Practice makes permanent for a more organized home

Practice makes permanent! Studies show that it takes only 21 days to start a good habit. Working on good habits will turn your home into an organized haven before you know it!

Handle your paperwork as it enters the home

Even if you have the habit of tossing paperwork on the counter, practice making decisions about where your paper should go. 

Open mail by the recycling and toss what you can right away. File away, shred or recycle medical paperwork. Read the paper and then dispose of it. These small tasks will add up to less paper clutter.

Pause before buying

If you buy things that are on sale thinking you might need them in the future, they will sit and take up space – maybe forever. Only buy what you need and don’t buy things “just in case.” Consider waiting 24-48 hours before making a spontaneous purchase.

Less is more

Our homes are full of things we don’t use or need. It can be difficult to part with some items, but in the long run you will feel better and less stressed when you get rid of excess. Be tough with yourself. Don’t feel pressured to keep gifts that you don’t want.

Keep your sink empty

Wash dishes or put them in the dishwasher after each meal or at least every night before you go to sleep. Dirty dishes that need to “soak” don’t need to do so overnight. Think of how happy you will be in the morning to find the kitchen sink clean.

Store products where you use them

Do you keep all of your cleaning products in one place? Or do you keep kitchen cleaners in the kitchen? Bathroom cleaners in the bathroom? Storing cleaners in the places you use them makes a lot of sense.

Daily return items to their proper place

If you use the blender, clean it and put it away. If your kids play with a toy, have them put it away when they are finished. The more things are put away, the less mess you will find tomorrow. Everything should have a place where it can be put away. If there isn’t room for something, see what you can eliminate to make space.

Pre-determine what goes in the junk drawer

Putting everything in a junk drawer will make it more difficult to find things when you need them next. If it belongs in the junk drawer, fine. If not, put it where it belongs.

Store your shoes rather than pile on the floor

Kicking off your shoes into the closet seems like an okay thing. But when you get dressed and have to dig through a pile of shoes to find the ones you want, you realize there must be a better way. There are a lot of different types of shoe organizers including ones that fit over the bedroom door to help you keep track of shoes. It enables you to find the pair you want without wasting time searching.

Finish what you start 

Starting a project and leaving it in the spot where you were doing it, can lead to clutter. Finish what you start. However, if you don’t, either put it away, finish it or get rid of it.

Organize before overwhelm sets in

Little clean-up or organizing jobs each day will prevent overwhelm. But, if clutter feels like an insurmountable problem, reach out for help. Please contact me if you feel overwhelmed and we’ll get your clutter under control because practice makes permanent.