In my work as a professional organizer, I like to tell clients, “there are no hopeless cases.”
There are no lost causes.
Even when things seem really difficult, really complex, really exhausting — there’s always something we can do to move you closer toward organization.
And when organization doesn’t seem to “stick” the first time around, there are always other strategies we can try, other tools in our organizers’ tool bag to use. We start over, but we never start all the way back from the beginning again.
So if organizing seems to be failing for you, here are some things you can try that have worked with other clients:
1 Try letting go of more things and living with even less. If it’s hard for you to find time to each day to put things away, it will help to have less stuff overall to put away. Dealing with kids not putting their stuff away? Try putting some of their toys, books or art supplies into rotation.
2. Try switching from closed storage solutions (things stored in cute boxes with lids or things behind cabinet doors) to open storage solutions. Open storage means that your things sit out in the open where they are visible, perhaps lined up on a shelf or hanging off of hooks on the wall. Open storage solutions are faster and easier to use, because they require fewer steps to use.
3. Try setting aside 10 minutes each day to put things away in a different room in the house. If you do this 7 days a week, that’s 7 rooms you have made progress in each week. Ten minutes may not seem like a long enough time, but it’s enough time to clear off a desk, table or counter. That will make a big difference in how organized your room feels.
4. Try planning a dinner party or bbq, which means you will have house guests. For many of my clients, knowing that outsiders will be in their space provides them with the motivation and energy they need to put things away.
5. And when all else fails, try calling in one of our compassionate and non-judgmental professional organizers to analyze your space, help you clear out the excess and implement organizing solutions custom-tailored for YOU. If you have tried and failed many times to get organized, it can be helpful to have a neutral third party come in to figure out what’s not working for you.
Organization is a journey, not a destination. We don’t give up on our clients, no matter how much back-sliding has happened. We can always start again and try something new.
Like this post? Then like our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram or Pinterest. In need of professional organizing services in the Portland, Beaverton or Lake Oswego area for your home or office? Contact us for a low-cost assessment and get an estimate on your project here.
