Action Central - Implementing a System That Works

I came to the realization the other day that the “hub” of our home—the place where most of our family’s organizational information and schedules (including my office)—is located in an unusual place, our pantry.  Yes, there is food in there too, along with the crock pot, lobster pot and various other kitchen items—but I would venture to guess that one third of the space is dedicated to our organization system.

Action Central

Included in this system are school calendars, lunch menus, work schedules, appointment notices, important business cards, the recycling guidelines, babysitter’s phone numbers, gift certificates, emergency contacts and and a few other worthy pieces of information (the rules of tennis and a quote by Mother Theresa labeled “Anyway”).  And the food--don’t forget the original purpose of a pantry, food storage.

Why does this system work?  And what makes any organizational system work?  Here are a few guidelines to follow when establishing a home organizational system:

1.  Consolidation -- All important information is consolidated in one location.

When running a household, being efficient saves time, money and frustration.  A person should consider their hub their home’s “Inbox.”  This Inbox should collect all the “stuff” that comes into a person’s daily life.  Items to go into the Inbox include "To Do" lists, calendars, schedules, phone messages, business cards, mail to sort, and items to read and review.  It is then up to the individual how they plan to sort, categorize and act on the information in their Inbox.

2.  Relevant Items -- All related materials, supplies and equipment are positioned in the same location.

These are the items that make a person’s system flow:  pens, paper, telephone, cell chargers, trash can, file folders, filing container, bulletin boards, magnetic boards, etc.

3.  Accessibility -- The location is one that is accessible to all using the system. 

If this is a whole family system, all members must be able to use it.  A person could include a step ladder for children.  Or a magnetic dry erase board might be easier for all versus using a traditional cork board with push pins.

4.  Location, location, location -- The system is situated in a high traffic zone.

If a person can walk by and see their system several times a day, he or she can stay on top of the appointments, To Do lists and other various things that come through the Inbox.  This is key to avoid feeling overwhelmed.  One of the biggest obstacles to getting organized is when a person feels that he or she has to dedicate large amounts of time to an enormous project.  Staying on top of the Inbox eliminates this stress.

No Need to Close This Behind a Door
photo credit:  apartmenttherapy.com

Some Day
photo credit:  365ishpins.blogspot.com

 Back to the “hub” in my pantry . . . it works because I know that the room that holds the food is the most popular place in our house (accessible to all and in a high traffic zone).  It also contains almost all of the “Inbox” items (calendars, schedules, lunch menu and appointment cards) and the necessary related items—pens, trash can, lunch boxes, and FOOD.  And, as I look at the picture, I realize our organization system may not look as pretty as the pictures in a home design magazine—but it’s extremely functional, and more importantly, I can always close the door.

The Emotional Connection to Disorganization and Letting Clutter Go

Imagine walking into your bedroom at the end of the day, exhausted and ready for sleep, only to discover the bed unmade and five loads of laundry on top of that.  Take a second to think about how you feel when you survey the mountain of clothing and sheets that are keeping you from a peaceful and much needed rest? 

photo credit:  www.kayladanelle.com

Now imagine how you would feel walking into your bedroom and seeing the bed nicely made, maybe even the sheets turned down (chocolate on the pillow?), ready for you to climb into and get a good night’s sleep. 

Expanding on this example, the clutter that people collect in their surroundings is equivalent to that mountain of clothing and sheets.  That mountain is the “stuff” in a person’s space—and until it is removed, a person is kept from a peaceful and restful existence. 

Having “stuff” everywhere is over stimulating for the human brain.  People have a stress reaction to clutter, just as you might have when you imagined the “mountain” on the bed.  Clearing out the “stuff” allows a person to be able to handle more. 

Decluttering is more than removing unnecessary items from your space—it encompasses psychological and emotional components that people often overlook, downplay or don’t even acknowledge exist.  Clutter takes up both physical and mental space.  It gets in the way of individuals moving forward--being free to explore the opportunities that open up when they allow the space for them.  Being open to that opportunity and uncertainty can be scary, yet it can also be exciting, thrilling and life changing.

There are lists of reasons why people accumulate stuff—they inherit it and can’t bear to let it go, they keep things “just in case” they need it one day, they buy to impress others or buy as a form of “retail therapy”—the list goes on.  And just as there is an emotional component to why people accumulate, there are emotional reasons to why people can’t unclutter. 

Photo credit:  www.sunshinehospitality.blogspot.com

The things people have in their lives remind them of loved ones who have passed away, of happier times, of children when they were young.  Yet, saying goodbye to those items does not mean a person is saying goodbye to those loved ones or happier days.  It is not permanently closing a door—the memories will remain with a person, even if the stuff does not.  

Stuff is also part of a person’s identity—the clothes they wear, the car they drive, the way their home is furnished.  As people’s lives change, so do their identities.  It may be difficult coming to terms with these changes and accept who they are today.  Letting go of old stuff may be equivalent to letting go of who they used to be.   

By exploring these emotional barriers, individuals may find it easier to simplify and let go of the things that encumber their surroundings.  And when a person lets go of something they don’t need or have space for anymore, they make room for something new and wonderful in their life (like a chocolate on their pillow at night).

Starting Small - The Junk Drawer in the Kitchen

We all have them--the kitchen junk drawer.  And as much as we despise storing all those odds and ends, they serve a necessary function.  Where else can you find twist ties, batteries, chapstick, grocery coupons, rubber bands, calculators, pens, tools, and notepads all in the same place?  But if all those functional items are all jumbled together, the drawer and its contents lose its usefulness.  

