Keys to Sustainable Organizing

It's been a long time since I did a 3 Keys Thursday post, so I've included an extra "key" in this one. 

Though we press our organizing skills into service on a regular basis, keeping our homes tidy and our systems humming can still feel complicated and overwhelming at times. While our specific day-to-day needs and tasks change, keeping a few simple guidelines in mind can make it easier to build routines and systems that create both consistency and adaptability so that we know what we need to do almost intuitively. 

Just start. There’s no time like the present to just dig in somewhere—anywhere—and for any amount of time. Take five minutes and clear a small pile. Take a little longer and make a dent in a big one. What project have you been putting off? How can you improve the situation in fifteen minutes or less?

Keep it simple. When it comes to make organizing sustainable, more steps are not better. In fact, the simpler the plan, the more likely we are to stick to it and use it on a regular basis. What space in your home always seems to attract clutter? Is there a way to simplify the process of getting the items in those piles where they belong?

Keep things close if you use them often. Putting things away is great. Putting them where they’re easily accessible is even better, especially when they’re things we use often. Which frequently used items in your home are too hard to get to (and then to put away)? Can you swap out something that’s taking up prime storage space to create a home for them closer to where they’re used?

Don’t put it down, put it away. Protect clear surfaces! Keep clutter from gathering in the first place by putting things away instead of simply putting them on the first available clear surface. What is something that’s usually sitting out instead of where it belongs? How can you make it as easy to put it away as it is to simply put it down?

As simple as these guidelines sound, they can be challenging to put into regular practice. If you find this to be the case, perhaps start with just one of them, practicing it until it becomes a habit. Alternatively, when you find yourself stymied by clutter, you can ask yourself which principle would be the most helpful in resolving the situation. While it’s true that these guidelines won’t solve every organizing dilemma, they can help you determine the next best step to take. 

And sometimes a little direction is all we need to get started.

It's Time to Organize!

 When I write about organizing, I write mainly about the "what" -- what to do, what to choose, what makes life easier and organizing sustainable. By contrast, I hardly ever write about the "when." This makes sense, not only because practical tips are what help us improve our systems, but also because any time is organizing time, right?

Wrong.

There are definitely good times and bad times to try to organize and, what's tricky, is that they're as personal as our styles. And, most have both advantages and disadvantages. 

Company's coming!

Nothing like hosting a party or overnight guests to get us to tackle a space we know someone else is going to see.  The time crunch can be motivating -- or it can be intimidating. The ticking clock can kick us into high gear, or it can backfire, like an alarm going off before we're ready to get up. What's key here is the size and scope of the project. Small project? This might just be the time. Big overhaul? Better tidy up instead and save the re-do for another day.

Late at night

We know this is lousy timing for morning people, but even night owls get tired. A tired brain can be a fuzzy brain, leading us to either be mystified about what to keep and what to get rid of or to tilt too far in one direction (get rid of all of it) or the other (I can't part with anything). And even if we're of sound mind and energy, digging into a big task late at night can nudge our bedtime even later than usual, leaving us grumpy and woozy the next day. Better to take your prime time of day into account and plan accordingly.

I've got the whole weekend!

Perfect, right? Yeah, not so much. Too much at one time often leads to forgetfulness/confusion (where did I decide to put that?) and exhaustion, both of which makes us hate the whole thing when we're only halfway through. Take small steps.

Before anyone else is up

This one actually works well for lark moms (early birds), but not so well for night owls. The only caveat here is that it's pretty much a guarantee that once someone else is up, whatever got organized in the early morning peace and quiet may be put into disarray once that peace and quiet dissolves in the bright light of morning, so choose your desired spaces carefully.

When no one else is home

I have to say that this one's my favorite. No interruptions. I can listen to whatever music or podcast (or silence, if I prefer) that my little heart desires. It's a tough time frame to come by, though, and many pursuits compete for attention in this coveted time slot. This is a great time to dig into the out-of-the-way places that are most likely to stay organized even once the house is full again.

What's the perfect time to organize? If you've been reading this column for a while,  you already know that's a trick question. The best time is the time that works best for you and your family. No matter what time you choose, a little bit of pre-planning, based on your energy levels and desired goals is likely to help ensure that whatever time you choose is the right time for you.

Summer STYLE

 It's been a while since I mined the archives, and it always surprises me when I find something I didn't remember writing :-) This re-imagining of the STYLE acronym popped up when I typed "summer" in my search bar and I thought it provided some good guidelines for summer organizing -- one that's a little more directive as we attempt to dig into our organizing lists without making summer all work and no play.

