Please join me in welcoming today Laurieann, of Motivate for Sanity’s Sake and owner of Organize It Mom!. Now that we have newly organized spaces, it’s time to talk about how we are going to keep them that way. Thanks Laurieann!
You’ve just spent all month cleaning out your closet, sorting and color-coding, and tossing. You should be proud! Rejoice! Hey, maybe you should go shopping and get something for that new space in your closet.
Wait!
No! Your job is not over yet. In fact, the work has only just begun. Really, sometimes sticking with it is the hardest part.
Once, I got a great compliment when my uncle came to my house and said to his wife, “Wouldn’t it be great if our house was magically clean like this?” I was pleased but then I started to think about it… magically clean? There was nothing magical about it. It was me! It was my hard work! Let me tell you, there was nothing magical about cleaning behind my toilets with a toothbrush, or scouring my oven, or meticulously cleaning the floorboards and blinds. In fact, it was the opposite of magic.
Usually, something that seems magical is really something that was a LOT of work behind the scenes. The good news is, you’ve done the behind the scenes stuff. But now it’s time to lean into the hard work of maintaining your hard work.
There are a couple of things you can do to make the leaning into it easier.
The first is to make sure the system works for you and not the other way around. When you have a system that makes intuitive sense to everyone in the house… everyone in the house will use it. Put the system RIGHT where the problem is.
For example, I used to be so frustrated that the newspapers were always piled up on the kitchen table instead of put away in their designated post-reading-until-recycled spot. But then I measured the newspaper, went to the store and found the perfectly sized basket and put said basket right next to the table upon which the papers liked to pile. Now those pesky papers are going where they’re supposed to… magically.
The second thing you can do is make your system so cool that by the time the novelty wears off, you’re already in the habit of using it. When your system is so clever and creative that you love it, you’ll be so excited about using it everyday that before you know it, you won’t be able to remember what life was like without it.
Having a hole in my wall from the closet to the laundry room initially made doing the laundry fun. And now (after having the hole for a year and ½), it’s just a habit to do the laundry the minute the basket is full.
You’ve done a lot of work to get magically organized. Now you just need to lean into it every day and keep it that way. Good luck!
Marjorie says
The mistake I made in the past was that I would clean and organize, but never came up with a method to keep it that way. Then, I’d end up having to go through the ordeal of cleaning a huge mess again. I’m definitely going to come up with a system that works for me and my family. Thank you for the advice!
Mandy says
Seriously! HA! “Magically clean” my foot! ; )
I like your hole in the wall!
ter@waaoms says
I’m curious about the hole in the wall.
Laurieann Thorpe says
I practically built my house around the hole in the wall. I already had the laundry system in place with color-coded baskets – but I saw a laundry pass through in a model home and thought it was SO cool. So, when we were working with our contractor on our new home, I just insisted. Changed my mind about everything else – three times but the hole was not optional. Framers, carpenters, architects, they all thought I was crazy. But that little hole is the best feature in the house and completely worth the ahem that I paid for it. Glad you guys like it too. 🙂
Rana says
I totally agree. Unless you have a simple system that everyone can handle you will be back to where you started. I’m working on keeping a simple system for us now. Thanks for the info.
Catherine says
I’m slowly, but surely, getting there. I’ve learned the hard way about organizing. It makes cleaning easier because everything has a home. We try to limit the amount of flat surfaces too. That’s helped tremendously.
Very practical advice. Thanks for helping to keep the insanity at bay.
MarytheKay says
I LOVE the hole in the wall!!! What a great idea!
I need a COOL SYSTEM for organizing mail, bills, and all those “to do” papers that land on my kitchen counter. They always land on the same spot…but the pile is groooowing. I keep looking for a good system…but I just haven’t found one that I feel will work, or will fit on our small amount of counter space. (No office area or desk in the kitchen)
But, thank you. I will continue my search for a system that works–and I will concentrate on finding a COOL one! 🙂
Karen says
Maintenance is definitely my downfall! I do know that since I cleaned my basement, I do a quick scan of the room every night to make sure everything is put away. Amazingly, my kids have been putting things back where they go without my nagging. Where did they learn that? And can they teach me? Now if I can just get the rest of the house and myself on the same page!
Tricia says
Love your hole in the wall!
Morgyn says
I remember I thought it was SO COOL in the Stuart Little movies, when they had a chute from the second storey down to the laundry on the ground floor, to drop clothes through. 🙂
enrolled agent course says
This is a very insightful article. The task of keeping the house organized can be really tricky, thank you for providing such helpful tips.