Organizing FAQs: What is Easy Upkeep?

 If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know I write about style in two different contexts: our personal and organizational styles (our organizing "defaults") and the STYLE process: Start with successes, Take small steps, Yes, it has a home, Let it go! and Easy upkeep.

The first four are pretty self-explanatory -- we know what successes and small steps are, and we expect organizing to require us to put things away and de-clutter. But what, exactly is "easy upkeep"?

Easy upkeep is the place we get to when we have created organizational systems that work for us. Our belongings have homes that fit our styles and those homes make sense to us, which makes it easy (relatively speaking) to keep clutter to a minimum. We’ve let go of the things that we don’t need, and learned to utilize the space we have in an efficient way. The things we use often are easily accessible and the things we need to access less frequently are stored in the out-of-the-way places we don't mind digging into on an occasional basis.

Did you notice that perfection and perpetually clutter-free surfaces were nowhere in that description? Easy upkeep is not magic, nor does it mean we stop working at staying organized. It just means things get easier. 

Once upon a time, I thought I'd get my happy ending -- a perfectly organized house that I could maintain effortlessly. I dreamed of the day when I'd find homes for everything important enough to keep -- homes that fit my personal and organizational styles -- making de-cluttering a thing of the past.

You might have noticed that's nowhere in the description either. And you might be wondering why. (I know I was). 

Staying organized is a continuous process because life is a continuous process. If we never brought anything new into our homes, we could (perhaps) maintain the organizational status quo. But life changes bring organizational changes, which makes staying organized a balancing act. Even if we're really good at practicing one in/one out (getting rid of something old every time we acquire something new), it's inevitable that some of the things we bring in will require different spaces and systems than the things we get rid of.

And that's not always bad. When my mom passed away and my dad downsized to move closer to us, I acquired some furnishings from my parents' house. They didn't fit neatly into any space at first. I needed to find them homes, which also led to me getting rid of some of my things. This required planning and reconfiguring that was, in the end, worth the effort involved. Still, it wasn't an even exchange and things got complicated (one might also say "cluttered" or "disorganized"), to say the least.

Changes like these tend to have a trickle-down effect that makes us wonder if we'll ever see organization again, let alone easy upkeep, but even smaller changes can keep us on our organizational toes. A simple trip to the grocery store can leave us wondering where to put the new things until the old ones are used up. 

But once we know how we organize best and what tools work for us, it's easier to arrive at workable solutions. Clutter becomes a temporary state of affairs instead of a pile we can't even imagine climbing out of, and we instinctively know which things to put in which places because we've planned our organizational systems around our instincts.

And that's what's at the heart of easy upkeep. It's easy because we chose our tools and systems based on what works for us, but it still requires upkeep. When all the systems make sense, and we have time to use them, organization is something we can do with relative ease.

And that's as close as we get to a happy ending. Organizationally speaking.

Then & Now: L is for Lent and Let it Go!

 Ash Wednesday snuck up on me this year and now, three weeks into Lent, I find myself (still) wondering what I'm doing differently between now and Easter. While it's never too late to initiate a new habit (my preferred Lenten go-to as an adult), giving something up now feels like too little, too late.

Or is it?

Like initiating a new habit, sharing our time, talent, and treasure with others pretty much works whenever we decide to do it. Today's Throwback Thursday from 2016 focuses on making Let it Go! a Lenten resolution. 

Then: 

The "L" in STYLE - "Let it Go!" is probably the hardest step, especially for those with an I love stuff personal style. But if you, like me, make Lenten resolutions, this is a great time of year to tackle all that stuff and see if there's anything you can let go of. What better time to simplify life?

Here are a few ideas on ways to make that happen. And, in honor of my I love stuff friends (and others among us for whom parting is not sweet sorrow), all of these ideas focus on ways to reduce your stuff without resorting to throwing things away -- unless you want to.

• Put that number 40 to work. In the past, I've tried the 40 bags in 40 days decluttering challenge, but my I love stuff friends might need something a bit more manageable. I'm not sure where this idea originated (I found it on Facebook), but its focus is simple: get rid of one item of clothing each day for 40 days. Less painful than 40 bags in 40 days, it can easily be extended to things besides clothing (40 books, perhaps?) Just be sure you have a destination in mind so you don't end up lugging those bags around in the trunk of your car for 40 more days. Not that I've ever done that.

• The maybe box. This one is also not original (I got it from a show on HGTV), but I love it, so I'm sharing it.

1. Find a box, preferably one with a lid or one that can be closed completely (nothing showing).
2. Put all of those "can't quite get rid of it" items inside (by category, if you wish).
3. Close the box and put a sticky note on the top with today's date. 
4. In an amount of time that you determine (I typically use 6 months, but if you're making this a Lenten resolution, why not use March 25, which is Good Friday?), get rid of the box and whatever remains inside without opening it. 

          Again, keep a destination in mind (unless you plan to throw the box away) -- this time, so the 

          box and its contents don't end up creating clutter for someone else. This way, as you add to     
          the box, you know whatever goes inside is suitable for its destination.

• Consign or resell. Can't quite give away things you paid good money for? Get them into the hands of someone else who can use them via yard sale or consignment. Then, in the spirit of charity, consider donating your proceeds to charity.

For more ideas on ways to Let it Go!, check out these three vintage Organizing by STYLE posts:

If You (Don't) Love it, Set it Free

New Life for Old Things: The Three Rs

Let it Go: The Second R

Now:

My 2022 Let it Go! resolution? Taking that final step and getting those boxes of donations (clothes, books, household items) to their final destination instead of in my basement and -- you guessed it -- in the trunk of my car. 

