The good news is that organization is not a trait you’re born with, but rather that you learn. In college, I worked at a campground in Niagara falls cleaning bathrooms and cabins. I worked 40 hours a week scrubbing four women’s bathrooms and four men’s bathrooms…48 toilets in total. My boss was almost militant in her approach and expected perfection in our cleaning and organizing. I’m grateful for that job because it turned me from a slob, into a neater and more organized human being.
I’m still not perfect at organizing (just ask my husband), but each year I learn a few new tricks that push me one step closer to being the Martha Stewart of Organization.
10 Tips to Declutter and Organize
1. “I came. I saw. I conquered.” Julias Caesar
Decide on a tangible goal.
Just saying you want to be more organized is like saying you want to get healthier in a vague way but not doing anything about it. Pick a room, or even a space (like a desk) that you decide you to organize.
For instance, last weekend I asked my husband to tackle his pile of “papers” with me – one of which was my own pile of expired coupons – around our house. Small manageable goals can build confidence in your organizing abilities and help you tackle the next job even better.
Don’t get too lofty in your goals either. You won’t be able to organize the whole house in a week. If you try you will only become discouraged and not end up accomplishing anything in the end. Small, manageable bites are the way to success.
So what area do you want to “conquer” this week? Is it the kitchen junk drawer? (I know you have one!) Is it your desk? Is it your kids’ toy bin? Decide on one at a time and after you manage that move on to the next.
2. “Gird your loans.” The Bible.
Or in other words, prepare yourself.
Create your plan of attack and the tools you will need to accomplish it. Mentally prepare yourself to get rid of stuff ahead of time, fighting off tendencies that you might “need it later.” You will also need containers, donation bags, and other tools to complete the job.
3. “A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place.”
It will do you no good to rid your home of items you no longer need, without putting a plan in place to keep things organized. For instance, I like to have a designated spot for cleaners, toiletries, makeup, cat items, even missing socks! If you create a designated area in your office for every item you can think of it will make putting away things much easier. Without this system in place you will literally end up shoving things in a closet, piling them on your kitchen table, or hoarding them in a corner in your bedroom.
Of course there will always be those items you just have no idea where to put, which is why the “junk drawer” was created in the first place. Instead, try putting these miscellaneous items in a basket to sort out at the end of your decluttering spree.
BONUS TIP: For every new item you bring into your home, get rid of an old one. And here are even more ways to Prevent Clutter from Sneaking Back In.
5. “When I became a man I put away childish things.” – The Bible
What good is having a system in place if you don’t use it? When you get home, put your shoes away. When you are done with cooking (and eating) immediately wash the pots and pans and put them away. (Side note – I am guilty of not doing this right away so working on it myself!)
I’m a big fan of the “one touch” rule – meaning when you come home you hang you coat up right away, instead of slinging it on the dining room chair, only to have to put it away later (two touches!).
6. “A Penny Saved is a penny earned.”
Sometimes, I start a load of laundry one morning, and the next morning throw it in the dryer. These kinds of small chores will take you five minutes or less every morning, but in the long run, really add up – just like pennies – and make your nights and weekends a little less chaotic.
Another good tip is to try to accomplish one small choir before heading to work. It could be throwing the laundry in the wash, making your bed, unloading the dishwasher, or wiping the counters down. Every little bit adds up!
7. Do not squander time, that is the stuff life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin
Similarly, use your time better when you have a few free minutes. Are you waiting for your water to boil? Instead of scrolling Instagram unload that dishwasher. This not only helps you keep your home clean, but helps train your mind to use your time better.
8. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Arab Proverb.
Your enemy is clutter. The enemy of clutter if the Goodwill (or trash). Therefore, the enemy (Goodwill) of my enemy (my clutter) is our friend. The Goodwill or Salvation Army are our friends! (but you already knew that, didn’t you?)
In summary, every item you pick up, ask yourself: Do you NEED it? Do you LOVE it? Does it make you MONEY?
If you need or love it: KEEP IT.
If not but it will make you money: SELL IT. Here are 8 Tips to Make Money on Facebook Marketplace & Craigslist.
For everything else: DONATE or GIVEAWAY!
A good question to ask yourself here is: Are you holding onto stuff others could use?
There are many people out there with real needs that you might be able to meet just from the stuff you are hoarding in your attic.
9. “Just whistle while you work.” Snow White
10. “We can do it!” — American wartime propaganda poster
Be enthusiastic about becoming an organized person. Tell yourself how much more “open” your home or office will feel; and how much time you will save. And how much more you will accomplish.
I can do it. You can do it. WE can all do it. Now, let’s go tackle that clutter together.
Do you want to love your home again? Are you ready for a reset? Do you want to walk through the door and see a place of safety, calm, refuge, and good memories?
