How to Organize When You Are Overwhelmed

The New Year is that time of year when everyone begins setting goals. Some of the most common goals for the New Year include losing weight and getting organized.

As someone who loves to organize this puts a big smile on my face, however, many people don’t feel the same way I do about organizing. In fact, they find it dreadful.

A common problem people have when it comes to organizing is they are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. When you feel like this, you have no motivation even to get started. Then, just like that one of your goals has gone down the drain.

You can stick to your goals for the New Year, and you can get organized! Here’s how you can start:

Start with Highest Traffic Area in your House

The entryway is typically the highest traffic area and is usually the best place to start. Analyze what you use every single day. For example, I need my handbag and jacket every day. Our kids need their jackets every day right now as well since it’s winter. We have created a hook system on the wall where it’s easy to hang up our daily items. The kids' hooks are lower so they can learn to hang up their own jackets. Wall hooks are a great organizing tool to use because they are very easy to use and don’t take up too much space.

Create a Command Center

After your entryway has been updated, work on creating a command center that fits you and/or your family needs. Create a central place where you can manage your mail and calendar. Use a chalkboard or dry erase board for a calendar. Having a visual calendar will help keep your life organized. Even if you only use a digital calendar, establish a visual calendar for your household so that it's always in front of you. Our household uses the following:

• Calendar Dry Erase Board- We write out our calendar on a dry erase board so we can see every day what is going on for the month. It’s easy to update when needed and color code it so it’s organized and easy to read.
• Tack Board- This is where we keep photos, kids’ art pieces, important coupons that we want to use.
• Magazine Holder- This is used to store magazines that come in the mail.
• Hook Holder With Tray- The tray keeps the dry erase markers stored there, so it’s easy to update the calendar. The hooks are used for the kids to hang their jackets there. These hooks are great for key holders as well. Our kids are too young right now to store them there; we’d never find our keys ;)

Create a Household Binder

Paper still exists in our lives. Creating a binder will serve as a resourceful resource. The binder will become your go-to guide. It will be your Home Bible. It will keep you organized and allow you to become more productive because all of your important resources will be in one place. Time will no longer be wasted searching for documents or wondering what the password is to an account. You'll want to place it where it can be easily accessed every day, like the inside of a kitchen cabinet or on an office desk. Keep it in the same spot, so you always know where it's located.

Declutter Your Kitchen

The kitchen is the most commonly used and gathered area of the home. Having an organized kitchen makes things more enjoyable and perfect when an unexpected guest stops by. Depending on the size of your kitchen, break it up into sections: Drawers, Cabinets, and Pantry.

Start each section by decluttering it first. If it hasn’t been used in the past year or it’s broken, get rid of it. Once you have finished decluttering each section, then you’ll want to analyze that space and figure out organizing products to use for that space. If you are organizing your drawers, make sure to use drawer organizers to help keep items in their appropriate space.

Acrylic clear drawer organizers work the best because they give you the best-organized look and feel. They also match well with many different drawers. For the cabinets and pantry use baskets where necessary and label them. Use the same bins for a consistent look and feel. Wicker baskets or white bins work very well. Also, get rid of any type of dishware that doesn’t match your current set-up.

Declutter Your Closet

We wear clothes every day. You should love every single piece of clothing you own; it should make you feel good. When you feel good, you put your best foot forward whether that’s in your work or other areas of your life. Here are some tips to help you with your closet:

• Get rid of something if you have not worn it in the past year.
• If it doesn’t make you feel good, get rid of it.
• If it’s too small or big, get rid of it.
• Anything that needs repair (button needing to be sewn, etc.) and it’s been longer than six months, get rid of it.
• Color coordinate hanging items starting with the red and move through the rainbow.
• Use felt or wood hangers that are all the same to give you a consistent look and feel.

Now you might be overwhelmed by this list and where to start. Start with the first point and then move to the next one. Give yourself a week for each point, and in a month, you will have made a good dent in getting your household organized in the New Year! For more organizing resources, you can visit Organized Marie.