As we make our way out of the cold long days of winter, "Spring Cleaning" season will soon be upon us. There's nothing like that first day the weather finally turns and it's just warm enough to open the windows and take in the fresh air.
It's energizing. It's inspiring. It might make you want to turn the whole house upside down and reorganize every closet and drawer. But for many of us, overwhelm sets in before we even begin.
So what can we do to help move ourselves forward? Let's go over a few ways to start off strong and avoid getting stuck along the way.
Don't take on too much at once
A big mistake people make is pulling apart an entire room all at once. Pick bite-sized projects. A great first step for any area is starting off with a donation and garbage sweep. Keep it simple. We're not making decisions on where anything goes. We're just pulling out donations and obvious trash.
Break down rooms into sections. In a bedroom, just do one dresser or a set of shelves. Only go through purses & bags. For kitchens, tackle the junk drawer or sort your food storage containers. Keeping the goal small helps increase the odds you reach the finish line before you run out of steam.
Don't buy containers before you begin
I once walked into a client's house and she proudly showed me about a dozen small clear boxes, each one about the size of a flat tissue box. She wanted to use them for her kids' toy storage. I gently raised concerns, but she still wanted to try. Sure enough, after we categorized the toys, nothing fit right or in most cases, at all.
We need to sort, purge and categorize everything first. Then we'll know how large our containers need to be and how many we should buy. Keep in mind where the containers will go once you fill them. Make sure they're not too high or wide for the space.
Store things where you use them
When storage isn't convenient, it's less likely things will get put away. Piles of clutter are like "error" messages going off around your house. Look at why it's happening. Sometimes you'll need to reconsider where something is kept. Other times it may be a matter of instilling a behavior change, like a 5-minute nightly "reset" where loose items are put away at the end of each day.
Don't go it alone
Having someone with you while you declutter is a productivity strategy known as "body doubling." Just the presence of another person can improve focus and motivation. It's especially effective for people with ADHD. Your productivity buddy can even join you virtually. It doesn't matter whether or not they're working on the same project as you. Just make sure you can see each other.
Get honest with yourself about the "What if…?" items
When you're decluttering, get clear about if and when you're going to use something. I see this a lot with rarely/never used kitchen gadgets, old medical braces, tools, and multiples of items in general.
If you can't think of a concrete example of when you are going to use it, donate it to someone who needs it. Think of it as honoring the item's purpose. Another fun way to approach it is to think of your home as an office and the items in it are your coworkers. Do you need to fire any of them for not doing their job and just sitting around?
I'll conclude by reminding everyone organization is a journey. Our spaces should evolve with us. Spring cleaning is an opportunity to shed parts of the past to make room for the future. Instead of seeing it as a chore, let's reframe it as a time to grow and increase our peace.
About the Author:
Since 2017, Michelle Zorbas, CPO®, CWC has been helping homes & small businesses become more organized and efficient. Michelle is a Certified Professional Organizer & Productivity Specialist holding certifications in ADHD, Hoarding Issues, and Time Management & Productivity. She is also a Mayo Clinic certified Wellness Coach. Most recently, Michelle expanded her organization business by acquiring Kitchen Wise Closet Wise of Bergen County, which she runs alongside her husband Ken. Her background includes a decade in TV news, followed by six years of Operations Management. She graduated from NYU with a BA in Journalism & Psychology and has spent nearly a decade as a volunteer EMT in NY & NJ. Michelle currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Better Business Bureau of NJ.
Kitchen Wise | Closet Wise of Bergen County
551-455-9500
www.kitchenwise.com/bergen-co
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