Organized for Life - Staying the Course
Organized for Life
8 Tips to STAY Organized
8 Tips to STAY Organized
For many people getting organized is the easy part - the
trick is to keep it up. Here are 8 tips to help maintain
your organized system and space.
1. Muscle memory. Just like working out or learning a new sport, staying organized requires some discipline and the adoption of new habits. For instance, toss out your junk mail immediately when you bring it in every day for a week or so. Deliberately perform the action you want to adopt, and it quickly becomes ingrained and a simple part of your everyday life. Your brain learns even when are not trying to teach it.
2. Wide open spaces. Leave some room in your new organizing system - open spaces in shelves and closets feel and look luxurious. Having an easily accessible place to put stuff also makes picking up and clearing away much easier.
3. Set standards. Promise yourself to get rid of anything stained, broken, outdated, or redundant anytime you find it. You are worth it, plus who really needs 4 can openers or 3 pairs of faded and pilled black pants?
4. Set limits. Determine that you will only keep a certain number of any item - particularly clothes and toys. Make room for 10 scarves, 3 golf caps, or 1 set of holiday dishes based solely upon your space and your actual use. Then stick to it!
5. One in - one out. Diligently practice this rule so that your nice open storage spaces don't become clogged up again. You bought a new sweater? One goes back into the Universe!
6. Easy donations. Keep a box or bag in a handy area to toss in the things you are ready to share. Anytime you take off a piece of clothing that you had planned to wear - before you even leave the room - it is a sign that something is pretty seriously wrong with it. Drop this into your Back to the Universe box, and routinely drop it off at your favorite charity. Keep the tax deduction - lose the clutter.
7. Change happens. Remember that things and lives move ahead. Just because you enjoyed something in the past does not give it superpower significance nor require you to house it forever. Make room for the new and exciting in your life.
8. Evaluate. Organizing is an ongoing process and more art than science. Your stuff and your systems need to adapt over time and some tweaking will be needed. This doesn't mean the organizing process did not work, just that flexibility is necessary and expected.
1. Muscle memory. Just like working out or learning a new sport, staying organized requires some discipline and the adoption of new habits. For instance, toss out your junk mail immediately when you bring it in every day for a week or so. Deliberately perform the action you want to adopt, and it quickly becomes ingrained and a simple part of your everyday life. Your brain learns even when are not trying to teach it.
2. Wide open spaces. Leave some room in your new organizing system - open spaces in shelves and closets feel and look luxurious. Having an easily accessible place to put stuff also makes picking up and clearing away much easier.
3. Set standards. Promise yourself to get rid of anything stained, broken, outdated, or redundant anytime you find it. You are worth it, plus who really needs 4 can openers or 3 pairs of faded and pilled black pants?
4. Set limits. Determine that you will only keep a certain number of any item - particularly clothes and toys. Make room for 10 scarves, 3 golf caps, or 1 set of holiday dishes based solely upon your space and your actual use. Then stick to it!
5. One in - one out. Diligently practice this rule so that your nice open storage spaces don't become clogged up again. You bought a new sweater? One goes back into the Universe!
6. Easy donations. Keep a box or bag in a handy area to toss in the things you are ready to share. Anytime you take off a piece of clothing that you had planned to wear - before you even leave the room - it is a sign that something is pretty seriously wrong with it. Drop this into your Back to the Universe box, and routinely drop it off at your favorite charity. Keep the tax deduction - lose the clutter.
7. Change happens. Remember that things and lives move ahead. Just because you enjoyed something in the past does not give it superpower significance nor require you to house it forever. Make room for the new and exciting in your life.
8. Evaluate. Organizing is an ongoing process and more art than science. Your stuff and your systems need to adapt over time and some tweaking will be needed. This doesn't mean the organizing process did not work, just that flexibility is necessary and expected.
Original Content Provided by Becca Clark
Owner and Professional Organizer
Creative Convenience
- Creating Efficient Spaces
posted by Becca at
4:25 PM
1 Comments:
Practicing #6 has helped me tremendously. I always have a box on the floor of my closet, so rather than waiting until the next time I go through my wardrobe, I toss things in it on an ongoing basis.
By
Janet Barclay, At
August 16, 2014 at 6:20 AM
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