Simple Lifestyle Changes for a More Organized Home

​“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” ― Robert Frost 

​Unfortunately, organizing is not a one-and-done task. Because our lives, our home and our family are continually evolving, the organizational system that works for your 5-year-old today won’t necessarily work for your teenager a decade from now. However, organization built upon a solid foundation of habits can and will grow and evolve. 

​Transform Your Thinking 

​Have you ever decided that this was finally the weekend you were going to tackle your closet? On Saturday morning you pulled out everything and spent the rest of the weekend grappling with the task only to end up sleeping on your sofa on Sunday night because your bed was covered in clothes, purses and shoes? Grand overhauls rarely work without a strong support team. Embrace the concept of progress over perfection to keep from becoming overwhelmed. Moving slowly and methodically through your closet can instead lead to lasting habits that stand the test of time.  

​Arrange for it in Advance 

​The true key to getting and staying organized is planning and making ongoing organization so simple it’s really a no-brainer. When you structure your environment in advance, organizing becomes much easier to maintain. Simple organizing solutions such as labeled containers, a calendar for scheduling, drawer dividers, and designated trays for sorting smaller objects make it easier to maintain a highly organized space on a day-to-day basis.

Practice Makes Perfect

​In his excellent book Atomic Habits, James Clear introduces the idea of “habit stacking.” Habit stacking is the method of anchoring a new habit to an existing routine. For example, if you add the small task of recycling unwanted mail to your everyday routine of putting away your shoes and keys upon returning from work, this new “stacked” habit quickly becomes a natural part of your daily routine. Before you know it, those unsorted stacks of mail are a thing of the past. 

My final tip is to make it beautiful. The easiest trick to keeping a zone organized is to make it aesthetically pleasing. Once you have seen and gotten used to a well-organized drawer or a beautiful closet, you easily recognize when gets out of control. Just a few minutes of maintenance will restore it to its ooh-and-ahh status. 

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