1. Buying the containers first
How can you buy containers when you don’t know what you need to store and what space those containers will go in? First sort and get rid of what you don’t use, then go bin crazy.
2. Waiting until you have lots of time
Not only is a marathon session impractical for most everyone, but it is too exhausting. Set a timer for 15-30 minutes each day and work one shelf, drawer, or sq. ft of countertop at a time.
3. Skipping the planning step
Decide how you will use a room and eliminate what doesn’t go with those uses. For example, a dining room may function as a space to entertain, but also a craft area and place to pay bills. To make sorting easier ask yourself, “Does this item match those activities?” Having the big picture in mind clarifies the little decisions.
4. Making the solution too complicated
If it takes more than 30 seconds to do, you’ll hesitate. If it’s stacked too high, you won’t get it out or put it away. Too many elaborate steps will guarantee failure. Fewer steps equal greater follow-through.
5. Not sticking with one area
Pick the area with the highest impact and work on it consistently. Don’t leave the room to return an item. Instead, make a pile for different rooms and return the strays at the end. Keep a running list of “to do’s” and address them once you get everything sorted.
6. Storing items too far away from where they are used
Everyday use items should be within an arm’s reach of where they are used. Occasional use items belong a few steps away. Rarely used items can be stored on another level or harder to reach shelves.
7. Letting unused items clutter prime storage
Do your cookbooks really deserve prime real estate in your kitchen? Reclaim your drawers from duplicates and never-used gadgets so you can easily reach what you need.
8. Thinking you have to do it alone
If organizing is something you hate doing or if you never learned the organizing process, get a “clutter buddy” or hire a professional organizer.
9. Trying to change your habits to fit the system
Where do you drop your purse and coat? Hang a hook for them in that spot. Willpower won’t fix habits. Create a simple process that fits the way you do it and save yourself loads of stress.
10. Aiming for perfect
Nothing paralyzes a project like perfectionism. You don’t have to be perfectly organized, you just need to be organized enough to find what you need, when you need it.
A good way to use this list is to choose one or two to try to make a space function better for you. Remember, people use experts to help them accomplish tasks. Organizing is a skill you may never have been taught.
Help learning those skills is just a phone call away.
Call 309-251-2646 or email Kate@GreenLightOrganizing.com to schedule your free discovery session.
