Don’t Pull Your Hair Out – Get Organized!

Can’t find your car keys? Always wonder where you put your cell phone? Do you search for a pen every time you need to make a note? Are you constantly buying new items because you can’t remember where you put the one you already bought? Do you want to pull out your hair because you can never find anything? If this is you, you may have mischievous elves stealing your stuff; OR maybe you are just disorganized. If it’s the latter we have some tips and helpful information to get your life in order.

Just as procrastination adds stress to our lives, so does disorganization. As the old proverb says “Everything has a place and everything in its place”. These are good words to live by. Organizing everything from your kitchen cupboards to your time only makes good sense; and will help make your life less stressful. In this article our tips focus mostly on organizing your home. Watch for future articles regarding time organization.

One of the first things and maybe the most important thing that anyone should do to get organized is to “declutter”. Get rid of anything that you don’t use. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t used it in a year, you probably don’t need it. If it’s unusable throw it away or recycle, if possible. Donate usable items to your favorite charity. A big problem in this area is what to do with items of sentimental value. Most of us have at least one item that we hold dear. Make these items useful by using them in some way. If it’s an old ticket stub, frame it and use it to decorate your home or office. If it’s a souvenir glass or coffee mug from a trip you took, use it as a pen holder for your desk. You get the idea. The point is to keep only the things you use.

Next, review everything that is left. Ask yourself, “Where do I use this most?” The answer will be obvious for many items. Pots and pans go in the kitchen, clothing in the bedroom, etc. But, where in the kitchen do the pots and pans belong? Having things nearer to where you use them will make your life easier and save time. Having cookware in a cabinet near the stove and dinnerware in a cabinet near the table or the dishwasher makes perfect sense. Some items may be a little trickier. Fit them to your own personal lifestyle. Do you put on your makeup in your bedroom or do you use the bathroom mirror? If you answered both, then store your makeup in a bag that can be easily transported from room to room. Keep it in the room where you apply makeup the most.

Once you have decided where each item should go, see if there is anything else you can do to make use of the space you have. Buying shoe racks, drawer organizers, baskets, bins, etc. will pay off in the long run. If you are spatially challenged and need to store items in a closet, attic, or garage, labeling the bins and boxes used for storage will keep you from wasting precious time searching.

Don’t go crazy. Your shoes don’t need to be placed in rows according to the style, color, manufacturer and the date they were purchased. Use a simple system that works for your particular situation. Going overboard will make you nuts. Perhaps, you have six pairs of shoes. If that’s the case, then simply putting them away in your closet every time you remove them will work. If you have fifty pairs, you may want to group them together in your closet according to type such as sneakers, boots, high heels, etc.

Expect yourself to be diligent about keeping things in their place. If you decided your car keys go in a basket on a table by the front door, then ALWAYS put them there. You will never have to search for your car keys again. Check out “6 Tips for Getting Organized this Year” for more helpful hints on getting organized.