does really help when you continue to work on it!
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