You purged your closet, basement, kitchen, and bathrooms and for a short while, it’s wonderful. You know where everything is, you know what you have and, you know what you need. But a month or two passes by and you’re frustrated again. Things are disorganized, you have to sift through the clutter to find what you need, and you’re finding duplicates of things you didn’t know you had.
You clear out and get rid of things but you only have a few moments of relief until things get out of hand again. Your stress levels rise and you feel less productive. You’re wondering why this keeps happening when you’ve taken the time to organize.
I see this issue in my clients’ homes frequently and one of the first things people tell me is that they have too much stuff.
Honestly, you probably do have too much stuff, but that isn’t the main issue.
The main issue is that when you’re purging, you aren’t creating systems to keep you organized. Clearing a space is great for cataloging what you do and don’t have, but it won’t change your life in the long run. Purging doesn’t create organization. Systems create organization.
The things you have need a designated place to live. Not a place to be held until something else comes along. You have to decide what works for you and your family (or coworkers) and stick to it.
The next time you tackle that junk drawer or empty those cabinets, don’t throw things away and leave them to collect clutter again. Make room for the things that will eventually come back into the space. Do whatever it takes to never have to deal with the anxiety of a cluttered drawer again. This doesn’t mean that things won’t get messy, but it does mean that you won’t have to deal with things getting unmanageable.
Get baskets and bins. Make labels. Print out pictures. Do whatever it takes to create a system that doesn’t leave room for excuses. Meet with your family and coworkers and get input to work cohesively. It takes practice and dedication but, I promise that it’s worth it when all hands are on deck.
