“I’m overwhelmed!”
“All this clutter is too much for me to handle!”
“I have no idea where to start!”
As a Professional Organizer in business almost nineteen years (!) I have heard the above declarations more times than I can count. I’ve recently coined a phrase I offer to my clients when they feel like it’s all too much:
Starting ‘small’ is the solution to dealing with clutter. De-cluttering a whole room is overwhelming. Starting small by focusing on one teeny-tiny part of that room is more manageable.
Starting ‘easy’ helps us to build our de-cluttering ‘muscles.’ ‘Easy’ items are usually ones with little-to-no sentimental or monetary value. The decision making process takes barely any brain power when we start with the ‘easy’ stuff. Once we’ve trained our decision-making muscles on the easy items, we’re better equipped to make the tougher decisions later on.
Are you familiar with the phrase, ‘The shoemaker’s son has no shoes?’ Well, sometimes I’m so focused on organizing spaces for others that I don’t focus on organizing my own! Case in point–my kid’s linen closet. OK, really it was one shelf in the linen closet…
I have two kids and they share a linen closet where I store their sheets, towels, extra blankets, and any medicine/first aid items they may need or require. When I only had one child, the shelves in this linen closet weren’t as full. Now that there are two of them, there’s A LOT more stuff.
The sheets, towels, and blanket shelves were under control but what was not was the shelf I had dedicated to my kid’s medicine and first aid items. For the first few years, I had a couple of tubes, bottles, and boxes of things that I could find easily. Then after kid number two arrived, the shelf started filling up. I could still find what I was looking for but I would sometimes accidentally knock things over and cause an unwanted ‘domino effect’ resulting in a disorganized mess.
Full disclosure–this is what it looked like:
Forget about the fact that it looked cluttered when I opened the door to this closet. Visually, it was unappealing (and appalling!) to me. I needed to block off time in my calendar to organize this spot. I knew decluttering a linen closet shelf wouldn’t take me long–I just had to create a plan and stick to it.
It was time to take my own advice to start small, start easy–just start. And get the job done…
I followed the 5 steps to getting any space in the home organized–created by Professional Organizer Julie Morgenstern in her book, Organizing from the Inside Out. This is the 5 step method I use with my clients when organizing any space in their homes. It works every time!
Step 1: The Sort
I took all items off the shelf and placed them on a nearby staircase. I sorted them by type and for the most part found that they fell into four categories: First Aid, Medicine, Nose, and Teeth. I also created a category of ‘Expired’ and ‘No Longer Used.’ to be dealt with during the next step.
Step 2: The Purge
Once I sorted all the items, it was easy to see what could be purged. Expired medicine was dealt with in an ecologically-friendly manner and boxes were flattened and added to our recycle bin. Papers were filed, garbage was collected and added to our household trash. I was left with only the things my kids presently use or would need in the future.
Step 3: Assign a Home
This step asks the question, ‘Where are the post-purge items all going to live?’ I knew they were going to live on this shelf in the linen closet so this step was pretty easy to breeze through. After the purge, I placed each grouping of the remaining items back onto the shelf by category until I could complete Step 4.
Step 4: Containerize
I was certain I wanted to use some kind of drawer system to store the medical/first aid items. Quick and easy access to meds and first aid supplies is key when your child is wheezing, sneezing, or bleeding! I measured the height, width, and depth of the shelf and took to the internet to locate a product that would work.
A brief search led me to the Small Tint Stackable Storage Drawers from The Container Store. They were colorful and just the right size to fit two-stacked one on top of another on the linen closet shelf. Lucky for me, I live in driving distance of their location in Paramus, NJ so I hopped in my car and set out to get one step closer to completing my small and easy organizing project. I chose blue and orange because my boys like the NY Knicks and tolerate the Mets because their dad is a life-long fan.
I brought the drawers home, filled each drawer by category, and placed them on the shelf. Organizing success!
Step 5: Equalize
(also known as Maintain)
This is the step that comes after the organizing is done and systems are in place. Every so often, depending upon the how often you use the items, it is necessary to do what’s called ‘maintenance.’
In this case, every few weeks, I peek in the drawers and take inventory on meds, flossers, band-aids, and lip balm. I straighten up other items on the shelf such as shampoo bottles and hand sanitizer and make room for anything new that my kids have started using (deodorant–yikes!). Decluttering a linen closet shelf or any space in your home won’t take long if you keep up with maintaining it!
