It’s pretty easy to run out and buy some shelves and bins for storage in the garage, but so many of the items in the garage are what I would classify as “awkwards.” Your beautifully shelved bins can be sabotaged by items like fishing poles, bicycles, and garden tools. To take charge of your garage storage, accommodate these awkwards before you shelve the items that play nicely with others. Here’s how.
To get organized effectively, the focus should not be on getting rid of stuff, but on what's being kept. Really. That focus needs to be on what you are keeping, why you are keeping, how much you are keeping, and where is all going to be kept?
Your to-do list isn’t working for you because you are trying to reduce 3 steps to just one. To get your to-do’s to done, requires three essential action steps:
You know those magazine articles or online features that offer “Great Organizing Tips!”? They almost always include a tip that says something to the effect of: "Spend just 10 minutes throwing out unwanted items." Often they advise to “just start with the junk drawer!” A ten minute purge can be very unsatisfying without three key guidelines. So the secret to the 10 minute purge is actually 3 secrets:
This past weekend an article came out in Minnesota’s Star Tribune that featured an interview with organizing guru, Peter Walsh. In it, Walsh states "Clutter isn’t really about stuff at all. Rather, it’s about our relationship to stuff. Clutter becomes a problem when people look for meaning, support and affirmation from their belongings, instead of from other people." I couldn’t agree more. I’d like to describe an approach I take, to illustrate this point.
It’s not uncommon for clients to ask us to work our organizing magic in several rooms in their home—in one day. Our magic doesn’t come from jumping from one stepping-stone to the next, across the house. It comes from building steps and climbing up to the next level.
The More You Keep, The More You Lose I am baffled by folks who are baffled by why they are always losing things. Some of [...]
The Grid-It! by Cocoon is one of those organizing products that folks get excited about on sight. "Ooh, what's that?" It really is like nothing else. It's essentially a board, of various sizes, with elastic straps, cris-crossing it, in various configurations. It’s useful for holding and organizing all sorts of things, but here are my favorite uses.
Do you ever see a dumpster with stuff in it that doesn't seem to belong? Maybe it's some perfectly good furniture, some sheets of plywood, or some lightly used office supplies. It's the type of stuff that makes you think, "well I can't put this to good use, but I'm sure SOMEBODY could." That's the type of scenario that's perfect for freecycle.
One of the things I say a lot is limitations breed freedom. I've written several posts that demonstrate the value of this paradox , but here's an example you might not expect: The White Stripes.
Look, I don't pretend that getting organized is the hardest thing in the world. It ain't rocket surgery. But if you're not good at organizing, going the DIY route can be a bit like cutting your own hair. Yes, you CAN do it, but don't be surprised if you don't like the results.
One of our greatest obstacles is overcoming the suspicion that Professional Organizers are shysters who have figured out a way to get paid from making you throw out all your stuff. Not true. Our focus is not on throwing everything out. The fact is, our focus is on what you are KEEPING and how much, and why, and where it's all going to go. How do we get the best results? It does NOT come from us telling you what you MUST do, but from creating an environment, where you make your OWN revelations. We do this every day, but in this post, I want to share one of our most beautiful examples.
Last week a woman was giving me a tour of all the organizing challenges in her home and when we came to a closet upstairs, I asked her, “can I see what’s in here?” She said “Oh, I don’t want to show you that. It’s a DISASTER!” After explaining to her that I was in the disaster business, she let me have a look.
This storage container has it all. It’s sturdy, stackable, visible, and accessible. I was an instant fan!
If you find that your biggest organizing challenges come from the trials of being a mother, A Mom’s Guide to Home Organization is a great resource. It’s written by Debbie Lillard, a mother of three children and a professional organizer since 2003.
One of the questions I get asked most frequently, before starting an organizing project is “What should I buy?” I have a very simple answer: nothing. This is especially true for the big projects we tend to get this time of year, like garages, basements, attics. The reason comes down to this very simple organizing rule: "quantity dictates systems."
Professional Organizer Matt Baier and his team declutter and organize homes and offices in Stamford, New Canaan, Greenwich, Westport, Darien, Norwalk, Fairfield, Westchester County, and New York City.
Matt Baier Organizing, LLC
Professional organizer • Stamford, Connecticut
14 Forest Lawn Ave. #B6, Stamford, CT 06905
Phone: (203) 253-8414 • Email: matt@mattbaier.com
Home Organizing Greenwich CT, Darien CT, New Canaan CT, Stamford CT & Westchester County NY
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