S: Avoid the urge to stash stuff. You know you want to just put it somewhere, anywhere so you don't have to look at it any longer (just me?). But, we also know that creates a whole new set of problems, from not being able to find what we need when we need it to creating another space that will need to be sorted and organized. If the situation calls for a stashing of the stuff (a last resort), try containing (all of) it (as is) instead. Only you will know that that pretty basket or tote is concealing the pile that was on the dining room table and, if you keep everything together, it'll be easier to retrieve what you need.

Take other users into account. Everyone's home - yeah! Everyone's dropping stuff and running - meh! As you organize the cluttered spaces, remember that, unless you want to be permanently responsible for keeping them tidy, it might be a good idea to consider other users' styles when you choose your tools. 

You know what works, so trust your styles. When a clever container appears on the horizon, promising to solve all your organizing woes, resist the urge to embrace it, no matter the cost. Instead, run its attributes through the styles filter before laying down that cash. Stick to the tools that are a fit for the way you think and organize and be very wary of anything pretty that promises a quick fix. Lasting is better than fast.

Leave it alone. It's summer! Warm weather and long days beckon. Resist the urge to create a perfect house and focus your energy on what needs to be done (or what you're most motivated to do). If a space is tidy enough, walk away. 

Enjoy it all -- the clear spaces and the spots that harbor clutter dropped by the people we're blessed to spend summer with. Organized is nice, but it isn't everything.

Happy organizing -- whether you're starting with what's visible, or that thing that's been on your list for months, every small step leads to a more organized space.

Beautiful Inside and Out

 When we organize, we almost always focus on what’s most visible – eliminating the clutter on the table, filing papers out of sight. But sometimes, making what’s behind closed doors and inside closed drawers look nice can be just as important.

Now, before you panic or accuse me of suggesting that you make everything in your home -- visible, or invisible -- into a showplace, let me reassure you that is not what I mean at all. What I’m saying is that tidy spaces, wherever they may be, can offer a sense of peace and even whimsy as well as a sense of organization. 

As is often the case in organizational tasks, how much the state of what’s behind closed doors matters depends on your styles. For those with a cram and jam or drop and run organizational style, for example, just knowing what you need is in the drawer somewhere is sufficient. Mission accomplished. Anything else just feels like extra work.

If, on the other hand, you have an I need to see it or I love to be busy personal style, those tidy interior spaces with each item in its designated drawer organizer or decorative container can evoke not just tidiness but peace of mind as well. Being able to quickly pluck an item out of a drawer without digging for it or knowing at a glance which box contains the item we seek is not only a time saver, but a stress reducer as well.

Okay, I can almost hear the eye rolls (or maybe that was my husband from the other room). Don’t labels work just as well? 

Yes, they do. It’s all a matter of personal choice. And I often choose both.

When I began overhauling the storage spaces in my office months ago, my I need to see it personal style overruled my drop and run organizational style, nudging me to house my belongings in pretty containers. For some reason, it was important to me that the storage containers I chose for inside the cupboards be not just functional, but attractive as well. I still don’t know why this was so important – maybe it was changing out the old shelf paper in the kitchen cabinets – but it was a non-negotiable requirement.

I’m sad to report that this organizing project has gone on for an inordinately long time. The main reason for this is that my office is the place where clutter gets “stored” when it’s littering a vertical surface in a public space, meaning that cleared spaces become cluttered spaces when I need to re-home piles in a pinch. In other words, I clear away one pile only to replace it with another when I need to stash some stuff out of the way.

So, last weekend, disgusted once again by a growing pile of homeless items and determined to make some headway, I ventured into the office to work for half an hour reducing the piles. I made a bit of headway before opening the cabinet doors to assess the available space. An hour later, I found myself at the dining room table, wielding my glue gun and adding some cheetah-print ribbon to a plain brown box. 

In the end, the counter looked only marginally better, but the carefully curated selection of purchased boxes and upgraded and repurposed containers behind the cabinet doors was a triumph. Not only did they provide workable storage, but the end result also made me smile every time I opened the doors. I even showed off the finished space to my husband, who was appropriately appreciative.

Setting aside the fact that I got distracted by pretty containers, the day felt like a win. The best part was actually the repurposing, which not only tapped into my creative side, but also reduced the “good box” collection in my basement and yielded a new use for a container otherwise destined for the recycling bin. (Or gathering dust in the basement).

