The 5-Step Guide to an Organized Life
Welcome! Today, I’m sharing the five habits that I believe are essential for staying organized. Over the years, I’ve observed these habits in others and adopted them myself. They’ve been transformational, and I hope they’ll inspire you too. Let’s dive in!
Habit #1: Consistently return items to their rightful places.
In our house, it is just common courtesy that everything goes back to its rightful place, that way everyone can easily find what they need, saving time and preventing the frustration of searching for items left elsewhere. This is extending the courtesy to ourselves and others. It is through these small, deliberate actions that we develop a more organized environment. Now, if I could only remember to do this with my reading glasses, life would be great. I swear I spend a good 10 minutes a day on a quest for my reading glasses. It’s like a daily treasure hunt, but the prize is being able to read my phone. My mission is to stop losing them in the first place!
Beyond the practical benefits, this small action carries symbolic weight. It reflects a sense of mindfulness in our daily actions, showing commitment to maintaining an organized and well-kept environment. When we treat our surroundings with care and consideration, we extend the same courtesy to ourselves and others, fostering a positive and respectful atmosphere.
Additionally, returning items to their rightful places helps in building positive habits. Over time, this routine becomes second nature, leading to a more organized and streamlined lifestyle. The practice of tidying up and organizing reinforces the principle of taking ownership of our surroundings, making us more conscious of the choices we make daily.
Habit #2: Create Zones for Everything
Designating specific zones for items is a game-changer. Unfortunately, on our last move while working full-time, and having health issues with a ruptured disk, I didn’t follow my advice. I knew from previous moves that moving companies will not transport candles because there are no guarantees the candles wouldn’t melt and ruin other items packed away, so they started putting the candles in a rather large box, then a second box was filled with candles, then a third. The packers kept telling me ”You have a lot of candles!” I hadn’t realized how many I had scattered across multiple zones in the house. This is why you need to keep similar items together. Lesson learned!
Zones make sure that needed items are easily accessible, eliminating the frustration of searching through clutter. By organizing your belongings into zones, you reinforce a mindful approach to your possessions, increasing your awareness of what you have and what you need. Plus, this structured system allows you to maintain a sense of control over your environment, minimizing the stress and distractions that disorganization can bring. Embracing zones and designated spots encourages a sense of purpose and discipline in our daily routines, transforming our spaces into areas of productivity.
Habit #3: Only Purchase What’s Essential:
Here’s is a challenge I took on: I went an entire year without buying a single piece of clothing. This experiment taught me self-control and made me more intentional about what I truly needed. This venture was not only a test of self-control, but it offered valuable insights into my spending habits and helped me to create a more streamlined wardrobe with less clutter. When we adopt a mindset of intentional consumption, we start to evaluate each potential purchase through a lens of necessity.
The temptation is real — If you want to curb your spending, don’t go shopping. This is challenging when our devices keep track of what we like and what we have searched for. Just the action of opening my phone to order milk for the week initiates windows of items I may want or think I need. We must practice self-control and stay focused, or we end up 30 minutes later wondering why we opened our phone in the first place. This practice of only purchasing essentials has helped me to develop more purpose when I go shopping. I try to only search for what I need, not just any item I think I might need, or just because they are having a great sale.
I’d like to recount an experience when we took our niece shopping for her 18th graduation gift. This activity took place at a shopping mall when shopping on your phone wasn’t yet a popular practice. After shopping that day she stated, “I didn’t know what I didn’t have until I went shopping”. She had been completely satisfied with her belongings until she saw other items that she might want–not need. I was so impressed with the fact she was able to recognize her observation at 18. So, the moral to this story is: if you don’t want to spend and bring more items into your home, don’t go looking. Don’t tempt yourself. You can’t organize excess. Well organized people only purchase items that are essential.
In a world saturated with constant marketing messages, the concept of purchasing only essential items takes on a new level of importance. It’s easy to be swayed by trends, sales, and the appeal of new possessions, often leading to cluttered spaces. However, consciously choosing to purchase only items that are truly necessary serves as a powerful solution to this consumer-driven chaos.
This critical assessment encourages us to consider the functional value an item would bring to our lives. Questions to ask yourself before a purchase:
- Will it simplify a daily task?
- Will it enhance your living environment?
- Will it genuinely contribute to your well-being?
By focusing on these questions, we create a standard that filters out unnecessary purchases, preventing clutter from accumulating in the first place.
This approach not only keeps our spaces organized and clutter-free but also serves as a reminder that our possessions should improve, not burden, our lives.
Habit #4: Let Go of Sunk Costs
I tried having a garage sale, it took up too much space to hold on to enough items to make it worth having a garage sale, it took too much time to set up everything, I had to use a whole day to have the garage sale, and then on top of all of that, it rained cats and dogs and was not successful. Then we had to load up all the unsold items and drop them off at Goodwill.
When my kids were growing up, I loved going to garage sales for certain items, such as children’s toys and play clothes that they use up so quickly, but did not take me long to realize I did not like having them. I now keep a basket in my laundry room on a shelf and when the basket is full, it goes to Goodwill. I have personally worked with Goodwill in placing high school students in their work-study programs and they really do provide the individuals with skills needed for work. Helping adults train and transition to jobs to be productive citizens. I love these types of programs that help our community. I think of this transaction as giving what I don’t use to someone who needs it more. Instead of thinking about what you paid for the item, or any sentimental value, think about helping others. This helps me to overcome my guilt of maybe paying too much or having made a bad choice in the purchase. I don’t have to keep living with this bad choice. Move on and let it go, holding onto something just because you paid for it doesn’t serve you. I can’t recall a single instance when I’ve donated something to Goodwill and later regretted it.
The importance of decluttering and letting go of belongings that no longer serve you lies in the freedom it brings to both our physical and mental spaces. By parting ways with unnecessary belongings, we create room for clarity and focus. Letting go allows us to shed the weight of material attachments.
Habit #5: Clean and Tidy Regularly
My last habit is cleaning and tidying up on a regular basis. My sister-in-law already had all these habits in place. When dinner was done, the dishes were washed, the table wiped down, the floor cleaned, everything put away, so all she had to do in the morning was unload the dishwasher to start the day and be ahead of the game. Now I will say that my sister-in-law is one of those individuals that never sits down, their tv is rarely on, and she is always on the go and busy.
Tidying up, cleaning, and organizing on a regular basis is crucial to maintaining an effective living environment. These practices go beyond superficial appearances; they foster a sense of discipline, order, and well-being. Regular tidying helps prevent clutter from accumulating. Cleaning not only ensures hygienic surroundings but also fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Final Thoughts
A clean and organized environment can lead to improved overall productivity and a greater sense of control over one’s life. By adding these practices into our daily lives, we create a space that improves a positive outlook and encourages a healthy and happy lifestyle. Add a little extra sparkle to your everyday life. You’ve got this!