The Motivation You Need: Spring Organizing
Friends, spring is here!! And today I hope to provide you with the motivation you need to start your spring organizing! So consider this your kick in the butt to get started.
Let's start with some easy ways you can get going TODAY:
Start Small
If organizing is not your thing, or you feel overwhelmed quickly...start with a small, achievable space that's really bugging you. Small wins lead to big wins. Once you conquer that space, it will be easier to move onto larger spaces.
Here are some great places to start:
Your mail pile or school papers
Junk drawer
Bathroom drawer
Small linen closet
Medicine cabinet
Kitchen utensils drawer
Your car
Keep Things Moving [Out]
Once you have decided what you want to keep, the rest needs to get the heck out of your house. Donate it, sell it, give it away. It doesn't really matter! But here are a couple things I tell our clients:
Your time is valuable so consider that when deciding to sell vs. donate.
Before giving away items to a friend or family member, make sure they actually want them! I have countless clients with bags of donated kids clothes they have never even looked at but are too kind to turn down.
I love this article explaining exactly what Goodwill does with items when you donate there. They don't just re-sell items, they recycle those that can't be sold and so much more! Sometimes knowing your items are going to be used in good ways makes it easier to part with them.
Involve Your People to Keep Organized
Once your space is organized, you kinda want it to stay that way, right?! Then you need buy-in from all the people who use the space. Walk them through how you would like them to keep it organized. Practice that first week with coaching to remind them of the new plan. Here are some examples:
When you finish using the scissors and pens, they go back right back here
At the end of the day, we will each look and see what we left out in the living room and put it where it goes
If you see something of yours on the stairs, that's my signal for you to take it upstairs with you
When you are finished eating, here's how you can put your dishes in the dishwasher (my personal fav)
When the laundry is done, you will be responsible for folding and putting away your own clothes before you can play with friends
On Sunday nights, we will pull all of our papers out of our backpack to start the week fresh
You Are Not Alone!
I've got tons of resources to help you as you organize!
Check out the Shop page and find some of my favorite organizing products
Visit our Online Gallery for ideas, organized by space
View the Blog page for tons of additional free organizing ideas + resources
Still stuck? We offer anything from DIY consulting to full decluttering, space planning, and organizing of spaces. Check out our services + pricing here.
