If I were to be asked what my single greatest organization tip is, it would be this: declutter.
The less stuff you have, the less space and creative organization methods you will need to use to organize it all.
We try to be ruthless when we clean out and declutter our house. There are a lot of little things that we could save in case we “someday” need it. This is especially something to watch for as we think about things we “might” use while raising our children. Whenever we bring something into our home, we try to think about where it will go, make sure it will not cause unnecessary clutter, and ensure that our lives will be better because the item is in our home.
My single greatest organizing tip is to go through one room at a time – make two piles: one to be thrown away and one to be donated to charity or put on freecycle (you could use Craigslist, but most of the time we choose give things away). Be ruthless. Consider when the last time you used the item was, do you still need the item, is the item in good condition, and does the item improve or ease your life because it is in your home. If you don’t need it – get rid of it!
Pack up everything to be taken to charity and donate it. Don’t let that pile sit in your home – get rid of the clutter and donate it. Make sure you take the trash that you clean to the trash can. I am so often tempted, out of exhaustion, to leave those piles sitting for another day while I take a break. But it’s always better to deal with them right away!
Everything else (the things that you keep) should be put away in it’s own place.
Ah, much better isn’t it?
