Just For You: How to Create Your Custom Organizing System

There are many organizing products and systems out there, but how do you know what will work best for you? Here are some tips on how to create custom systems to organize your space.

Write down your goal. Whether your goal is to make your home look like a magazine photo or just to be able to see the floor, your goal will help you make decisions on how to organize your space. It also will help you stay focused when tough decisions arise.

Sort and purge. Before setting up a system or buying products, sort your items into “like with like” and purge what you do not need. You may be surprised at how streamlined your space feels just by clearing out the clutter.

Find a place for everything. Many of my clients say that their biggest organization problem is that they never established the right places to put their things. Failure to create “homes” for items inevitably leads to further disorganization and frustration. Take the time to find a practical place for each item. Consider where you’d keep dirty laundry, books, magazines, mail in, bills to be paid, mail out, clean laundry and shoes.

Set up a system. This is where your space meets your time. Determine how often you need to do chores, read the mail, pay bills, file paperwork, etc. Assign days of the week or dates in the month for each task. Write it down and post it in a place that will remind you and other family members to do the tasks.

Be honest with yourself. Be reasonable and have confidence in your ability to get things done. Once you have a system, it’s a matter of sticking to habits that will make your system work. If you have a good system that’s right for you, the house’s organization won’t fall apart if you have to skip a day. Just get back to it as soon as you can.

As always, call a Professional Organizer if you need help. We are trained in the intricacies of many organizing solutions and can help you discover which systems will work best for you.