10 Organizing Don’ts
Getting organized involves doing many things—sorting, categorizing, purging, and labeling just to name a few. Today I’m turning the tables and talking about 10 things I want you to avoid when you are organizing.
Don’t automatically do things the conventional way.
The thing that you saw that works perfectly for the Instagram influencer you follow might not actually be the best thing for you. The place your mom kept her extra sheets might not be the right place for you to keep yours. I hereby give you permission to think outside the box when organizing.
2. Don’t underestimate the power of throwing away garbage.
If you are overwhelmed by a space and don’t know where to start, throw away the garbage. You’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes to toss the wrappers, tissues, outdated catalogs, and broken items.
3. Don’t buy organizing containers before you start.
Purchasing containers before sorting, decluttering, and measuring basically buys you an errand, since you’ll probably have to return them or replace them with something that works better.
4. Don’t keep every paper.
Even if it’s what your parents and grandparents taught you, I promise you don’t need to keep every paper. Important papers like Social Security Cards, birth certificates, loan paperwork, etc. has to be kept, obviously. But the manual for your new water bottle or the shelf you bought on Wayfair can go. I promise you won’t need to reference them. (I can go either way on manuals for big appliances that you currently own).
5. Don’t sleep on the most underrated organizing tool.
I present to you the lazy Susan. Lazy Susans work all over the home; in the bathroom to corral your daily toiletries, in the laundry room for stain removing tools, in the cabinets for oils and spices—you get the idea. They can both corral things and make items more accessible. They’re great in awkward and corner cabinets and also for gathering up items that would otherwise just be visual clutter.
6. Don’t ignore your goals when shopping for product.
The right container for your project depends on the goal for your space. If visual clutter makes you crazy, opaque might be best. If you want things to be easy to find and put away, try clear or open-front bins. If natural materials help you relax and feel good, try them!
7. Don’t make things hard to put away.
The number one way to make sure things actually get put away is to make it easy. This is especially important if you or someone in your home has ADHD. The more steps there are to putting something away, the lower the chances of the item ever getting to that place.
8. Don’t assume you should never own duplicates.
People often see “professional organizer” and assume I demand everyone be a minimalist, which isn’t true at all. If minimalism works for you, I support that. But sometimes having more than one of an item can actually help you stay organized. For example, it might make sense to have cleaning products in each bathroom or on each level of your home instead of carting them up and down the stairs.
9. Don’t organize things you shouldn’t keep in first place.
Just because something is organized into bins and stored safely on shelves doesn’t mean it’s not clutter. Keep what you need, use, and love, and be willing to part with the rest.
10. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough.
Although spaces we see online often look perfect, it’s more important that your space and your things work for you.
Progress > Perfection.
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