Organizing can be serious business. It’s important to create spaces that bring us peace and to create systems that enable us to find what we want when we want it. But just because the purpose is serious, that doesn’t mean the process can’t be fun. And if that means hauling out the glue gun and animal prints from time to time, so much the better.

There's Only One Way to File...Isn't There?

 For years, I've filed my paperwork traditionally. Each company with whom I do business gets its own file folder and any paperwork associated with that company goes into that folder.

Easy peasy.

Except it's not. I hate to file so, for years, I've accumulated stacks of paper to be distributed among these disparate, albeit appropriate folders. Normally, my I need to see it personal style runs the show but, when it comes to filing, my drop and run organizational style is the one that takes over. I finish paying bills, for example, drop all the statements into a pile, and run to the next (more interesting) task. Months later, I get disgusted enough with the burgeoning pile to do a filing session that takes five times as long as it would have taken if I'd just done all the filing in the first place. And, to make matters worse, I end up with a fat file folder full of old paperwork that needs to be culled so there's enough room for the new additions.

Just me?

You'd think the advent of paperlessness would save me but, alas, this is where my I need to see it personal style pushes herself right back to the front of the line. She thrives on hard copies. 

And so the cycle continues.

Years ago, I bought a set of file folders decorated with the months of the year. I no longer remember what I intended to do with them -- maybe it was to try the tickler file system a colleague raved about (alas, also not fit for me) -- but that no longer matters. These lovely file folders are now the foundation of a system that satisfies both my I need to see it personal style and my drop and run organizational style.

Each month, I put all my paperwork for the month into the appropriate folder. One month, one pile, one folder. Filing is simple because everything gets dropped into one place, which makes organizing my papers a one-step process, pleasing even to my drop and run organizational style. Each file is clearly decorated with the name of the month, which satisfies my I need to see it personal style, who thrives on labels.

Retrieval might be a bit more complicated -- this remains to be seen -- but since the folders are all in one place and the number of files I have to sort through is limited to twelve, I'm not too worried.

As for annual maintenance (which -- let's be real -- wasn't taking place annually anyway), it's simple. Each year, I pull out the previous year's stash, keep what's important, and ditch the rest -- one month at a time. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to create an annual folder for all the old (previous years') stuff or keep it in the monthly file. I'll know this better when I see how much I actually want to hang onto.

Are there exceptions? A few. The paperwork for my car, for example, goes into a dedicated file. Why? Not because there's any hard-and-fast rule -- simply because it makes more sense to me.

I'm inordinately excited about this change and, since paper clutter is my biggest nemesis, I'm left with only one question.

Why did it take me so long to figure this out?

Sigh. It's a process. 

Credits: 

Top graphic: Image by Jan from Pixabay

Monthly file folders from currentcatalog.com

Creating a Road Map

 It seems to me that I'm always busy. Honestly, I'm not sure I know how to be any other way. But lately, I've been feeling overwhelmed before I even start some days.

Too many days.

I'm absolutely certain that I'm not alone in this, just as I'm absolutely certain that I possess the skills to change my outlook from overwhelmed to extremely well-occupied (I'm an optimist, but I'm also realistic). The trouble is, when I'm overwhelmed, my head may believe I can conquer the feeling, but it's my emotions that are running the show.

So yesterday morning, I asked for some divine guidance in constructing a map out of the low-lying fog of overwhelm that descends lower and lower as the week progresses. It didn't take long for me to find my first clue. When I sat down at my desk, there it was.

Beside my laptop was a small notepad -- one that was there by design so I could jot down short-term or non-essential bits of information. The name of a TED Talk someone recommended. An attribution for a photo I was using in a blog post. The kind of information that I needed in the moment but that wasn't permanent or time-sensitive enough to make it to a to-do list. It wasn't supposed to be another to-do list, but it showed every sign of becoming just that.

I didn't need another to-do list. I had enough already.

That's when it hit me. I already had systems in place. I just wasn't using them.

Which is precisely why I felt overwhelmed. In short order, I figured out three steps I could take right away.

Simplify. My multiple to-do lists weren't doing me any favors. My here-a-list, there-a-list, everywhere-a-list-list approach was a major contributor to the cloud hanging over me because everywhere I turned, there was either something to do or a list of things to do.

No wonder I felt overwhelmed.

The thing was, I had a system, so I'd already determined the "how" piece of simplifying. It was time to...

