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Last updated on August 2nd, 2023 at 01:10 pm
It’s one thing to declutter. It’s another thing to organize. I’ve heard clients and readers say their problem isn’t paring down …it’s knowing where to put their stuff. And when they say this, it tells me that they’re on the right track. They understand that the number one rule of organization is to give everything a home.
Research has shown that Americans spend an average of 2 ½ days per year searching for lost items. And when they can’t be found, a collective $2.7 billion is spent in replacing those lost items.
Even if you think you don’t have a lot of stuff, items are still getting lost when they’re not where they’re supposed to be.
But how do you know where they’re supposed to be???
Let’s break down how to give everything a home (the #1 rule of organization).
Organization starts with decluttering.
You’ve probably heard the adage, “Sort like with like.” This begins during the decluttering phase of organizing.
As you set aside the items you’ll keep, begin sorting similar items together.
For example, if you’re organizing a desk drawer, put all the pens together, the paper clips together, the headphone wires together, and so on.
Choose a location.
When you go to a grocery store or a department store, everything is neatly organized based on what types of items they are. You’ll find all the frozen foods together, all the ice creams together, etc.
You can create different zones in your house based on what you do in that particular space.
For example, since you’re cooking in your kitchen, it makes sense to store as many cooking-related items as possible in your kitchen. (Read this post on creating zones in the kitchen.)
In your entryway, you’re trying to get out the door. Storing your shoes, bag, jackets, and keys here makes the most sense.
Micro-organize within the location.
Use smaller containers or areas such as baskets, containers, bins, hooks, shelf spaces, etc to keep your items sorted.
Using the entryway example, your keys can be micro-organized onto a hook or in a bowl on an entry table. The mail can go in a basket on your desk.
Label, if applicable.
Labels are amazing tools to help you have to think less. By labeling a basket or container, it’s easier to put the items back where they belong. Nobody has to guess where an item belongs.
Here’s a tutorial on how to make nice-looking storage labels for clear containers.
Put it where it makes sense.
In the end, where you put your stuff should be where it makes the most sense for you and your family.
Do your kids like to do art at the kitchen table? Carve out space in the pantry or a kitchen cabinet for art supplies in order for things to go back to where they belong.
If family members tend to take off dirty clothes in their bedroom, move the laundry basket out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
Whatever it is you’re trying to find a home for, make sure the location makes sense and make it as easy as possible to put items back where they belong.
Here’s how to give everything a home:
- Declutter
- Choose a location
- Micro-organize that location
- Label
- Put things where it makes sense for you
Make organization even easier by following this rule to get your items back into their homes.
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