Overcome Inertia: How To Get Started Getting Organized

“I would love to get organized, but I don’t know where to start!” Have you ever said (or even thought) those words? If so, you’re not alone. Often the hardest part about getting organized is figuring out how and where to begin. What you need are simple ideas to help you break through that feeling of being stuck and get started getting organized. nnStep 1: Define Your End Result. nBecome as clear and specific as possible about how you want to create your space. Pull out a notebook or a three-ring binder and assign each room that needs to be organized its own page in the notebook. For each room, answer these questions:nn* What bothers you about the space?n* Are there things in the room that don't belong?n* When you're done, how will the space look?n* When you're done, how will the space feel?n* When you're done, how will the space function?nnStep 2: Create an Action List. nUse the answers to your questions to create a list of projects to do. Then, plot out the steps to get from where you are to your end vision. Be sure to list the items you'd like to move from one room, or storage area, to another. If, for example, your scrapbook stuff is tucked into nooks and crannies all around the house, look for a more centralized location to consolidate these items. The general rule of thumb is to store things where you use them or as close to this area as possible. For storage items like extra light bulbs, cleaning supplies, batteries and other consumable items, consolidating them to a central location will make it easier to know how much you have on hand. (This will in turn streamline shopping trips: An added bonus!)nnStep 3: Take Action. nOnce you have a list of all the things you'd like to do, choose one item and start! If general de-cluttering is needed in many spaces on your list, this is a great place to begin. First, go on a scavenger hunt and find all the things you no longer use, need, or love. Grab a box (or two, or three) and set a timer for thirty minutes. See how much bulk you can eliminate before the timer goes off. If this feels great, set the timer for another thirty minutes and keep going. Or, set a goal to do the buzzer exercise every day for thirty minutes until all your “low-hanging fruit” is gone.nnYour goal for the scavenger hunt is to make fast decisions and eliminate as many unnecessary things as possible in very little time. Be sure to get these items completely out of your home. (Putting them in a box in a basement, garage or other storage area in anticipation of a garage sale doesn't count.) By getting these items out of your home, they're completely off your radar screen. This will energize you to move on to the next phase of your project.nnStep 4: Concentrate on One Space at a Time. nAfter the scavenger hunt phase, focus on one space at a time. Once you've de-cluttered each room, select containers you love that are appropriate for the items that will remain. By waiting until late in the process, after de-cluttering and defining which items will go where, you can feel more confident in selecting containers that will work in your space and be worth your investment. Add labels to your containers so it's easy to maintain your new organizing system.nnStep 5: Continue to Make Progress.nFrom here, it's a matter of continuing to tackle one space at a time and maintaining order in the spaces you've already completed.nnSo in short, start by defining the end result. What do you want to keep, where do you want to keep it, and what will your rooms be like when you're done? Then, go through each space and do an initial sort and edit, without digging too deeply. Basically, get rid of the surface clutter and move things to where they will ultimately live (especially if they will ultimately live away from your home.) This will give you breathing room and motivation to do the deeper purging. Then, once you've done the deep purge and have things where you want them, buy your containers. There is definitely a bit of moving things from point A to point B in organizing. The key is to decide where you want point B to be before you start the process. This keeps you always moving in the direction of your desired end result.n