Whether you celebrate Easter or not, the feeling of new beginnings is in the air. Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year. Everything seems clean and fresh. (Yes, you can tell my mood by how clean and picked up my home is! Mess = Stress) New plants and flowers, blue skies, warm and comfortable temperatures, and fresh green grass make a beautiful picture. This is the best time of year to create your own new beginnings. What do you want to change? What do you want to start pursuing? Where do you need or want “A Fresh Start”?
My company name came from the need we all have for the changes in our lives to move in a positive direction. A Fresh Start is something we all desire when things aren’t working quite right. My organizing company helps people have a new start in their home. Whether they just moved into a new home, they are moving out of a home or they need to make their home work better for them, they are all craving a new beginning. Organizing can help you have A Fresh Start in your life. Being organized can free up time and space to pursuing new activities, make new relationships, and take better care of yourself.
Most people I find are so overwhelmed with their situation that they aren’t sure where to begin. Just the thought of starting can create feelings of overwhelm and panic. I think of when I was in high school and would have a large project or paper assigned. I would have no idea where to begin. I would always freak out about not being able to do it. I would have to break the project down into bite size pieces to get started.
If organizing your space is a new beginning you want to have this spring, here is a way to break your project down into bite size pieces so you can get the job done and go on to pursue those things you so desire.
Five ways to organize a room:
1. Visualize how you want the room to look. Ask yourself:
a. What is it you are trying to accomplish in the room?
b. Who is using the room?
c. What activities take place in the room?
2. Sort your stuff. This is where most people give up, because it always looks worse before it gets better.
a. Make sure the items in the room should stay.
b. Ask yourself if you really need the item. Instead of thinking that I may use it one day, live for today. Just because you spent money on it doesn’t mean you have to still keep it. Think of it as a life lesson and be more careful when you shop.
c. Separate into categories:
Trash
Donate
Give to family or friends
Move to another room
Keep
d. For the items you decide to keep, group like items together. For example, toys and games, beach and pool items, even rags with cleaning supplies. This will help in remembering where things are when you need them.
3. Find homes for all your items that remain.
a. Where will you use the items?
b. Do you use the items often or occasionally?
c. Keep items you use often easy to access. Things you use less often are better in your harder to reach areas.
4. Contain. Containers can make or break an organizing system. Keep in mind that containers with lids are harder for children to use. That is one step too many for a child to put things away.
a. Make the most use of your space. Add shelves to utilize vertical space.
b. Use clear boxes to see what you have inside.
c. Use containers to hold items in cabinets. You can pull the container out to get to an item easier than knocking down items to get to the back of the cabinet!
5. Maintain. Maintenance is the most important means to keeping an organizational system in place.
a. Remember “One In, One Out” rule. For every item you bring into your home, you should be removing something else. This is especially important for clothing and toys.
b. Set aside a few minutes a day and a few minutes a week to make sure your systems stay in place.
