Clearing out closets packed with years of memories and fashions, decluttering for a move, or even trying to create an organized and efficient home may all seem daunting.
Starting small and maintaining consistency can be the keys to quick progress, says Angel Van Wye, New Member Coordinator for Park Springs, an Isakson Living Community in Stone Mountain.
Van Wye, who has assisted more than 200 residents moving into Park Springs, understands the challenges that people face when trying to organize their homes and keep it tidy.
"There's no magical container. There's no magical box," she says.
Here are seven quick tips to help you manage the mess and rediscover organizational control.
1. Keep it slow and steady
Set aside 15 minutes to organize a particular area of the house each day, Van Wye suggests. A month can make a substantial difference. Adding this into your daily schedule can reduce the temptation to procrastinate and can help you avoid decluttering. Instead, you ease yourself into tackling what could seem like a big project.
2. Grab a friend
"If you feel overwhelmed and that you can't do it, you need to involve a friend," says Van Wye. Having someone there to provide feedback who is not emotionally attached to any of your possessions and can serve as a "voice of reason" is useful. Be aware: A family member may possess the same emotional attachment.
3. Set aside a donation basket
Place a basket in a convenient location, and at any time, put items into it that you can give away. "If you don't use it, donate it," Van Wye says. Peter Walsh, a best-selling author and expert in organizational design, suggests on Day 7 of his "31 Days to Get Organized Challenge 2014" that people find seven things that day that can be donated. Books stored in the basement, for example, can be given to a library or charity.
4. Go digital
The most common challenge with trying to tidy up and get organized is paper, says Van Wye. The paper problem can manifest from anything to credit card bills to bank statements to postal mail. Junk mail is prone to stack up on the counter. The best solution is to set up a system (such as shredding, keeping only important documents in one spot and knowing the guidelines for pitching old records) and stick to it. Photos can be scanned digitally or stored on a thumb drive.
5. Pick a single drawer to organize
Make simple decisions first instead of looking at the whole house, Van Wye says. So attack just one drawer in any room. Day 1 of Walsh's challenge advises viewers to spend 10 minutes tackling one drawer.
6. Don't be afraid of the bathroom
Bathroom drawers and cabinets can be tidied once a month. Any free cosmetic and fragrance gifts sitting there unused are just occupying space. Donate or throw them out. Also, get rid of expired cosmetic and bath products and medicine.
7. Get into a tidying habit
Van Wye sorts through her kitchen once each quarter and recommends that people do the same at least a couple times a year. Making organization a priority comes with time, but anyone is capable with a positive mindset, she says. What should you do with these no-longer-needed items? Van Wye suggests donating or selling them at a garage sale, online marketplaces such as eBay or Craigslist, or at an auction house.
Instead of allowing clutter to rule your life, you can implement subtle changes that eventually form a more orderly lifestyle. Creativity and DIY can extend far in the realm of organization. From hanging bobby pins on magnetic strips to storing holiday ornaments in egg cartons, the variety of simple solutions is endless.
