Hello friends!
So this summer I vowed that I will get myself organized! Surprisingly, so far, so good. I've developed a little system that actually works and keeps me motivated to boot! Here's my 10-point plan:
1) Divide and conquer: Like many of you out there, my basement was a complete mess - bags and bags filled with who knows what, covering piles of junk that I've accumulated over the years. On the first day of Operation Organization, I assessed what I had - books, papers, random supplies, etc. then decided what would take the most and least time to organize. I did nothing in terms of actual cleaning when I did my assessment so I didn't feel too overwhelmed.
2) Get storage: Once you've assessed what you have, it's time to get containers, drawers, folders...whatever it is that you need to put your stuff. Otherwise, you're just moving things from place to place without any progress whatsoever. Don't forget to add huge garbage and recycling bags to your list!
3) Set up a schedule: It's summertime and I want to enjoy it! Therefore, it's really important to NOT focus on the task at hand too much. Sounds counterproductive, but believe me, otherwise, you'll end up hating the entire process. For my basement project, I focused on certain items per day (ex. - Day 1: Clothes Day 2: Supplies Day 3: Books...) Be realistic - know that it will take a bit of time to finish large projects if you are categorizing your stuff...
4) Work smart, not hard: I am very easily distracted, especially when it comes to something I really don't want to do... =) So, I focused on each item for 1-2 hours a day in 30 minute increments. I know, I know...it doesn't sound like much, but because I was able to truly concentrate on a specific item I was able to get a TON done. I also didn't have the television on whatsoever - I just played some catchy tunes while I worked.
5) Time yourself and take breaks: I used the timer on my phone that alerted me when my 30 minutes were up. As soon as I heard that bell, I stopped what I was doing and took a 5-10 minute break (any more than this, then you most likely won't return!) When I got back to the task at hand, I really felt refreshed and motivated to do moew. If I felt like it (and if I could spare the time), I'd work beyond the 1-2 hour time limit I gave myself. (Truthfully, as time went on, I found myself actually wanting to finish whatever was scheduled for that day - I truly think that taking breaks were instrumental in this...)
6) Leave larger tasks for later: In high school, I remember always completing my easier homework assignments first, then tackling the most difficult one last. Believe it or not, I use the same approach with cleaning. For me, books are what will take the most time to organize. They're everywhere - my basement, living room, bedroom...and I definitely don't need them all. Therefore, I have a space reserved in my basement for my books so that when I'm all done organizing my entire home, I can really sit down and go through them. This way, I'm able to take care of items that won't take as much time to organize and I can keep moving on to the next...
7) Make rules for yourself: Some of the items that I found in my basement I haven't seen in years so I didn't hesitate to toss or give them away. Basically, anything I haven't used or worn in the last year adhered to this rule. Following a simple guideline like this one will make organization so much easier...
8) Maintain momentum: Realistically, it may take you more than a day to complete a task, and that's perfectly fine! However, I find it extremely important to do something related to your organizing everyday. While tackling my basement, I took one day "off" and found it quite difficult to begin again the next day. After maintaining consistent momentum for about a week, before I knew it, I was practically done!
9) Create a functional space: As you are organizing, keep in mind that once you're done, you'll want to keep it that way. So you might want to make it easy for yourself by putting items that you use most frequently within reach.
10) Enjoy! When you're done, cross out this item on your schedule and really take a look at what you've accomplished. I may start taking before and after pics simply because I really can't believe how different my basement looks and how great it feels to get rid of years and years of literal junk! It sounds odd, but I'm actually looking forward to organizing the other areas of my home!
What do you do in order to organize? (And stay organized?)
simplistically yours,
xoxo andrea
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