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Last updated on February 25th, 2023 at 08:00 pm
Still don’t know where to start organizing? Especially because it feels like it will take FOR-E-VER? So many of us lack the time it takes to work on big projects like organizing your home. Imagine if you had a foolproof, 5-step process to take you from start to finish …
Today I’m sharing the 5-step formula I use to organize my home as well as my clients’ homes.
Step 1: Start with the end in mind
If you decided to go on a trip somewhere, you probably would do a lot of planning beforehand, right? It’s the same thing with any project or goal you have: know your destination, then draw up a map to get there.
How does this relate to organizing? One of the reasons it gets so overwhelming to get started is because most people only want the result to be “organized.” In other words, they only imagine a world where there isn’t clutter.
If you want to be successful and stay motivated to declutter, you have to go much deeper.
You know that Pinterest board you have with all those amazing home ideas that you might do someday? Well, there’s no day like today!
Use those ideas to create a vision board of how you want the room you want organized to look. Give yourself the freedom to really dream here. Save room ideas, products you’re eyeing, and colors to a Pinterest board to really get that end result visualized.
Step 2: Make a plan
Sticking with the travel analogy, now that you have your destination, you need a plan to get there.
When it comes to organizing, the things you need to plan out are:
- The amount of time you’ll spend working on it,
- When you’ll work on it (ahem, meaning, putting it on your calendar),
- Your budget,
- What you’ll keep, and
- What you’ll do with the discards.
Having this road map laid out ahead of time will allow you to keep your eyes on the prize and actually get the job done.
Are you someone who can create a plan but not follow through? Read this post with strategies for following through on getting organized.
Step 3: Declutter and organize
There’s nothing to it but to do it. It’s time to do the hard work and start decluttering and organizing your space. But if you’ve done the first two steps, this part shouldn’t be so bad.
You know what you’re aiming for as an end result. You also know how much time you’re going to spend working on it and the types of items you’re going to keep.
With this step, it’s best to start somewhere that’s easy. As you get your footing, you can gradually work up to harder things as you practice letting go.
Use this framework for decluttering.
Step 4: Pull together your space
Remember that Pinterest board way back in Step 1 where you added some products you might want to buy? This is the step where you can pull the trigger and buy them.
Now that you know what you’re keeping in your space, you can buy things to keep them organized.
This is where you get to be creative and bring that vision to life. It’s ok if it doesn’t come together right away because of your budget or because you’re looking for just the right thing. Great homes take time, and half the fun is watching your home come together.
Step 5: Habits and routines
This step happens simultaneously with Step 4. Once your space is organized, you want it to stay that way!
The secret to keeping your home organized is in your habits and routines. These take time to develop, but they’re well worth the effort. You’ll save time having to do major decluttering again, and your home will start to automatically stay clean.
This 5-step formula gives you a place to start organizing and saves you time as you get organized.
Step 1: Start with the end in mind
Step 2: Make a plan
Step 3: Declutter and organize
Step 4: Pull together your space
Step 5: Habits and routines
While each step has additional mini-steps inside, this 5-step process can be used as a roadmap to get you to your final destination of an organized, stress-free, clutter-free home.
Need help making a plan? Or even just figuring out where to start? Download my free guide to get going!
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