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Organizing
> Room by Room
When people move around frequently, it's easier to keep things pared down and
organized, but when you have stayed put for several years, things do tend to
accumulate! To keep the clutter to a minimum, Pretend that you're moving out
of each room, one at a time.
Take everything out of each room and only bring it back into the
room if it has been actually touched and decided upon. Do this over a
period of time, one room at a time. Don't just put a whole box back
in the room; go through every item in every box.
This approach might not work for everybody, but at the very least, you should ask
yourself the following questions:
- If I were
moving, would I pack this item?
- Would I pay to move this item across the
country?"
It does make you think!
Follow these general room straightening
guidelines before moving on to specific room tips and suggestions.
Needed
Supplies:
- 20 or more bankers boxes (white, least expensive)
- Markers
- Paper
- Trash bags
STAGE 1:
- Draw a schematic of your entire home. It doesn¹t have to be pretty or
fancy,
just a rough drawing of every room in the house.
- Label each room on the drawing. Imagine what your home would be like if
it
was perfectly organized. What would be where?
- Spend time defining the purpose of each room. Describe what happens in
the
room and all the items that would belong in that space. List the items
that
belong.
- Starting in one room of the house, open up 5-10 boxes and label them
clearly
with room names such as bedroom, den, bathroom, etc. Mark one box give
away
and have trash bags ready.
- Sort the wrong items in the room by placing them in the box marked for
the
right room where they belong and are going next.
- DO NOT make decisions at this time about purging or giving away.
but, If
something is a no brainer, and brings no pain, go ahead and add it to
the
give away box or the trash.
Common no-brainer, no-painers:
· Broken items
· Things that are ugly
· Things from people you don¹t like
· Things that are hard to use
· Items that need fixing
· Items that don¹t fit
· Things that are out of style
· Things that bring up bad memories
- At the end of the session, put tops on the boxes and put them in the
right
room where they belong.
- Go from room to room repeating this process. You will end up with
several
boxes in each room that are white, have a lid, and look better than the
clutter that was previously everywhere.
- Stack the boxes neatly in a corner until returning to the room in stage
2.
STAGE 2:
- Draw a schematic of the first room that you will work in. Imagine if
the
room was perfect. What would go where? What would you find in the
closet
area? What would you find in the drawers?
List what goes into each area.
- When you begin clearing area, you should have three large
boxes close at hand. One box is labeled "Keep" -- one is labeld "Get Rid Of"
-- and one is called "Not Sure" (we'll talk about other possible sorting
categories later on).
THE KEEPERS
"Keep," is meant for items that you have defined as either BEAUTIFUL,
USEFUL, or LOVED. Deciding which items are "Keep's" should be fairly obvious
-- if you use it all the time or consider it a cherished memento, that's a
"Keep." You may even want to have several boxes of "Keep's" -- each box
labeled for a different area in your house. That way, you can take all of
your "Kitchen Keeps" and "Bedroom Keeps" and "Basement Keeps" to their
respective homes without making 30 different trips.
GET RID OF
This box is for those objects that you are certain you don't want any more.
This should not be a hard decision -- you should be able to look at a lamp
or an old book and know if you don't want it. You may want to break "Get Rid
Of" into some smaller categories -- such as "Throw Away" for the trash,
"Give Away" for those things you would like to donate, and a even a "Sell"
box for anything you think might be worth money. We will also cover a few
other "Get Rid Of" categories later on.
NOT SURE
If you honestly can’t decide what to do with an item, put it in "Not Sure."
When your box is full, tape it shut and label it. Make sure you list the
contents (kitchenware, books, clothing), the date you packed it away, and
any special storage instructions on the outside. Then, I want you to stash
your box in the garage, attic, or basement – some place out of the way.
Trust me on this one. I actively want you to forget about this stuff for a
while. Just make sure that you put your box where its contents won’t get
ruined (if you are storing something that is easily damaged by heat, don’t
place it in an attic that has no air conditioning!) MAKE A DECISION -
It’s best if you can try to keep the "Not Sure’s" to a minimum. This box is
supposed to be for belongings that you can’t rationally justify keeping --
but some gut feeling won't let you part with them yet. Remember, your "Not
Sure Box" isn’t a DUMPING GROUND for things that you just don't want to take
the time to think about. The last thing we want to do is ask the same
questions about the same objects over and over again. Try your very best to
make a solid "yes or no" decision about your belongings the first time that
you pick them up.
Make a note in your calendar (you are using a calendar, right?) to check
back in 6 to 12 months. If, during that time, you haven’t needed anything
out of your box, it will be a lot easier to let go of those "Not Sure’s." If
you still can’t part with an item, that might be a hint that it is more
beloved than you first thought. Either way, this will help you make a final
decision about what to keep. You may also choose to create some additional
boxes for a few special categories of items:
NEED TO BUY
You may locate a few stray objects that are missing a part or in need of an
accessory. Of course, you would be perfectly happy to use these items -- if
you only had those essential lost components. Put these fabulous finds into
a box labeled "need to buy," and make a list of all the parts and pieces you
are looking for. Then you can take the list with you on your next shopping
trip.
UNFINISHED PROJECTS
I have been incredibly guilty in the past of hoarding half-finished
projects, in the hopes that I would someday feel inspired to complete what I
had started. Any item that requires modification or repair before it can be
used goes into a container labeled "Projects." However, this box is not
intended to be a graveyard for past guilt. Ask yourself if each task is
still as meaningful as when you first began working on it. Macramé
potholders may have sounded like a good idea 10 years ago, but… And it's
okay to admit that you will never write the great American novel. I hereby
grant you permission to let go of outdated interests, and to focus on
activities that bring you joy TODAY. And if it sits in the project box for
more than a couple of months, reconsider how important the task was in the
first place.
BORROWED ITEMS
If you are like every other person on this planet, you probably have custody
of at least one item does not belong to you. These orphaned souls create a
sense of guilt, of incompleteness, and of loose ends to be tied up. How
freeing would it be to rid yourself of other people’s clutter? Let’s put
these in a box labeled "To Return."
Once you have freed yourself of everything that doesn’t belong to you,
doesn’t serve a purpose in your life, or really doesn’t mean anything to
you, you will find it much easier to organize the rest. And you will have
taken a tremendous weight off of your shoulders -- the weight of unnecessary
clutter. Just be sure to go through this process at least once a year to
keep that clutter trimmed back!
- Begin sorting the items in this one room by placing
the keep items staying in or near the
spot
you said they now belong.
Start with the items already in the room before moving on to the boxes
that
came from other rooms.
Toss the no-brainer, no-painers.
STAGE 3:
- Now you are at the decision making time.
Still working in the one room that you sorted, draw a schematic of the
one
piece of furniture or area you will be working in. Draw what belongs in
each
drawer of a dresser. List what belongs in each area of the closet.
- Now you will need to decide what to keep in the space as there is
usually
not enough room for all of it. You do not have to get rid of anything
if it
is painful to make these choices.
- You are going to sort out what will fit in the space. Pick
your
favorites to keep nearby. The rest will then be placed in the storage
boxes
and stored in the room. Once you can see all they have, some of the
choices
will be much easier. Label the boxes of items you are storing so you
can
find items if needed.
And that's it.
One great thing about this method is you can start and stop any time
and
not lose your place if the boxes are marked first.
Another bonus is that it gives instant relief. If you are having
guests,
you can clear your kitchen or living room in just a few hours.
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