Just 15 Minutes a Day Keeps the Clutter Away
Now that you know what ClutterBug you are, hopefully you can better understand why you organize your home the way you do, or why it looks like an absolute disaster zone (sorry Butterflies, I’m talking about you). No matter what bug you are, when it comes to organizing our homes, the process in the beginning is the same for everyone. The way our styles differ is in the type of systems that keep us organized. Butterflies and Bees need colorful or clear baskets that are really visible and easy to access, while Ladybugs and Crickets prefer more hidden, out-of-sight storage options. The process we take to actually get organized is exactly the same, right up until we purchase or create our storage solutions.
Unfortunately, purchasing bins and baskets is the final part of organization. Most people purchase bins, baskets, and other storage containers first, hoping some new tote or shelving unit is going to magically solve their clutter issues. I hate to break it to you, but putting your stuff in a plastic container is not going to make your room look like a page from House and Home magazine. I think trying to buy our way out of a messy house with different organizing products is the biggest reason why so many of us have failed at actually getting and staying organized. We buy plastic bins to throw at our clutter, hoping it will make us organized, and we end up with stacked bins shoved full of random junk everywhere. Often times, we forget about the junk we have stored away, and end up having to buy and replace stuff we already own because we have no idea where it is. This vicious cycle of buying plastic containers to hide away our stuff just creates even more clutter. Let’s stop the madness!
Almost every client I have ever worked with has had an unhealthy amount of plastic storage containers. Large Rubbermaid totes, those plastic three-drawer-on-wheels atrocities (that rarely work for anyone), and endless plastic containers in all shapes and sizes. Many of my clients had towering stacks of empty containers they bought, only to discover they did not work for their needs. These misused containers almost always get banished to the basement to die. In many cases, the storage solutions they bought to contain the clutter was literally creating more clutter than the original clutter (let’s play a game and count how often I say “clutter” in this book)!
Can we just all agree to never buy one of those three drawer plastic storage containers again? In fact, let’s all make signs and protest outside of Walmart, shouting, “Hey ho, those containers got to go!” It isn’t just that they are really ugly; they never work and I want to start boycotting them. Whenever I see someone attempting to use them to organize, I need to contain my rage (if you use them and they work for you, please don’t send me hate mail…you are a special exception).
So, if you are not supposed to start with buying storage solutions, then where do you start?
To get really organized and stay that way for good, you need to first identify the most troubled areas in your home and make a plan. An organizing plan for your home is like a road map to clutter free success.
Before we can be really successful in reaching our goals, we have to define what those goals are. Writing down a list of exactly how you want your home to look and function is a crucial step towards making your goals a reality.
Writing down goals properly requires you to think of your main goal and then work backwards to develop a plan to get there. One of my life goals is to be ridiculously wealthy. Just a blanket statement goal such as that is hard to achieve; you need to develop a plan on how to achieve that goal, like stepping stones to success. I’ve yet to work out all the details of my ridiculously-wealthy life goal, but I’m pretty sure “write super awesome organizing book” is one of the first steps!
Fortunately for you, if your goal is to have an organized and beautiful home, it will be much easier for you to develop your plan to get there!