Today’s guest post comes from Michele of Get Organized Wizard, one of our amazing sponsors of this month’s challenge. She offers some great tips here for achieving organizing success. These are totally do-able tips and will definitely help you as you continue to make progress on your space this weekend. If you’ve got any questions about your space or your struggles please be sure to let us know in the comments and we’ll answer them there as well.
Congratulations on taking Laura’s 28-Day Organizing Challenge! This is going to be fun 🙂
Here are my 3 top tips for tackling your space or room.
1. Start simple
If you want to make this the start of a more organized life, choose as your project something achievable. Your success will give you momentum to move on to another project – and another one after that.
But if you begin with the worst room in your house, you may struggle to get it done – and the disappointment could undermine your future organizing efforts, too.
When taking on something new and challenging, it’s usually a good idea to begin simply, enjoy your achievement, and then build on it.
Pick something simple and achievable for your challenge and let it start you on a more organized path.
2. Decide quickly
One of the surest ways to get bogged down in your organizing projects is to over-analyze.
Not sure whether to keep or discard something? Make your default decision to discard. Only keep something if you genuinely love or use it.
Not sure whether to put it here or there? Go with your first instinct. You can always come back and re-work the area. But if you don’t make a decision, you’ll end up stuck in organizing limbo.
Make a quick choice and you’ll find all your organizing projects will become easier.
3. Have fun
People who think of organizing as drudgery to be done under sufferance and punctuated by long, agonized sighs – well, they tend to be pretty disorganized.
Instead, why not have a little fun? Choose a time when you have some energy, pour yourself a yummy drink, and put on your fave (eighties!) music mix.
Feeling good will make you more productive, so you’ll get more done. Plus, time will pass more quickly because you’ll be having fun, kinda. Much smarter than moaning and sighing, huh?
Find ways to brighten the experience and you’ll be done before you know it.
So here again are my 3 tops tips for this challenge: start simple, decide quickly, and have fun.
Thanks Michele! I especially love the go with your first instinct tip. Doing something is better than doing nothing at all. I love to remind people that there are no right or wrong answers here, the goal is to do what works best for your family. So even if it seems unconventional at first, if it helps to make life easier for you then don’t be afraid to give it a try!
Marci@OvercomingBusy says
Nothing can sabotage a good decluttering session like thinking about it too long! I like the way you break it down so simply. Makes is seem do-able for anyone.
Kim says
Thanks for the tips. I really needed the one about not being in limbo. I think this has been the biggest problem with the room I have chosen to organize.
Rana says
Great tips. When I know I have a big project I like to put on a favorite movie just to have the background noise and it makes the time go faster while I’m working and before I know it the space is cleaned up.
Heather says
Much like Rana, I find that books on tape, CD or MP3 borrowed from the library (don’t clutter up your home by buying them!) are a great way to keep yourself working away on an organizing project. I choose thrillers or mysteries since they tend to be a lighter read and the what-will-happen-next plotline keeps you in the room, working away. My other tip — try not to leave the room! Set up a basket for those things that need to go elsewhere but wait until later to distribute them or you may just get distracted by the other projects in the house.
Ronique Gibson says
Michelle – love the great suggestions! I especially like the one about “Have Fun!” So many times people associate organization with being hard, drudge work, and all out awful! I always say to my family and friends, you will gain more time in your day, and be less stressed at the end of the day. Another way to make it fun is to go through cool magazines that you like their organization containers. Ikea – is the top of this list for me.. it’s colorful, cheap, and they have great organization stuff. Even walking through your local Target, or Walmart can get you inspired, and will make you have fun!
Aiming4Simple says
It would really help me to play music while I work at such a task. Organizing doesn’t come easily for me, so tips like these are very beneficial!
DebraC says
Love the quick approach. There is certainly no room here for long winded decision making which can often bog you down. I use a simple 4 step approach quite similar to yours. It works a treat every time.
Wanda says
I am such an over analyzer! The thing that helped me most was deciding on a theme for my room. I am so excited about the theme my daughter and I picked out that I can’t wait to get it all done! Choosing a decorating theme is a real motivator! I have to agree with this post though, if you have issues, declutter twice – go through it once and make a quick decision, then go through all of it again to rethink your original decision. My first day I unloaded 4 bags of trash. On round 2, I unloaded another 3 bags and listed some educational games and homeschooling books on our local Kwik Swap list. I have already made $16 decluttering and that is going back into my room budget!
Petula says
Great tips! I hope I didn’t off bite more than I can chew. 🙂
Kelly says
Great tips ! We are in the the final stages of a minor kitchen renovation and I want more organization in my new kitchen.
Jen says
Great tips! I actually came over after searching for meal plans, and I got this as a bonus. Thanks!
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