Tackling clutter one space at a time

Organizing in 4 Easy Steps

Tackling clutter and the steps in organizing can be daunting. Let me stop and say – If you don’t know me, Please Let Me Introduce Myself – “I am Bobbi, and I am trying to get organized. I am thinking of shoving it under a bed, in a closet, and in a dark basement corner.” As I write, please note I am partially joking and more than halfway there to do just that.

We have moved again, and the tower of boxes is daunting. Where to put things? Why do we have so much stuff? Is it needed? Where to start? These are the same questions I have asked myself at other homes we’ve had, whether we had just moved on or not. So here are my secret (not secret) steps in organizing.

Step #1 in organizing, decide where you want to begin

The first step in organizing is to start in the place that causes the most distress/anxiety/pain. My suggestion is the place that makes you cringe every time you walk by or try to find something. Yes, there. Why? Once finished, every other area will look like a more manageable project. Remember, the goal is tackling clutter one space at a time.My areas of pain are messy kitchen counters and trying to find something in the pantry.

The counters are the place by the back door where keys and mail get dropped, purses/bags sit, writing pads with lists hang out, and electronics are plugged in to recharge. Often, this is the back door clutter. 

The pantry cabinet has fixed shelves, not pull-out shelves. (I will pay extra for this cabinet feature. With a pull-out shelf, you can always reach the back.) Pulling out bread, cereal boxes, and protein powder jugs to get to the cans in the back frustrates me every time. 

This first step is to identify your most prominent area of clutter. 

Step #2 in organizing is to picture how you want to use the space.

For me, the kitchen counter debris didn’t have to sit on the counter. There is a wall there, and these items could go vertically on the wall. So we needed things that were easy to reach, easy to find, and still looked pretty. What does this look like? 

• Hooks for keys, purses/bags, dog leashes
• Whiteboard for lists (a picture on your phone is easy to remember items when shopping)
• Corkboard/Clipboard for gift cards, coupons, tickets
• Container for mail
• Calendar to keep track of days
• An outlet with hook-ups for electronics
• Somewhere to keep on the cords for phones, iPads, Fitbit chargers

Step #3 in organizing is to clear out the unnecessary and to get the needed items where they need to be

This step is a harder one – clearing out the unnecessary. What do you need every day? (This may not be the right question for every area, but it is similar to asking in other spots. What do I need to use in this space? Maybe the question)

At this point, set aside the items you don’t need every day. Now you have two piles. Take the not-needed pile daily and make a third pile for “I need this often.” For us, this would be cords to the iPad or Fitbit. Or the umbrella – save it for a rainy day. (Sorry, I am laughing at myself ~ wink.) That leaves a fourth pile that should not be in this space. This pile needs to be gone. 

To recap, you have three piles now – 

1. – items needed daily in this area 
2. – items needed often, and this is where to find them 
3. – items that need to leave this space.

A Quick Note on the steps in organizing for unnecessary Items

Ask the owners of said items to take them where they wish to keep them. It may be a souvenir you want to keep, then move it in a keepsake box in a closet until you can get it framed or adequately saved.

Other items may need to go into a Goodwill box/bag in the coat closet – have a bag here so you can quickly grab it when filled up and drop it off. If unsure if you need it, put a date on the box and then put it in a storage area. If you haven’t opened it, you don’t need it. (Yes, you have heard this many times, but it is true. Yes, experience talking.) A famous designer and craftsman, William Morris, said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.’

Please remember I am not tackling the whole house at once. I am talking about one area at a time. But this same philosophy applies:

1. What belongs in this space?
2. What do I need here?
3. What can be eliminated?

Step #4 in organizing and the final step: Execute Your Plan!

Lastly, don’t overthink this step! Implement your plan. Do the work. Please! I am talking personally here; I can think of 20 ways to do something, but they all accomplish the same goal. I can ponder which idea I should put in place. Maybe I will develop a better idea next week, but trust me, that only happens after you try it this way. It is okay and good to tweak a plan. Overthinking leads to non-action, and I want to help you solve this problem. I liked this quote I found on Pinterest.

Therefore, plan and schedule a time to finish this organizing. In other words, if it is a bigger job than you have time in one setting, break it down into chunks of 30 minutes. Set a timer and work until it buzzes, then pick it up tomorrow. Remember – How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. 😉 Get your storage needs/bins, hooks, tools, and action.

The photo is of the Kitchen Wall – not yet completed. I ordered small clipboards to hang under the whiteboard to hold loose papers, i.e., invitations, coupons, tickets, and takeout menus.

PS – Steps in organizing another space.

Here’s another quick rundown of how I conquered my pantry using the steps in organizing. I got matching plastic baskets from a big box store when I had a 20% off whole order coupon. Plastic is easy to clean if something spills. This size fits the shelf and has handles.

Organized each basket with similar items – breakfast, lunch, snacks, baking, canned goods, etc. Next, to help the others in the family know where to look, I labeled it – more straightforward than constantly being asked, “Where is _____?” Now, items have an identifiable order on the shelves. Plus, the baskets are not as deep as the shelves, so I keep the extra things behind the basket. Once the backup peanut butter from behind the basket is needed and used, peanut butter gets put on the grocery list in the cabinet.

Please remember to give yourself grace.

Therefore, plan and schedule a time to finish this organizing. In other words, if it is a bigger job than you have time in one setting, break it down into chunks of 30 minutes. Set a timer and work until it buzzes, then pick it up tomorrow. Remember – How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. 😉 Get your storage needs/bins, hooks, tools, and action

Organization doesn’t happen all at once, but if you are consistent, it will get done. One bite or pile at a time; just follow these steps in organizing. 

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