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Bookstore shelves are full of excellent books on organizing the home. They offer ideas for maintaining incoming and outgoing paper, filing systems, recipes, clothing, books, CDs, toys, kitchen gadgets, jewelry, collections and canned goods, among other things. Virtually any home can become more orderly with the implementation of these concepts.
Implementation is the key, however, and in thoroughly disorganized homes, getting started is the hardest part. Especially if the home has been disorganized for a long period of time and the same tactics for keeping the disorder out of sight have been employed for awhile, it is difficult for the homemaker to know where to begin. So following are some tips for taking that first step toward a more orderly life.
1. Start anywhere, with just one problem area. Choose a single area to work on. Incoming paper is a big problem for some families, for example, and by getting that under control, a lot of clutter will be eliminated. Decide where to start based on the answer to this question: "The thing that bothers me most is…".
2. Choose an organizational system that you think you will be able to work with. Simple is generally best; anything too elaborate might become overwhelming after awhile. Remember that if paper management (or whatever area you're trying to improve) was easy for you, your current state of disorder wouldn't exist in the first place. Purchase a copy of the book that describes the system you have chosen.
3. Gather or purchase the items needed in order to implement the system. Organizing paper might require file folders, an in-box, etc. Label folders, establish a family mail center, install in-boxes, and carefully follow all other directions as specified in the book.
4. Decide on a suitable holding station for items you have accumulated over the years which are waiting to be sorted, filed or acted on. Don't try to do all your organizing first, before implementing the system. Simply gather your collection of papers, deposit them in the holding station, and work on them as you can -- even 10 or 15 minutes per day will whittle down the pile in no time.
5. Begin using your system immediately. This will prevent the disorganization from spreading.
6. If you find that the system you're using doesn't address a particular need, such as what to do with graded school assignments, for example, make a decision about this immediately. If you can't decide, then simply allocate a single place for school papers and make sure they all end up there. You can change your mind at any point and reorganize things, so don't wait for the perfect idea before you try something.
7. Use the system religiously. No excuses. That is the only way any system will work.
A disorderly home can be terribly overwhelming to the homemaker who means well but doesn't know where to begin. The good news is that you can begin right now, from wherever you are. All you have to do is take that first step.
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