LongIsland.com

How to Organize Any Room in Your Home

Written by organizing  |  03. August 2005

Organize a room in 15 minutes per day? I know it sounds impossible but it can be done. I have a client who organized her garage this way and her husband didn't even notice what was happening until a snowy evening when he was able to pull his car in the garage. The reason why most people put off organizing is because it seems like such a daunting thing to do. They look at the entire project and it seems to have no end. But if you break it down, the smaller steps are much easier to achieve. That is why the 15 minutes per day system works for some people. You accomplish a little at a time, see results and it gives you the motivation to continue. The most important factor is not to undo anything you have organized while you are in the process. Here are the steps to organize any room in your home. Whether you use the 15 minutes per day system or do the entire room in a day or two (some people do prefer this option), if you follow these simple steps, you can transform any room in your home. 1. Decide the purpose of the room. Do this by figuring out what activity goes on in the room and what you need to accomplish that activity. Only things related to what goes on in the room should be kept there. 2. Remove all items that do not serve the purpose of the room. These will be things that you do not need or use or do not belong in the room. Give away anything you do not use or need any longer; toss things that are obvious trash and move things that belong in other rooms to their proper location. Start with the obvious things that catch your eye. Then slowly make your way around the room and make decisions about everything that is in the room. Don't forget drawers and closets but you may want to save those for last because they can be a project unto themselves. 3. When you are left with what is to be kept in the room, now you can make decisions about how and where things will be stored. This is the time to decide on storage bins, furniture, etc. 4. Once everything has a home and is put there, make sure it always goes back there. And doing this immediately or at least once a day is the best way to stay organized. Don't start piling clothes up on that chair in the bedroom. Take the 30 seconds to hang it up and you will never have to deal with a pile at the end of the week that takes 30 minutes to put away. The more you pile up, the less motivated you will be to put it away. It takes practice and diligence but if you keep reminding yourself, you will get the hang of it and it will come automatically in no time. Make organizing more fun by combining it with music you enjoy. Stay focused, keep the end result in mind and keep reminding yourself that you can accomplish this goal. Like anything else in life that we want to change, it takes work and dedication. But the results are worth it. When your home is organized, you feel more balanced, centered and at peace. You will feel the difference immediately when you walk into an organized room or home. It makes dealing with the other challenges we face outside the home much easier because we know that when we return, we will have that feeling of peace. Make the commitment to take the first step and before you know it, you will be leading a more organized life.

Copyright © 1996-2024 LongIsland.com & Long Island Media, Inc. All rights reserved.