You get up on a Saturday, toss-up the hair, brush the teeth, and put on the comfy clothing. Off to the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee and to make a plan for getting the house in order. Okay it’s ready, set and blah blah blah. The motivation is gone. It left the room when you looked around and it all seemed so overwhelming. You feel like you want to just scream… “WHERE DO I START!”
It’s no secret I’m obsessed with organizing. My house has been organized to a point that I’m driving my family crazy. Over the years they have gotten use to it and really just don’t bother noticing anymore. I only get remarks and odd looks when things get out of place.
I often get asked, “will you come to my house and do your organizing magic?” Or my favorite, “if you get bored with your house, come on over to mine.” One of the more practical comments is “I don’t know where to start in my home, how do you do this?” Well I’m gonna tell you how I go about getting it all together.
I think it is important to follow a plan for each room. Some of the plans you will make and follow will apply to each and every room with a few things that will be custom room to room. I will lay out for you how I go about organizing and cleaning a room or closet.
First if this is going to be an overall organization of the whole house these first steps will apply to every room. Over the next few weeks I will go through almost every room in the house. I will share with you the questions you will need to ask about each room in order for you to get that room organized.
Okay you need to get a simple notebook to start your planning. On the top of the first page write these questions.
1. What is this rooms purpose for my family?
2. What furniture do I need to make that purpose work?
3. What needs to go?
4. What do I need to find or buy for this room?
These question will apply to each and every room in your house.
Now start a page for each room in your home that you want to organize. Each room gets its own page. This is where you will write out your ideas, plans, lists to buy and anything else you need to remember for that room. You can do one room at a time or start at the front of your home and work to the back making a list of each and every room.
I find that it’s most helpful to start in the rooms that benefit you the most like your kitchen or bathrooms. Once you start organizing you will see how your life starts to become easier and calmer.
Once you have made this list and answered these questions then the real work starts. Make a commitment to yourself that you will focus on this room and this room alone until it’s finished.
When I dive in to a room I start with some boxes with one marked donate, one marked sale and one marked keep. If I’m keeping it and it doesn’t go in that room I put it in the room it belongs in right then. If you don’t have a room for it and not sure where you will store it bets are you really don’t need to keep it.
Okay if you followed that plan at this point there should only be in the room the things that will stay. Now you make a second plan and ask these questions.
1. Will I need to repair anything in the room.
2. Will I need to paint the room?
3. Will I be adding any built-in shelves or cabinets?
4. Do I need to find or buy any new furniture?
5. What type of organization will I need?
Ask these question and answer each one of them before you move forward.
Think of ways to organize your items in a colorful and decorative way. Think about baskets and colorful boxes. Maybe hooks on the wall or making a custom locker space for each family member. Start on one side of the room and work your way around the room thinking of what that space is being used for and how can you decorate. If every thing has a home and a place then you will always be able to find things and it will be easier to clean up.
Not every plan you will make will go over well. Trust me I have had many failures in my years of organizing. I have had some pretty messed up ideas as to what would make life easier. So if it fails, move on to a different idea until you find the idea that works best for your family.
We are all different and what works for one will not work for all. I get so overwhelmed with and excited when I organize a space in my home. I know that every time I choose to redo something I’m making it better so that we spend more time living life not wasting life. It makes me Blue Happy! Now its your turn to ask the question, make your plan and fulfill it. Go find and organize your Blue Happy!
