Styled & Organized Habits for Maintaining Great Organization
Let’s say you recently spent a lot of time and energy getting one of the spaces in your home totally decluttered and organized. You may have even hired a Professional Organizer to help you accomplish it. It’s an amazing feeling when you walk in and take in the new surroundings. You actually WANT to be in that space again. If you need something, you can find it instantly. You desperately want this new feeling to last forever. But can it?
The cold, hard truth is that everything needs a maintenance routine in life. The same kind of discipline that you used to get into shape or land that dream job is what you will need to summon up to continue enjoying total organization in that space. Life happens, and when it does it can make things messy all over again!
We have come up with a short list of habits to develop in order to keep your space(s) in tip-top shape:
- Set some constraints. A well known rule that people apply to a freshly organized space is the “one in / one out” rule; when you introduce a new item, you should then immediately remove an item from that space. None of us have unlimited amounts of storage space….well almost none of us! Most of us have physical constraints that force us to make decisions about what to keep in our living spaces and storage spaces. Use those physical constraints as a means to keep your things organized and within reach.
- Conduct regular reviews. This may sound time consuming, but a review doesn’t have to take long. Just make a note to do a regular inventory of how things are working for you in that space. Do you need to move things around for better efficiency? Do you need to store more things “in sight” so that you don’t accidentally purchase more when you don’t need to? Is the space still making your life easier vs. harder?
- Make clearing off surfaces part of your daily routine. Once you do this a few days in a row, it should easily become a habit that will save you time and energy in the long run. Whether it is you or a housekeeper doing the heavy cleaning, just think how much easier it will be to do if the surfaces are already clear of clutter!
- Put things away immediately. When you organize, you are assigning things a “home”. If you find it too difficult to put things back…maybe you need to adjust where you are storing items that you use on a daily basis. If it’s too hard to actually put them away, no wonder you are just leaving them out.
- Use appropriate containers and label them. Use containers to force your own physical constraints (see number 1, above) on collections of things. Look for containers that support your space’s aesthetic. Labeling them serves as a reminder to put items back in them when you are finished using them.
Getting organized is an investment in improving your life that takes time and effort. Like every investment, you will want to ensure that it is well maintained so that your efforts aren’t wasted. Once a space is organized, it will serve you well and actually improve the quality of your life! If you are struggling to get a particular space within your home (or office!) organized once and for all…..just reach out to us here at Styled & Organized. We would be happy to help you reach your goals and improve your life!
