Sort... of like getting organized

Continuing my list of definitions -- “Sort”

After you have gathered all your stuff (see previous post), it is time for step 2 of my 5 step process – Sort.

Sorting is when you start to bring some sense to your big piles of stuff you have gathered. In this step, you put together like items. For example, if you are organizing a closet and have gathered everything into a big mess, you start sorting by putting all blouses, all pants, all shoes, all accessories, etc. together. By doing this step, you can see duplicate or near-duplicate items you have, and it is another way of seeing the amount of space you will need.

The sorting process is not the time to decide what you are going to do with an item. Like all of my 5 organizing steps, this step helps to break down the organizing task into smaller, less time consuming processes. By sticking with each step, you will not feel overwhelmed and you’ll complete your project more quickly.

Next post will be the definition of step 3 - Categorize.

Gather ye’ all… your stuff!

Way back when I started my blog I defined “stuff,” and said that I would be posting more definitions. So here’s another definition…

“Gather”

“Gather” is the first of my 5 steps in organizing -- getting everything together so that you can see all that you are working with. For example, if you are organizing a closet, you get all the clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. from other places. This is the only way to know exactly how much space you are going to need.

Gathering is usually a messy process. More than likely there is going to be a lot of stuff just strewn about. It is important to allow this mess to happen. If you try to sort, categorize, and distribute as you gather, it becomes overwhelming. Breaking down the organizing task into manageable steps allows the process to be done quicker.

Maintaining a clutter-free home

Let’s say you get your house organized. You’ve worked hard, probably with a knot in your stomach, but you are rewarded with no junk, no clutter, no extraneous stuff. Good job. Now you can move on to the real secret of being organized – maintenance.

Maintenance isn’t nearly as time consuming as initially organizing, but it does call for diligence. This step in the process of being completely organized calls for a change in habit. Like any habit we change it means doing things differently and establishing a new pattern.

Here’s a tip that is a tremendous help with maintenance, and only takes 5 to 10 minutes a day. Go through your entire house and pick up stuff. It doesn’t matter what time of day as long as it is around the SAME time each day (I do this when I get home from work because I am NOT a morning person). To start this new habit, literally walk through every room. Look for stuff that is out of place and put it back in its spot. Remove items that don’t belong and put them where they do belong. Most importantly, finish the room before moving on to the next.

Let me repeat that – finish the room before moving on to the next. It is too easy to get distracted by trying to tackle multiple rooms all at once. Distraction is probably the number one culprit of not having a good maintenance routine.

When you first start a maintenance routine it may take you longer than 10 minutes. But each day the time you dedicate to maintaining will shorten. Before you know it, your house is consistently organized, and that is a habit you can definitely live with.

The need to fill empty space

I hear, “Well, there sure is a lot of space now.” That statement puts fear into the heart of an organizer because when most people are faced with empty space, they feel a strong urge to fill it. Then guess what – more clutter!

Here are a few tricks to fool the eye that the empty space just doesn’t exist:

Arrange your clothes with 2 to 3 inches between each piece. This gives the illusion that the closet is full, but gives more actual space if needed. (An added benefit – your clothes won’t get wrinkled being crammed together.)

Don’t stack shoes on top of each other. Line up each pair neatly with space in between. Again, this makes good use of space and allows you to add to your collection.

If you have adjustable shelves in your linen closet, arrange them so there is just enough space for washclothes and hand towels, and another for just enough space for body towels. This will help keep you from stoving other items in with your towels.

Use knick-knacks to fill shelves, particularly book shelves. The visual break of different dimensions and colors makes the shelf look fuller.

For garage or basement shelving, place large items at eye level. This gives the appearance that the storage areas are full.

All of these tips allow for future storage while at the same time keeping the need to fill up the space at bay.

“What do I do with all these hangers?”

That is a frequent response of my client who have gone through a closet purge. It is as if the hangers are whispering sweet nothings, saying “put something on me. I’m lonely up here on this closet rod. How can you stand to just leave me hanging!”

I help those who suffer from “empty hanger” syndrome by taking the hangers away. Not all the empties; the client and I figure out how many extras are needed by taking a quick inventory of clothing that needs washing, ironing, or dry cleaning. I encourage the client to trash the freebie hangers from the dry cleaners and from purchases.

Now this can be the really scary part for the client – I tell them that the number of hangers they have right at that moment is finite! That means when they get new clothes, and they don’t have an extra hanger, they must purge something old. This is the ONLY way that a closet is going to stay clutter-free.

Five year plan

In the spirit of full disclosure, let me start off by saying that the below is from a client who enthusiastically encouraged me to write about the idea.

My client, we’ll call her Sue, was downsizing. She hired me to help get rid of clutter so she didn’t have to pay to have it moved her to new digs.

As we went through her stuff, she was so excited. Not only was she getting rid of things she hadn’t seen in years, she was starting anew – new house, new town, new non-cluttered surroundings.

She offhandedly commented, “I should have done this five years ago!” And then the idea grew – she said that she is going to get in the habit of heavy-duty purging and cleaning every five years.

I knew exactly what she was talking about. Growing up, my Mom did “spring cleaning.” If you are over the age of 40, you’ve got a good idea what I’m talking about. Spring cleaning is stripping a room down to the bare bones, cleaning every nook and cranny, maybe repainting, definitely rearranging the furniture. It is a time to bring freshness back after a stuffy winter.

Sue’s suggestion is to take spring cleaning one step further by acting as if you are moving -- and need to get rid of stuff and clean. She’s realistic enough to know that in our busy lives, rarely do we have time to take on this project annually. Thus, the five year plan.

Why not make this year the first year of your five year plan? Give me a call or shoot me an email so we can work together to make your house fresh and new again!

Sentimental clutter

We all keep mementos of the past as a trigger for the memory connected to the thing. Presumably the memories attached to the thing are good memories, otherwise, why would we hold on to it? Many are afraid (strong word, but very appropriate) to get rid of the memento for fear the memory will fade also.

But you know what? That supposedly good feeling from the memory triggered by the thing is trumped by the bad feeling of clutter!

What memories will you have 5 10, 15 years from now of your home? Will the plastic flamingo key chain from Florida with one of the legs broken be what you remember? How about the t-shirt that says, “I’m with stupid” that you bought with your younger brother when you went to the beach in sixth grade? Will you be thinking of the dried carnations from the corsage your boyfriend gave you at the senior prom? Will you remember the gads and gads of STUFF from places you visited (or worse, the gifts from places other people visited)?

No, I have the feeling that in 5, 10, 15 years, you will be remembering the clutter in your house, and the regret of allowing the stuff to make you miserable.

By the way – starting now, when you want a memento of a special occasion, buy something useful. For example, one a trip to visit a friend in California, we walked down the famous Sunset Strip. I bought a pair of boots that I wore and wore and wore. When they finally had enough, I tossed them. As evidenced by my recounting of this story, I still remember the trip and the good times we had.

Make new memories now. Do something with the objects of sentamentality so that you feel better in the moment, and for years to come.