You may notice that I did not add any labels to the outside of the bins. I tossed the idea around but since the drawers are translucent, it’s fairly easy to see their contents without opening the drawer. As my kids become more independent and access the items on their own, I may choose to add labels. But, for now I like how seamless and colorful it looks when I open the linen closet door.
Not every organizing project has to be on a grand scale for it to make a positive impact on your life. Some are as small as a drawer, a shelf, or a corner of your desk. Even organizing your wallet, your car’s glove compartment, or a bucket full of batteries can save you time, money, and space. Regardless of the size of the project, block off time on your calendar, follow the five steps, and start. Start small. Start easy. Just start.
What small and easy organizing project will you start this week?
Stacey is a Professional Organizer, Virtual Organizer, and Author in Bergen County, New Jersey specializing in home organizing, time, and paper management. She is the author of The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook: Let Systems and 101 Modern Sample Thank You Notes Take You From Overwhelmed to Organized.
Contact Stacey to Get Started!
“Not every organizing project has to be on a grand scale for it to make a positive impact on your life.” Wow is this so true! In fact, it is often the tiniest little projects that matter the most. That drawer in the kitchen that always sticks when we try and get it open because it is overly full. Or the bathroom drawer where we waste time every morning hunting down items.
Wonderful example of how to do a simple project. Love that you sorted on the stairs – I would do that:)
In terms of what project I’d like to tackle, I’m thinking of a shelf in my pantry that has gotten a little overstuffed. Will let you know!
Thanks, Seana for your kind words! Good luck decluttering your pantry shelf–we both know you’re going to feel great after it’s done!
I love working on small projects, especially when I am overwhelmed in my life. It’s a small way to feel control over my life. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I love the containers you used! So cute. =)
I loved these containers, too! They were the perfect size for the space and the amount of items I had to place in each. My boys like that I got them bins the color of the ‘Knicks’ basketball team–a win for Mom!
I love projects like this- the small, easy, and very doable ones. They make such a positive impact on our daily life. These simple projects reduce stress and are satisfying to complete. I love how you showed the before and after photos, your process, the organizing products you selected, and your decision NOT to label for now. I will admit that I was surprised you didn’t add labels at first, but then I read your explanation. In our guest bath, I have clear boxes inside the cabinet. They hold supplies by category. I also opted not to label them because you can easily see what’s inside.
I’m going to give the whole ‘no-label’ decision until the end of the year. If putting labels on the bins means that my kids will be able to retrieve what they need easily then I may put labels on the front. I’ll still retrieve the liquid Tylenol for them when they’re not feeling well but they can certainly start getting themselves a new toothbrush or lip balm!
I love organizing projects like this. They are fast to complete and make such a big difference in day-to-day life. It motivates me to organize another space. I like the drawers you used.
I love these types of organizing projects, too–for my clients and for myself. Small victories over our disorganized spaces strengthen our organizing muscles and give us the courage and confidence to move on to the next one.
Small projects are the best! I love the way you used the tinted drawers in colors which would appeal to your children. I really like using colors and when something is visually appealing it is so much more fun to use and maintain!
Using color makes organizing visually appealing and fun! I’m not even using the blue and orange for color coding–just making the inside of my kid’s linen closet resemble a ‘happy place.’ Some time in the future, my boys will be using those drawers more than me. Might as well make them look inviting!
Small and easy take the overwhelm and anxiety out of an organizing project. It is not difficult to do a couple of things each day. As you build your skills small becomes medium and you get more things done during each session.
I like how you say, ‘small becomes medium’–so true! We see this all the time with our clients. They call us in to assist, we start small with them so they can someday do medium and large with us or on their own.
I love the equalize step. I’ve never really had a word for this and I think this is super fitting. I also agree that starting small is the way to go. Great post.
Super! Small projects pack a powerful punch. When we feel overwhelmed, we wonder if we can accomplish ANYthing in a space, so tackling something small but important gives us an uplift every time we come upon it. A linen closet, like this, or a medicine cabinet, or junk drawer is the perfect size for a confidence-boosting project! It’s been a long time since I thought about (the other) Julie’s approach to these jobs.