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Do you long to be organized?
Both of my parents are extremely well organized people. I sailed through my childhood and adolescence totally oblivious to that fact. I guess I thought everything fell into place by itself!
Then I left home at 21 and discovered that I had no idea how to manage my life and home. It came as quite a shock. Over the past 35 years I have slowly learned some organizational skills. It has been a difficult journey in many ways. For years I read all kinds of book and tried every system out there from Fly Lady to Side Tracked Home Executives.
Nothing worked. I longed to create the calm home of my childhood, but it always seemed just out of reach. Then I realized that running after the perfect system would never work for me. Something had to shift. It was time to follow my own heart and find my own way to the order and simplicity I craved.
It is Possible
Today I want to encourage those of you who are struggling to find some semblance of an organized life. I want to tell you that it is possible and it isn’t as hard as you might imagine. Over the next three weeks I will share three basic steps that helped me develop my own system of organization.
Step one is letting go
One of the biggest obstacles to an organized life is “too much.” We have too much stuff to coral, too many commitments to juggle, and a whole whack of mental clutter that weighs us down.
I found the best way to organize my life was to let go of the excess. Once I did that it was much easier to organize what was left.
Not sure what to let go first? Here are some ideas
- Newspaper or magazine subscription that you no longer read.
- Toys that don’t get used
- Duplicate toys (how many soft toys/cars/crayons do you need?)
- Books that have not been picked up in a year
- The e-mails cluttering up your in box
- Craft supplies that are collecting dust
- Clothes, shoes, jewellery that are not being worn
- Out-dated cosmetics and medical supplies
- Volunteer work that does not energize you
- Activities that no longer spark joy
- The good dishes that never get used
Where to Start?
Remember that letting go is a journey. Pick one or two areas in your life that need organization. Perhaps it is your closet, the toys, your e-mail inbox, or your overfull schedule. Do what you need to let go.
- Declutter
- Delete
- Unsubscribe
- Give away
- Gracefully withdraw
When you have finished letting go stop for a moment. Rejoice and enjoy the lightness. Notice how much easier it is to manage that small part of your life. Then pick another area, and press on. Every step forward (no matter how small) is a step closer to your goal and is cause for celebration.
Resources to help
Laura Spawn is a simplicity blogger and has created a five day decluttering course for you and it’s FREE! It includes reading material, downloadable worksheets and a suggested action item to help you with the process of decluttering. Sign up to receive it here.
If you are trying walk this journey with kids, mother of four offers practical advice to minimalism with kids.
Need some help taming the toy mess? Try getting rid of some of them and organize a simple toy rotation.
Looking to move from cluttered to clean? Robert Wall publishes all kinds of helpful decluttering articles that can help. I would particularly advise you to follow him on Twitter where he tweets about decluttering and organizing several times a day.
Do you crave an e-mail account with an empty inbox? Read this how to by Ellen Bard.
Finding it hard to let go with ease? Try this three-step process by Courtney Carver.
Now it’s Your Turn
What is one area of your life that you wished were more organized? What do you need to release in order to manage that part of your life better? What baby steps could you take to begin the process of letting go? Leave you thoughts in the comments below.
Want to read about the next two steps?
Step 2 is here
Step 3 is here
It can be really hard to stay organised with multiple children. We do often have a toy clear out and it always feels so much better for it. This weekend we are having to clear out our kitchen as we are in the middle of a kitchen extension, so I am actually looking forward to a declutter.
Thanks for sharing #LetKidsBeKids
It is hard with multiple children as clutter and chaos seems to accompany them through childhood. Strangely enough I missed it once they were gone. It’s great to have a reason (like a kitchen extension) for decluttering. It really helps with the motivation. Hope the extension goes smoothly.
Love the advice to de-clutter: I’m planning a major sort out of our flat, but finding the motivation to start is tricky! I’ve always really liked the advice from William Morris – have nothing in your home that you don’t know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. One day I will have a home organised on those principles and everything will be right with the world! #letkidsbekids
I hear you regarding the motivation. I wonder why it is so hard to get started? Maybe just pick one spot that bugs you and tackle it this weekend. I also like Marie Kondo’s question, “Does this spark joy?”
My life has suddenly become a lot less cluttered – my last child moved out of home this week. I take your point about clearing the clutter but sometimes when it goes you miss it a lot.
When my boys left home I certainly missed all the chaos and clutter that accompanied them. I have to admit that I don’t miss my own clutter!
Hi Sharon:
This post was very practical and inspiring!
Staying organized and clutter free can be challenging…especially when you have a large family. We have a 8, 5 and 22 months old twins. So it’s a constant process changing and adapting to meet our family needs.
But as you said, it’s possible. In fact, we believe choosing to let go have helped our family tremendously. Our children have toys, clothes and so on. But it’s not overwhelming. We’ve also gone for less scheduled activities, and so on.
The biggest benefit we’ve found is increased family engagement. We spend more time together doing the things we love. Things come and go but our relationships are priority.
Thank you also for the mention Sharon. Much appreciated.
Kelvin
I love that letting go has led to increased family engagement. I agree that relationships are a priority. I really appreciate all the practical suggestions you make on your blog. I’m glad I could link to one of them 🙂
Thank you for linking up with us on the Hip Homeschool Hop! I very much enjoyed this article! One of my goals for 2016 is to get my house decluttered and organized, so I appreciate the tips you shared here.
I’m glad it was helpful Wendy.
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I can’t believe how many tips and ideas i got for organizing our home. I know my clients will appreciate this. Definitely bookmark worthy!
I’m glad you found this helpful Sarah.