Unless you're born with the place-for-everything gene, getting and staying organized can be a challenge. To get on the right track, divide your clear-out tasks into manageable chunks, then treat yourself to a bouquet of simple, stunning flowers. What better way to grace a clean and peaceful space?
I recently chatted with Los Angeles-based professional organizer Carol Keller, OrganizingExpertsla.com, who has a 5-step process for beating clutter. Here, she shares the basics of her approach.
1. Evaluate your situation. Look at your space and ask yourself what’s working, what’s not and what’s driving you nuts. Consider what roles your entire family plays in creating clutter. “Everybody’s situation is different and the reason behind it is very specific to that individual.”
Also, pinpoint whether your organization has faltered because of a life change, like a move or a new baby, or if you are chronically disorganized. If it’s the latter, don’t be hard on yourself. Think about how and why your clutter got out of control and why you have a high tolerance for it.
2. Figure out how you want each room to function. This can be a tough question to answer, especially for multi-function rooms such as a den or family room. But persevere and allow only those things that support the function to stay.
3. Sort and reduce. This is the hardest part, Carol says, because it takes the most time and often leads to feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. On the other hand, it can also be freeing. If you find it difficult, a professional organizer may be just what you need.
Carol recommends working in four-hour blocks of time for maximum efficiency. As she puts it: “Reward yourself at the end and come back the next day for another four hours. Maybe that’s where the flowers come in. Knowing that if you stick with it, in four hours, you’ll have flowers.”
4. Decide where the remaining items will live. Whether it’s clothes, CDs, toys, home-office supplies, old photos or whatever else you discover, the stuff that’s left after sorting has to go somewhere. Remember, you can keep only what you have room for, which may call for some tough decisions.
For items like old letters or nostalgic souvenirs that you won’t use on a daily basis, she suggests finding pretty storage containers, then putting them in spots where you can see and enjoy them, instead of letting boxes pile up in the back of a closet.
5. Maintenance. Once you’ve organized and enjoyed your fresh bouquet of summer flowers, commit to 15 minutes a day (or whatever regular time works for you) to pick up, straighten and stay clutter-free. Says Carol: “Clearing that path can clear your mind as well. You can relax, breathe and think.”
Flower Fact of the Day: Spanish sailors once referred to the coast of California as "la tierra del fuego," the land of fire. But the flames they were talking about were from an abundance of bright orange poppies. Read more about the state's flower legacy in Scott LaFee's recent story in the San Diego Union-Tribune: signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080710/news_1c10flowers.html.
