Organizing on Empty

Have you had those days where you are on top of your game? The bills are paid, dinner is done, the laundry is done, folded AND put away in the SAME day. You walked into a room and remembered why you were there. And this may be after putting in a full day at work. You feel amazing right? But what about the days you are so freaking exhausted from running around being a superhero that you literally just can’t? This is where those systems that we talk about come into play. Because a system that only works when you’re having a great day isn’t the system that will work when you are running on empty. Here are some tried and true tips to help you focus on the things that matter while maintaining your home at the same time.

1. Put things where you actually use them.

If you use things in your living room but they are stored in your bedroom you are probably not putting them away after use, adding to the clutter in your living room. Find a spot in the space where you use your items like a bureau or even a storage ottoman so you aren’t creating more work for yourself. Alternatively, if you use the same thing in two different rooms and are always running back and forth it’s ok to have two of those items. Think two sets of bathroom cleaners, two different charging areas for all the electronics, scissors in multiple rooms not just the office or kitchen. Sometimes the most organized solution isn’t having less stuff. It’s having the right things in the right place.

I tend to do my crafts in my dining room. The bottom drawer of this bureau is the perfect spot to tuck them away when I’m not using them.

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2. Create “good enough” drop zones

You might not have a moment to sort mail the second it comes through the door. Coats and bags may not make it to the closet on the first go. Shoes may be kicked off and not put away. All of these things can visually create some clutter chaos. But make it easy.

Drop your mail in a basket so it’s contained until you can go through it. Have a couple of hooks near your door for your coats so they don’t end up on the back of a chair or the floor. Try a small bowl for keys. No it’s not Pinterest perfect, but that is the point. Keeping everyday clutter from spreading is the goal.

3. Eliminate steps

If putting an item away requires you to open a closet, move 2 items, take a lid off a bin and fit the item inside and THEN put all that back it’s probably going to land somewhere near the bin but definitely not in it. Especially when you have zero energy. How can you eliminate a step from those tasks that no matter what seem like a chore?

Maybe micro sorting your kids toys is the problem. An open bin for a broad category where you can just toss in works just as good.

Putting shoes in a closet or bedroom after a long day is hard. A basket by the door is easy.

Removing the lids from hampers so the clothes go in instead of on top is a game changer.

You don’t need to work harder to be organized. Make it easy to do all of the time.

4.Make things visible when you need to

If out of site out of mind is your life motto, hiding something in a bin, no matter how beautiful it looks, is not going to help you.  Try using clear bins instead, hooks on a wall instead of hangers in a closet or even adding a simple label gives your brain the visual cue you need. Pretty looks cool. But having it be functional is the actual goal.

5. Make a Reset Basket

Give yourself some grace and a little recovery system for the hard times. 

A basket on the stairs for things to go back upstairs. 

A basket in the mudroom for items that belong elsewhere. 

Maybe it’s a bin in the kitchen to collect the random items that your family leaves around. 

But this should be easy too. Don’t hide it from view. Put it in a central location where it’s easy to toss things as they pile up. It doesn’t mean you’re lazy. It means you’re busy and containing the chaos until you have the time and energy to deal is good enough.

When you are beginning an organizing project, organize FOR the hard days. Ask yourself how you want the space to function and then get real and ask if tired me will be able to keep this up everyday? It’s ok if the answer is no. Simple is better!

What if you’re rushing out? Or rushing in and then back out (sports anyone?)? 

What if you are making dinner while helping with homework?

What if you’re sick, your kid’s sick or you’re exhausted and just over it?

Your home should still be able to function even if you need a moment. You’re allowed to take a minute. To put something down for a second. To have a basket of things to deal with later. You’re allowed to have a system that can accommodate your actual life. You’re allowed to have a good enough system.  Sometimes the best system is the easiest system.

The goal of organizing isn’t to create a home that looks perfect all of the time. That’s not realistic. The goal is to create systems that work for you. When life gets a little out of hand your home doesn’t need to.