Do a routine check. This was as simple as asking myself if I had a method in place for dealing with my lists. I do. And it works -- but only if I use it. A combination of busyness and laziness had led me to a series of quick fixes, which left me feeling....

You guessed it. Overwhelmed.

It took me about two seconds to recognize that returning to my routine would lift the cloud, at least part of the way. If there had been no routine or if the routine I had in place wasn't working, I'd need to do some strategizing and planning but, in this case, it was as simple as returning to good habits instead of investing in bad ones. 

And, with that in mind, there was one more thing I could do to nudge that cloud up a little higher.

Do what works. Returning to my routine was the biggest step in this direction, but I also needed to give myself permission to go back to the T in STYLE and Take small steps. Part of the reason I felt overwhelmed was that my goals weren't realistic. No matter what I do, there will only ever be 24 hours in a day, so planning 26 hours of activities not only doesn't make sense, but is also guaranteed make me feel overwhelmed. Remembering small, simple steps like Give it Five! and Don't put it down, put it away! helps me keep moving forward without creating more to do as I go.

And, since feeling overwhelmed can be, well, overwhelming, I'm including a bonus tip this week.

 

Ask for help/delegate. I thought of these strategies while I was in the shower and had nothing to write with (white soap on a white shower shell is pretty much invisible and the conditioner was uncooperative). Luckily, my husband was in the kitchen and I called out to him to "write this down!" which he did without asking a single question. And, the thing is, he'd do more stuff, too, but he can't read my mind. I have to ask.

Even if your personal style is I love to be busy, there are times when the busyness can get overwhelming. When this happens, it's time to take stock, trust yourself and your styles and do the things you know work for you, even if they seem counterproductive (or even wrong) to someone else. We need our styles most when we feel overwhelmed because they create the map that works best for us whether it's a direct route, a well-traveled route or a winding dirt road that only we can navigate.

Size Matters

 My husband and I purchased our "starter home" -- a small, white brick Cape Cod a block away from the local high school -- more than 30 years ago.

We still live there.

Once, when my daughter was small, we tried to find a new house. There were lots of possibilities but, in the end, nothing better than where we already were. So, we made some additions, did some renovations and stayed put. A few years ago, we added a sunroom.

It's safe to say we're not going anywhere.

Although additional storage was part of the ongoing evolution of our house, we still seem to have more stuff than space. Part of that is truly a space problem, but part of it is a stuff problem.

Case in point: my office. "Office" is a rather generous description for what's actually an enclosed side patio with no closet space. We added a countertop (usually cluttered, in part because there's not enough storage space) and two kitchen cabinet units (four cupboards in all) that have been overstuffed almost since they were installed. I've been telling my husband that I'm out of space for years now.

But a recent deep dive into the cupboards uncovered quite a few things that were no longer earning their keep, and a few that could be moved to other spots in the house where similar items were stored. I'm still mid-project, but the cabinets are no longer full, leaving me with the hope that, with the proper planning and organization, I have enough room for everything that needs to live in my office.

That said, this isn't always how the story ends. Several months ago, we finally replaced the shed that we purchased only a few years after we bought the house. The replacement is a little more than twice as long as the one we had, with additional storage bonuses like a loft and shelves. It's not (yet) full and, when organized, would probably have even more available space (but I am not the keeper of the shed). Not only does it look much nicer than its predecessor, but there's finally room for my husband to get to what he needs without taking out half the contents of the shed. In this case, upsizing was necessary; the old shed was sufficient for the few tools we had as new homeowners, but we quickly outgrew the original building. No matter how well organized it was, it barely contained what needed to live there.

It's easy to imagine that if we just had a bigger house, more closets, a usable basement (or attic) or more storage in general that all of our organization problems would be solved. While it's basic geometry that a certain amount of space is necessary to contain a certain amount of stuff, what we contain and how we contain it matters too. Our new shed, with its bountiful space doesn't have to be well-organized (yet) because it has more space than we actually need. 

My office cabinets are another matter. Keeping that small space organized involves making decisions about not just what stays and what goes, but also about what goes where and how to best utilize every inch of available space. I'm not complaining. I wasn't fond of geometry, but I do love Tetris; fortunately, a good organizing puzzle resembles the latter as much as the former.

I'm having a lot of fun solving this latest organizing puzzle and taking not-so-secret pleasure in getting rid of stuff I no longer need. I'm hoping that, in the end, my office will feel less cramped, thanks to the combination of weeding, tossing, and re-configuring. And who knows? I might just have enough space after all.

Just don't tell my husband.