I think I mentioned before that a while back, I wanted to really dig in and organize my home. I'm not a naturally organized person. I'm an artsy procrastinator. I told my husband, "I need to take some college classes on organization or something". He said,"Why don't you use the library and study some professional books instead?" Wouldn't you know, the first (and only) book I have ever used was Eliminate Chaos, by Laura Leist. After reading this, you really don't need another book or course. It's straightforward and doable. So it was amazing to hear/see her in person at this workshop!
Basically, there are 10 Steps to Eliminate Chaos at home:
1) Dedicate Time. Basically, organizing your space is something one is always "going to get to" or something "I don't have time for". She emphasized that we make time for the priorities in our life. If we don't have time for it, it isn't important to us. So, you need to make your organization time an unbreakable appointment on the calender. This is what I did! You just have to tell people you'll have to pass up that play date or lunch, because you have another appointment.
2) Gather supplies. These are basic supplies. Like three sacks that say 'Keep', 'Give Away', 'Throw Away'. That kind of thing. Shopping for cute storage, etc, comes later!
3) Establish a staging area. In my home, space is at a minimum, so I make sure I have enough room to lay out everything. I also make my projects small, so that it can be finished quickly, not leaving time for my small ones to pick up things and run off with them!
4) Sort. Get the stuff out that you want to organize. This isn't a time to actually organize. If you right away spot an item that needs to be tossed, that's fine.
5) Purge. Trash bag time! This is my favorite part. To some, it is a tear-filled time. It depends on what stage of life you are in, or if you are sentimental. I happen to be very sentimental, but I have grown to be more objective. Now I look forward to throwing out stuff!
6) Group "like" items together
7) Examine your space. Take measurements! Know ahead of time what you need to store your items, so you can approach the next step with purpose. Armed and ready for battle.
8) Shop. This is the fun part! Remember to bring sketches, pictures, colors, measurements, and measuring tape. Whatever you need to buy the right items you need. A few stores she recommended were The Container Store, Storables, IKEA, Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond.
9) Install it. This is the part that MUST happen, or all the other steps are moot. Even if the installation involves a screwdriver and some elbow grease...make it happen!
10) Maintain. She also mentioned that maintenance looks different for everyone. Sometimes after having made the hard decision to get rid of stuff, people don't actually take their items to the donation center. She suggested placing them in your car, so while you're out and about, you can take care of it. Don't let it sit around your house or garage or it may very well grow feet and walk back into your space.
A few highlighted things:
"Clutter is post-poned decisions".
It looks nice to have all similar hangers. She prefers wooden because she has a roomy closet. I, on the other hand do not, so I like the nice, simple plastic hangers.
Some survey found that people have up to 40% more space if they simply organize. (Yes, it would still help to purge, but organization is a good start!)
Last thing, she also emphasized shopping, in general, with a purpose in mind. Do I need this or that? Do I have room for those cute shoes? Do I have a place for that baking tool? Sometimes we just have too much stuff. It's not about the stuff. It's about memories and living life simply.
I highly recommend going out and getting your hands on this book or just ordering it on Amazon! It will change your
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