When it comes to getting organized, whether you want to tame the chaos in a single drawer, one closet, or a whole room, there’s no doubt the process can be overwhelming. We’ve talked in previous blogs about the power of focusing on just one or two projects at a time. As you tackle each area, the next question is how do you create a system that will last?
As you think about your organizing projects, it helps to go back to basic organizing principles.
Keep in mind that organizing is different than decluttering. Decluttering is about identifying what is obsolete in your space and releasing it, but that actually doesn't create a system. It just opens up space. Organizing is about identifying what is important to you and arranging it in a logical way that gives you access to what you use and love so that you can live the life you choose.
Once you determine that your goal is to create a system that works for you, success begins with picturing your space when it’s done. How? Think Kindergarten.
From the day I started my business, I have designed every home, office, and schedule on the model of a kindergarten classroom. Walk into any kindergarten classroom in the world, and you will behold the perfect model of organization. Think about what makes it work:
The room is divided into activity zones: Reading zone, Dress-up zone, Arts & Crafts zone, Music zone, Snack zone.
It’s easy to focus on one activity at a time. With each zone well defined and fully self-contained, you can concentrate 100 percent on a given task; nothing else competes for your attention.
Items are stored at their point of use, with everything needed for each activity at your fingertips. For example, when doing arts and crafts, all the paper, crayons, markers, paints, brushes, and smocks needed for a creative session are gathered in one convenient location.
It’s almost as much fun putting things away as it is playing with them. That’s because every item has a clear, well labeled home in a container that is the perfect size to hold it. Sliding trays for puzzles. Wooden blocks with holes for scissors (nose down, handles up). Cleanup is fast and even joyful. Spaces are easy to use and clean up, making them ready and welcoming when you come back.
It offers a visual menu of everything that is important to the people who inhabit that space. Anyone can walk into that classroom, look around, and decide what to do and where to do it based on a set of clearly defined cues.
The beauty of the kindergarten model is that it creates a space that reflects who you are and what is important to you, and each thing only has one place to go. Which makes maintenance a breeze. Whatever area of your home or office you want to organize, start today, and go back to the basics. Before you start throwing anything out, define your activity zones. Then you can sort and organize your stuff into a logical system with everything you need at your fingertips. Nothing feels better than a space that supports the life you want to live.