Using a simple example like the kitchen junk drawer, I thought I would outline the organization process so others can apply it to projects both big and small.  And, to be fair, the first thing I did is walk over to my junk drawer.

My first thought was that it wasn't bad at all.  I had items grouped together in tidy Bamboo Drawer Organizer Boxes--and my grocery list was right there so I could add things easily.  Yes, that crazy spreadsheet is actually a grocery list--and I plan to explain it in another post very soon.

Opening up another junk drawer in my kitchen, I found something I could work with.  This is the drawer that holds all those essential kitchen items, most of which are awkward and odd shaped.  As you can see from the picture, finding a wine bottle opener wasn't a problem.  The problem was that I had 4 and each were in a different location in the drawer.  

Before

Let’s walk through the organization process:

1.  Set a Goal - An organized kitchen “junk” drawer

2.    Prioritize and Pick – Looking at two different drawers, it was obvious one needed more attention than the other.

3.    Set Up – Locate a small trash bag and a sponge for wiping the drawer organizer clean

4.    Start with a Clean Slate – Empty out the entire drawer and clean it

5.    Sort – Everything goes into one of the following piles:

• Relocate – move items that do not belong in the drawer (that meant those orange pumpkin carving knives needed a new home)
• Keep – items to be placed back in the drawer (things used most like the pizza cutter, can opener, kitchen shears)
• Fix – any broken items
• Toss – throw away anything that is unsalvageable (an old knife sharpener that no longer sharpened)
• Donate – give away items that someone else can use (I had 5 bottle openers and 3 wine openers that I could pass on to a needy bar and grill)
• Sell – items in order to recoup some of the original cost

After

6.    Group Like Items – From the keep pile, I grouped together the ice cream scoops, the scissors with the scissors, etc. until all items were placed with similar items.

7.    Organize – This is the step where you place your "keep" items back into the space.  What is important here is that everything you keep is something you like and use on a regular basis; and it has a “home.”  In this example, the “home” is a Bamboo Expandable Utility Drawer Organizer with separate compartments.  Without this insert, this drawer would quickly become a mess again.

This is where your project can get creative.  Sure, you can go out and get a fancy organizer, but you can also use whatever you have around the house or items you find at local thrift or consignment shops.  Consider using one of the following:

• Tupperware containers
• Glass or plastic baby food jars]
• Check boxes or cereal boxes covered in heavy paper or cloth
• Thrift or consignment store finds (mixed patterns of china or glass bowls or mismatched containers)

8.  Evaluate – Step back and look at your finished project—did you meet your goal?  In this example, yes, my kitchen utensil junk drawer is much less crowded and only contains the items I really use regularly (no I don’t carve pumpkins every week).

You can use these steps whether your project is one kitchen drawer or the whole kitchen.  Best of luck with your projects, whether big or small and may all your junk drawers be organized!

The Costs of Disorganization (or the Benefits of Organization)

How many times have you heard yourself or someone else say, “I don’t have time to get organized, I can’t even find my calendar—let alone find the time to schedule that!”  Do you see the circular reasoning in this statement?

The problem of being “disorganized” is also the barrier to better organization.  In other words, if you take the time to get organized, you’ll have more time to be organized.  Confused yet?  Well, I hope I can clear up any confusion with some startling facts about the costs of disorganization (the bad news) and the benefits of organization (the good news).

First, the bad news . . . disorganization is not something to take lightly.  It is way of living that can have huge financial, emotional, mental and physical costs.

Just how much can disorganization influence your life?  Starting with the financial impact, considerable amounts of money can almost seem to disappear when you:

-Pay bills late and incur fees (23% of adults do this). Survey results from Ikea and the National Association of Professional Organizers.

-Rebuy “lost” items (you just know you have a cordless drill, but where is it?)

-Buy “emergency” items (like a pack of diapers from the corner store at 10pm)

-Don’t track spending (It’s the end of the month and you have no idea where your grocery cash has gone)

-Overbuy because you don’t know what you have (You may have 4 extra large containers of mayonnaise in your pantry, but you purchase another one because you’re just not sure.  On a positive note . . . lots of mayo!)

-Can never find the coupon or gift card that you intended to use on your shopping trip

-Miss large tax deductions because your paperwork is scattered

-Miss errors on bank or credit card statements (potentially missing identity theft)

Unfortunately, there is more bad news.  Besides the financial impact, the stress of disorganization can adversely affect your mental, emotional and physical health.   Consider this statistic from WebMD:  “Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.”  Add in the missed opportunities for personal or professional growth and the strain that stress can have on your relationships and it becomes clear that dealing with your disorganization is more than something that you “should get to someday.”

Before

After

Ready for the good news?  If having a less stressful, more relaxing life with considerably less health issues sounds appealing, the answer may be as simple as getting organized--it's not as overwhelming or difficult as you may think.  And not many people would complain about being more productive, having more time and money, and living a more simplified, streamlined life.

If you’re not convinced yet, check out these survey results from Ikea and the National Association of Professional Organizers:

-Getting rid of clutter eliminates 40% of housework in an average home

-Since we wear 20% of the clothes we own about 80% of the time, you can open up a large amount of space in your crowded closet by removing those unworn items

-Considering that 80% of what we keep, we never use--you can gain space in your home, if you eliminate that 80%.  You can also earn money if you decide to sell those items or take a tax deduction for donating them.

-With 80% of the clutter in homes being a result of disorganization, you may find more room in your home by simply organizing what you already have.

As with learning any new skill, start small and tackle one area at a time.  If the thought of getting organized is still paralyzing, there are numerous books and websites with helpful tips.  And if you still can’t get started, contact a professional organizer who can help you develop a plan (like pare down the mayo) and stick with it!