Have a Let it Go! success? Share it in the comments :-)

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Questions to Ask When Things Feel out of Control

 The last few weeks have been hectic. There are piles in my office and on my mail counter, and the chaos in these spots mirrors the chaos in my brain. Multiple deadlines mean that the time for sorting and restoring order is still a ways off.

It's disconcerting, to say the least.

It's (relatively) easy to stay organized when life goes according to plan. The real challenge arrives when life steps in, tightening time frames and igniting concerns that a clear head and clear surfaces are out of reach.

Here are three questions that can help put things in perspective, and remind us that we are in charge -- or we'll at least be able to take charge...soon.

Is this permanent? Part of what makes these times feel so overwhelming is our inability to determine when things will get better. Sometimes, the change is permanent, and we need to adjust accordingly, but often, the crunch -- and the piles that accompany it -- can be easily resolved in time. There can be tremendous relief in reminding ourselves that this, too, shall pass.

What can I control? Deadlines -- particularly those we don't set for ourselves -- can increase frustration, especially when they compete with (or push aside) our usual routines and best-laid plans. Maintaining our routines and to-dos where we can helps stem the tide until the wave passes.

What small steps can I take? Maybe I don't have time to do the major overhaul that the space needs but I can usually spare a few minutes to make things look a little bit better. Today, I made it a point to pick up one thing every time I walked past a pile, and to spend ten minutes taking care of the most egregious spot in my office. It's not order, but it's a start. 

When I mentally fast forward past the two looming deadlines that are overwhelming my organizational system, I imagine time to tackle the piles that seem to taunt me every time I walk past. Better yet, I envision clear spaces and resumed plans. With any luck, this time next week, I'll have conquered all of it.

Till then, patience is the most powerful tool in my toolbox, and I can access it by reminding myself that organizing is always -- say it with me -- a process.

Throwback Thursday: Rectangular Spaces

 

Our homes are full of big, rectangular spaces. Planned well, these spaces -- closets, drawers and even refrigerators and chest freezers -- can be a storage dream. Left unattended and unplanned, they can quickly become a storage nightmare -- the dumping ground for all things homeless.

Yesterday, I wrote about one of them (my refrigerator). Even if I don't label my refrigerator shelves (the jury's still out), there are plenty of strategies to help to keep large spaces manageable. 

Store like with like. While every home has a junk drawer, no home should have a collection of them. The contents of each rectangular space (drawer, closet, etc.) should be related in some way that makes sense to you. Whether you cluster clothing by color, style, season or occasion, your closet should be set up in a way that not only makes retrieving the item you want easy, but also lets you see your options at a glance. Last week, I set up a drawer that now contains "stationery items and sticky things." Hardly a category I'd recommend on a regular basis, but I now know where to find mailing labels, Command hooks and oversized index cards.

Divide and conquer. As an I need to see it person, I value organization that lets me see things at a glance. When I open a drawer, I want to be able to see its contents without pawing through it. When I open my closet, I want to see what my choices are. Depending on your style, you may not need to see everything, but dividing large spaces into smaller ones makes retrieval easier. A simple drawer organizer can help you separate dark socks from light ones, pencils from paper clips and stationery from sticky things.

Let your style lead. Standard issue isn't always standard. Do you need to ditch the rod? Add another one below it for shorter hanging things? Add more shelves? Roll in some clear drawer units? Trade in your file cabinet for a cart that stores hanging files or open-top file bins? Trade in your binders for accordion files? Don't assume that whoever designed your closet, appliance or piece of furniture knows best. Only you can make it work for you.

Trust your instincts. With a little time and a lot of STYLE, you can make those rectangular spaces the organizing boon they were meant to be. 

Organizing FAQs: What's the Best Way to Let Things Go?

 Recently, a colleague of mine who is moving wrote about having to go hard-line on her sorting and tossing. While she was kind enough to give my book a shout-out for all things organizing and storage, she felt she needed something more brutal for her current situation.

That got me to thinking. Am I too laid-back when it comes to "let it go"? In my book and in my posts, I tend to favor something gentler than LET IT GO! because, like so many other organizational conundrums, it's a process.

But the truth is that "Let it Go!" exists on a continuum. The gentle approach is often best for my I love stuff friends who need someone who understands how much their things mean to them (and why). Most of the time, they need an approach that acknowledges that hard-line is simply not in their make-up.

This gentle approach can also help those going through challenging life changes. After my mom died, a lot of my parents' things found their way to my (too small) house. I don't have an I love stuff personal style, but I simply wasn't in a place where I could sort through years of memories and make rational decisions. What brought me joy? Everything. Purging was simply not in the short-term game plan.

The truth is that how we Let it Go! is both situational and style-based. Downsizing? No room for gentleness because it only delays the inevitable. Parting with your child's elementary school drawings the weekend after they move out? You might need a little processing time and a little grace (along with a hug). 

In the end, most of our organizational decisions exist between these two extremes. How we approach each task depends on our timelines, our styles, and our tolerance for difficult decision-making, particularly decision-making of the emotionally laden variety. 

Am I too gentle when it comes to Let it Go? I can be. But that's because it's one of the few organizational decisions that can't be undone. We rarely regret hanging on to something for too long, but the sorrow over cutting something loose prematurely can actually hamper our ability to let things go in a timely fashion as we move forward (ask me about my brown suede skirt). 

If the situation calls for ruthlessness, have at it with my blessing. But if you have the time and the space, sometimes "maybe" is the best answer to "Should I keep this?" because it takes into account that letting things go, like so much else when it comes to organizing, is a process.