Contents
Basics of Home Organization
Purpose-Driven Organizing
How to Purge Clutter
How to Make Space for Keepers
How to Keep Your Home Organized
How to Organize Your Kitchen
How to Organize Your Bathroom
How to Organize Your Bedroom
How to Organize Your Child’s Room
How to Organize Your Den
How to Organize Your Basement
How to Organize Your Home Office
How to Organize Your Entryways and Hallways
How to Organize Your Laundry Room
How to Organize Your Garage
How to Get Professional Organizing Help
Learn more with these titles from Barnes & Noble
|
 |
 |
 |
|
How to Keep Your Home Organized
If you’ve made it this far in the organizing process, you’re in good shape. You’ve created a vision for each space, discarded or moved everything that detracts from the vision, and brought in the right organizing aids. Now you just have to put in a little bit of time each day to work your system and keep items in their proper place.
Anticipate Issues
Even before you undertook your organizing initiative, you knew that certain things belonged in certain places. You probably had a drawer designated for silverware or a cabinet for pots and pans, but for some reason or another things didn’t always make it to the right spot. Now it’s time to boost the likelihood that things will end up in the right place.
For example, say your new system dictates that you throw out envelopes immediately and tack up invitations on a corkboard in the kitchen so that you’ll remember to RSVP. In practice, though, you let unopened mail pile on the desk for days or stash invitations in your purse as a reminder to buy a gift when you next go shopping. To avoid such cases, you must:
- Remind yourself why you set up the system in the first place: Refer back to the reasons to organize your home if you need some motivation.
- Make it as easy as possible to follow through: In the above example, you might move a trash can near your mail-sorting area to encourage you to open mail right away and throw out junk mail.
- Use common sense: It might make sense to use the invitation as a reminder to purchase a gift instead of taking the time to write a separate note. You might also choose to mail the reply card or RSVP by phone before putting the invitation in your pocket or bag.
Motivate Yourself
You might occasionally need to gather some inner resolve to keep yourself and your belongings organized. Find a phrase, quote, or song lyric that will help you get back into a maintenance state of mind. Taking a deep breath and thinking “there’s no time like the present” can help you move newspapers all the way to the recycling bin instead of stopping halfway and cluttering a countertop. A gentle internal nudge to “just get it done” might steer you to the clothing hamper instead of tossing a dirty shirt over a chair.
| Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
