Simple Steps to Organizing - The Benefits

Off the top of my head, here are some of the benefits to having an organized home…

Peace of mind…
Energy of the home feels better.
Less stress in the house - no more arguing about the house is a mess.
Releases tension.
Having freedom to move around the home creates a positive energy.
Removes the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Time…
You can find what you need immediately.
Easier to clean.
Easier to get dressed in the morning.
Faster to get out of the house in the morning.
Have more personal time as you are not having to "pick up" around the house.

Money…
You know what you have so no need to over purchase.
No late fees. You pay your bills on time because you have managed your paperwork.

Self Esteem…
You don't mind if someone suddenly drops by.
Feeling better about your home can help you to feel better about your self.
Taking care of your home is an expression of taking care of your self.
Feeling of empowerment by having a home that meets your needs.

Simple Steps to Organizing - Where to keep things.

Many people say to me that hey like to store their things where they use them.  But let me ask you this, would you let your child just leave her paints out on the kitchen table? No. You have a place where art supplies are kept. The same rule should apply to you.
If you want an organized home, designate a specific place for specific items. That everyone knows where to get something they need and where to return it.
When you store items all over the house, clutter accumulates. Set your home up like a grocery store…specific items live in specific places. Imagine not having to look for something in your home…that is one of the benefits of an organized home.

Simple Steps to Organizing - DON'T BUY ANYTHING

So many people think that in order to organize their home that they must first buy containers. Stop. Do not buy anything. The first step you need to do is to determine what is the volume of your possessions. What does that mean?








Pick an area you want to organize.
Pull out all the items from the area..
Sort your items into categories of similar items…like with like.
Do you have any more of these similar items in the house? Get those and add them to the similar pile.
Look through each group - do you have too many of one thing? Are their items you don't need and can be donated?
Put the to go items in a bag and either toss in the garbage or donate them.
Decide where each group of similar items should live.
If at this point you need storage containers look at the amount of items per group to determine the number of containers.
Purchase clear bins and label the outside.
On the way to purchasing your bins, drop off the donation items…practicing the theory of in and out of your possessions.

Simple Steps to Organizing - Bedrooms

I promise this is an easy task.

No Sorting.

No Donating.

No Purging.

Are you ready? Here we go.

Make your bed. 

Make your bed every day. 

Beds in kids rooms…teach them to make their beds.

When your bed is made, you are one step closer to organizing your room. Your room is where you rest and reset your self. 

You may find you that in addition to making your bed, you will be motivated to put your clothes away. 

Start with making your bed. It is that easy. 

Simple Steps to Organizing - Return Items

One thing that I seem to find at most the homes I visit is an area that has items that were purchased and for what ever reason did not work and need to be returned. Today is that day. OK,  you can't do it today…go get your phone and pick a day and time to make this happen.
Gather all the items that need to be returned either in person or via delivery service and do it. You hate to ship…look up your closest shipping store and have them do it.
Stop letting these items accumulate. If an item does not work out return it.

Get a room Organized for Free

Hello readers. If you live in San Francisco and would like a room organized for free in exchange for me making a video of the process, please contact me at andrea_wait@hotmail.com.

Simple Steps to Organizing - Work Out Gear

Do you have a variety of work out gear in your home that you don't use? Do you have a treadmill or an exercise bike that you hang your dry cleaning on? These large pieces of equipment take up an enormous amount of space and as you may have found are a clutter magnet…i.e. hanging clothes on them.
It is time to ask yourself the tough question, am I really going to use it? If the answer is yes then ask yourself why are  you currently not using it. Be honest to yourself. If the answer is no, the next step is figuring out what to do with this large cumbersome piece of machinery. Here are some options:


1. Craigslist is a great resource. Keep in mind that you want someone to come and take this away so don't get too caught up in the sale price. Remember you want it to go.
2. Donate it…yes, you can at least get the tax donation. Here is one of many resources.
3. Donate locally - google donating fitness equipment.

Lastly, all those items you have hanging on the machine…put them away.

Simple Steps to Organizing - Counter Tops

Clutter attracts clutter. So with that being said, take a look at your counter tops. Do you notice if you put something down on the counter that before long two more items are next to that item? Are you counter tops so full that you can not use them for preparing meals? If so, It is time to attack the counter top. Walk around your house and grab all the random items from counter tops - kitchen counters, kitchen table, dining room table, consoles, living room tables. You get the idea. Take all of those items and put them away…and if they don't have a place, it is time to create a specific homes for your stuff. 

Bottom line…keep flat surfaces clear. Defy the law of attraction by putting your stuff away.