Like so many people, I’ve resolved to get organized in the New Year. Those who have attempted the same feat before me know the job won’t be achieved overnight. To help in my quest for a more organized, simplified home, I consulted with Sue Anderson, a certified personal organizer and owner of Simplified Living Solutions. Here she shares tips for taking charge of your space.
Always Take Something With You
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When moving throughout your home, grab those things that belong in the direction you’re headed. For example, the coffee mug you used while getting dressed goes to the kitchen, the nail polish you used while catching up on a favorite TV show goes back to the bathroom, and so on and so on.
Leave Unnecessary Paperwork Behind
Don’t bring it inside your home. Immediately dispose of junk mail in the recycle bin. Discard irrelevant receipts or cash register generated coupons on your way out of the store.
Toss Paperwork Backup
Capture important event and appointment details on your calendar and toss the paper copy.
Leave Room to Grow
When deciding where things will live in your home, be sure to leave an adequate amount of additional space to capture incoming objects.
Cute Containers Aren’t the Answer
Even though the Christmas bins are on sale now, avoid buying cute containers to solve organizational dilemmas. Nine out of ten times they simply end up adding to your clutter.
Keep Only the Things You Need, Use or Love
It’s just that simple. Should we say it again? Need, use or love!
Have a Landing/Launching Zone
Every home needs this zone in order to function properly. You’re best served when this spot is located just within the door where you would normally enter and exit. The space is temporarily reserved for those items you carry when you enter the house and the things you need when you leave. Keep it simple: keys, purse, phone.
Purge Constantly
Objects come into our homes with little or no effort on our part. To maintain order, be diligent about removing unnecessary items on a regular basis.
Use Your “Prime Real Estate” Properly
Prime real estate is the area in each space that is the easiest to get to. Think eye level cabinets in your kitchen as opposed to top shelf of the pantry. These spaces should be used to store only those things you use the most often.
In addition to founding Simplified Living Solutions, Sue Anderson created thestuffstop.com, a web site that provides a list of businesses or organizations that will accept your unwanted items. Contact Sue via email at [email protected] or phone 314-221-5232.