—-> My friend Emily created a 10-day course to RESET your entire home and create a more tidy, peaceful, and calm place that FUELS your instead of stresses you out. Also, use PRETTY SIMPLE at checkout for $2 off!
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Totally love your approach to this post. I love quotes and organising!!! My scheduled organising has been thrown out of the window since I had a baby but nothing gives me more joy than seeing everything in it’s place. Thanks for linking up with #sharethejoy this week
Organizing is my stress-reliever! And I also feel joy when everything is in its place. 🙂
I would love a quote that refers to “Touch it once” Items should be in a place that you can easily get them and put them away when finished.
Agreed!
I am going to gird myself and tackle each bedroom closet. I will make a plan and get bags ready.
Love it, preparation is so important! Great read and applicable tips.
Yes to No. 5! I feel like I am constantly reminding my husband of this. haha
Haha Marette – don’t tell my husband but me to. 🙂
Love this! I’m all about organizing!
Grea tips! I am a natural-born organizer. Everything having a place is a must!
I need to be more organized. So all your tips really help!
So many great tips!! I really need to focus on maintaining myself organized, thanks for sharing
I love this post! Not only is it helpful (I know I need help in many ways to be better organized!), but adding and applying your quotes/sayings was clever way to add some fun to our chores!
Thank you Patricia! Hopefully it helps make the organizing a little more fun too. haha
A- Love organization, your tips are perfect.
B- Your quotes made it so fun to read
C- Thank you for this. IT was a great reminder for me.
Thank you so much for reading Jessica!
Oh my! You should write a book, girl! I’d love to see your closet, im sure it’s immaculate. All of hese tips are so fabulous for every area of our lives. Thank you! Great post!
Well, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t improve upon anything Marie Kondo wrote in the Magic of Tidying Up book. If you haven’t read it yet you need to! Such out of the box but awesome tips.
great tips! i especially appreciate what you said about creating a designated place for every item and putting things away!
Yup, it really makes the tidying process easier.
Great tips. Clutter is definitely my enemy. I’m practicing the konmari principles right now to de-clutter my house (and life) and I love it!
xoxo, erin | sandsunandmessybuns.com
Yesss! MY favorite book! Hopefully you like it as much.
In my house, everything has a place. If something isn’t in it’s place it drives me nuts! It is way too easy to know where everything is if it has a place.
Amen, Kari.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around you cleaning toilets for 40 hours a week. Gross. Great tips. I just cleaned my office this weekend – tons of piled up papers. Feels great and like a new space now!
It’s amazing what decluttering can do to a space! And haha yah – pretty gross. I wore huge gloves!
Great tips Sarah and I love the way you used quotes. It makes it so much easier to remember them. I’m with you on washing the dishes immediately. It makes it so much easier the next morning when you walk into the kitchen for that first cup of coffee and everything is all washed and tidy. Now if only I remember to put things away in the right place too LOL 😉
Exactly! This morning I came down to my dishes on the drying rack, not quite cleaned up but as least I didn’t have to wash them 🙂
Hi Sarah,
Great post, You explained nicely that we should plan and try to achieve smaller goals and everything should be kept in its right place, then it is so easy to find them when we need. I like the way you put those quotes in your post.
Thanks, Sadhna! A place for everything is huge for me.
I love this at work I’m pretty organized but at home that’s a different story lol. I throw everything on my dinning room table and I just always tell myself I’m going to organize but with kids it never sticks!
To be honest our dining room table is filled with my husband’s tools now ourselves! haha. but going to tackle that today. 😉
Love the way you wrote this – by tying a tip into a well known quote, it gives our brains something to hold onto so we remember better. Great tips!
Thank you, Lisa!
Good reminders! We’re finally settled after moving around with the military for years, we have accumulated a lot of excess that I have been slowly trying to purge.
Good luck, Stephanie!
I love these ideas and that you used biblical principles to make your points!
In a word? You put everything very well!
Thanks, Deborah!
I know in my house, the less clutter the calmer the atmosphere
Thanks for some good ideas.
“Just whistle while you work.” Literally listening to THIS song while working! Ahah
So many great tips, the sixth one has to be my fav, 5 minutes of work everyday are nothing but in the long run they make the difference
Awesome tips. I find I’m super organized in some areas, but others I seem to neglect.
These are great tips! I need to work on my home office, once I know I have a clean and organized space, my mind feels the same!
I’d like to think I’m organized but these tips are great!
Amazon!
I have never heard of the “one touch” rule, but what a great idea! I am going to start doing this, especially when I get home from work! Thanks for the tip!
I recently learned about it too and love using it now.
I so need to get a handle on organization. These are great tips.
Haha Love how you used quotes to make this more fun! 😉