A challenge we tend to take on at the beginning of the year is organization. It’s part of my yearly resolutions and even though I’m pretty good at staying organized, it comes from lots of trial and error. Below are 5 things to avoid if you want to GET and STAY organized.
Taking on too much at once - Start by only doing one bathroom or one bedroom at a time. Once you figure out a system that works, replicate that in the other beds and baths. It’s much easier to maintain one room than 5 or 6.
Buying the wrong types of storage containers - If you don’t measure your space or really think about what each container will hold, you’ll end up buying containers that either don’t fit the space, can’t accommodate your items, or doesn’t work for you lifestyle. Really put thought into each space and figure out what will go where. Look online at how others organize their items to see if what they do could work for you.
Keeping too many things - This may sound silly since the point of organizing is to get rid of stuff you don’t use, but most of us hold on to things we don’t need and we think as long as we put them in containers, it’s called organizing. It’s not! Instead of filing away all your owner manuals, bookmark where you can find them online and recycle the manuals.
Your system is too complicated - Organizing doesn’t have to be complicated! You don’t have to buy fancy containers or label everything in sight. Organizing is having a place for everything and that doesn’t mean complex. Remember, you want to stay organized and if it’s too complicated, or takes too much time to do, you won’t stick with it.
Not everyone is on board - Unless everyone in the household agrees to stick with the organization system, it won’t work. I have three kids and if they don’t all leave their shoes in the mud room when they come into the house then it doesn’t matter if I do because there will still be shoes all over the place. By keeping things simple and easily achievable, you’ll have a better chance at staying organized.
What ways do you get and stay organized? Do you have any tips or tricks to keeping things organized? If so, please share them in the comments below!