Ever get in those organizing moods? Ya know, the ones where you see something on Pinterest or a magazine and you jump out of your chair and march authoritatively to the space you want to change. You pause at the door, hands on hips, reviewing the mess, and realize you have no idea what you’re doing.

As you enter the room, you randomly pull things out of piles and create new piles. Each pile brings about new ideas or old memories. The hours tick by and eventually you realize your space looks nothing like you thought it would and all your hard work has had little effect on the state of the space.

It’s hard to go from vision to reality without a plan.

Before your next spontaneous organizing mood erupts, let’s take some time to create a basic plan.

1. Define Your Vision. You already know what it LOOKS LIKE thanks to Pinterest and Google images, but now you need to think through the specifics. What is it that you particularly like about some pictures and not others? Is it the color palette? The amount of natural light? Is it the textures of the containers or the emptiness of the counters? Identifying what you like about the images you WISH were from your own home or office will help you better understand how to make that vision a reality in your own space.
2. Find Your Function. Look through your inspirational pictures again. Do they capture spaces functioning the same way your space will? The all-glass containers on the Pinterest pantry look amazing, but are they practical when all your snackers are under the age of five? Acrylic containers would be a better bet for you! Does the office that looks so motivating and work-oriented lend itself to the type of work YOU do? Will the desk space accommodate what you need in order to complete daily tasks, or will it feel cramped once you get all your materials out? This step may be a bit depressing. Don’t wallow in it. Problem solve and look for similar solutions so you can get the look you want without sacrificing functionality.
3. Get Organized. Once you know what you want, where you want things to go, then it’s time to plan your attack on the piles. Start with one side of the room and move around in one line. Running all around the space will wear you out and muddy the process. Use the center of the space for staging and sorting. “Keep” only items that are part of your vision and function in the space you’re working with. If you haven’t used the item in a year, it doesn’t belong in your house period. If you’ve recently used it, but it doesn’t fit the function of that space, then place it in a bin called “Elsewhere” so that you can put it where it belongs later. You’ll need a bin or bag for “Trash” and “Donate” too.
4. Dream Come True. The only things that remain in the space are those that passed the “Keep” test. They need homes in your space. Try to use what you already have, but think back to step 1. If you don’t like the look of what you already have, consider changing it to the look of what you love in your vision. A space that feels ugly is rarely used for anything except collecting clutter. Buy lamps, invest in matching containers, pick up a new rug, you get the idea. Part of staying organized is motivating your spirit to WANT to stay organized. A space that feels mish-mash and unhappy won’t motivate you.

Good luck with your next organizing session! If you need help navigating these steps, just give us a call.

I am often asked by my clients where to begin. Whether we’re discussing the entire house or just a pain point in the entryway, my answer is always the same. Start simple.
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The greatest obstacle to tackling clutter is getting started. Sometimes the start is what stops us dead in our tracks.

For some clients, they’ve tried to start on one room (i.e., the home office/clutter catching room), but believe they need the staging area of another room (i.e., the garage) to hold all the clutter coming out of the first room. The excitement of reclaiming the space in the first room (i.e., office) is extinguished by the impossible task of the other space (i.e., garage), so the first room never happens. In fact, instead of getting started, the client is now doubly discouraged by the realization that two rooms need help, not just one.

The good news is, our clients don’t need that special staging area organized and beautiful before dealing with the pain point at hand. We don’t allow the start to stop them.

Instead, we hone in on that first space, identify the tasks needed to get clutter-free, and take the first real step to starting.

Do the easiest task first.

I’ve learned through the years that Dave Ramsey’s Debt Snowball principle holds true for ANY obstacle, not just clearing debt. He suggests that we begin with the smallest debt first, the easiest to pay off. The same holds true for decluttering and organizing. As we continue to work through the easy, our momentum increases. Our abilities are sharpened and we learn new ways to tackle the problems. The small snowball of completed tasks gets bigger and bigger as we progress down the hill, gaining speed and confidence!

The Snowball Effect is empowering for our clients. It provides confirmation that they aren’t lazy or slobs, but that life has happened more quickly than they have been able to keep up with. Seasons of life (i.e., moving, new babies, new jobs) and traumatic experiences (i.e., loss of loved ones, health and employment changes) can dramatically impact homes and offices. The once organized, tidy, and efficient person can temporarily become disorganized because of the situation at hand. Lack of time, energy, and focus all contribute to loss of tidiness.

But all of this can be reclaimed.

Whether you’re in a pretty calm season of life or just surviving, we can help you conquer the clutter. We have a 100% No Judgement Guarantee because we KNOW there is more to the mess than the piles. 
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Your clutter does not define you.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is exercise your imagination. Stretch it daily. Take it for walks. Don’t forget to give it lots of good food to eat. A few of my favorite foods for thought come from Pinterest and Instagram! Those apps are chock full of inspiring designs and helpful tidbits to positively influence a vision for your space, regardless of whether it’s home or work.

You’ve come to our blog (and continue to read these words) because there is at least one space in your life that just isn’t the way you want it to be. You know you want something different, but you’re not sure exactly what. All you know is that you want something fresh, light, efficient, etc. You can determine what you want and hone your vision by asking yourself these three questions:

1. What is the function of this space right now? If we’re talking about a spare bedroom, your answer may be “Storage Room”; if it’s a kitchen, your answer may be “Food Prep.”
2. What do you want the function of this space to be? Your answers may alter slightly to “Home Office” or “Food Prep and Entertaining Areas.”
3. How do I want the room to look when it’s functioning exactly the way I want it to? “Clean lines; uniform colors; clear desk with easy to access filing system; a place for every supply and document” or “Bright white upper cabinets with dark grey lower cabinets; large island with seating for 5 that branches out to the living room” will surely get you on your way with image searches!

Be specific. Write your answers down. Imagine how your space will feel when it’s exactly like you want it. Bask in the awesomeness. You’ve just found your vision for that space.

The statement I most commonly hear from clients when asked what they want for their space is for it to look “put together like a normal office/house/bedroom/______.” This is a GREAT place to start! Developing your vision for a particular area will guide your decision making process as you evaluate each item currently in the space. If an item doesn’t HELP the space move toward your vision, then ultimately, it’s holding you back. The item could be relocated to another place in your home that might make more sense (like putting the extra toilet paper under your bathroom sink instead of in the corner of your dining room), or it could be removed (donated to a friend or mission, returned to its original owner, or tossed). If the item is holding you back, but it carries deep sentimental value, use your imagination to brainstorm ways to display or honor the object somewhere in your home or office. Don’t simply hide the item in your attic; doing that will add to clutter. If you truly love it, then you’ll want to display it. If you don’t want to display it, then you don’t love it as much as you say you do, in which case, it’s time to let  it go. 

​So what happens when you give your vision the green light? This week, I had the privilege of working with a highly motivated apartment dweller. She knew what she wanted, but she wasn’t sure where to start. We began with the easy categories and it wasn’t long before she was firing decisions left and right for every item in her living room. Her vision motivated her work. It was tiring, but the result after just a few hours was amazing. The space she’d been dreaming about was starting to take shape! 

Is there a space that just isn’t what you want it to be? Do you know what purpose you want that space to serve? Are you using your imagination to envision a changed space?