A few weeks ago I moved. I had to pack up all my crap, shove it into boxes, load it in a Uhaul, move it during the Texas summer heat, and then make my stuff fit into a new foreign space. I don’t love change, so this experience was overwhelming and overstimulating to say the least. At some points I was ready to trash all my collected knick-knacks and trinkets. I had a week to pack and a weekend to move. And I unfortunately had to work on that Monday, so I needed to have an outfit that passed the smell test, some concealer to cover the deep bags under my eyes from a lack of rest, and some coffee to give me the willpower to continue. The feeling was unsettling to have unpacked boxes stacked high in the living room, a mountain of clothes in the closet, and a barren fridge. When the dust settled and the initial craze was over, I had the opportunity to get my life together. While that task was daunting, I now had the chance to make this foreign place my new home. In all honesty, the move was not something that I wanted or planned. But that’s life, right? And you have to make the most of it. It was a new project that I could be in control of. I wanted to take it slow and prioritize what needed to be done. I wanted to be certain about where things should go. I wanted my new place to have a flow that mirrored my lifestyle. And I wanted it to be an extension of me. 

Organizing is something that I’ve always loved. When I was younger I had tons of Barbie dolls, but instead of playing with them, I was most interested in decorating my Barbie Dream House with their miniature furniture. I would get infuriated when my mom would play Barbies with me and she would give the Barbies voices and say things like “do you want to go to the mall?” I just wanted to organize! In college, my organization habit was utilized by calendaring all of my deadlines and projects. Doing so kept me calm. I used to be embarrassed by my obsession for everything needing to have a place and being turned the right way. However, I’ve grown to be proud of it and embraced my manic self. I’m type A and that’s ok. Sure I get frustrated by my type B boyfriend who says that his dishes need to “soak” or my naughty cats that track litter all throughout the house. I’ve learned that being organized is a continual effort, it’s not one and done. You, your needs, the season, or how you live changes. Change is the one thing that is consistent. 

One of my favorite parts of organizing is rediscovering old gems, filtering out used or unnecessary items, and making things aesthetically pleasing. My job, certain family members, and life in general are so challenging, but organizing is a small thing I can do to simplify my hectic life. And I want to help you too. By now you might be wondering how in the world you get started, how you actually stay organized, and what resources are available. As I know, life is wild and full of surprises. Starting the process is the biggest hurdle. My advice is to put it on your calendar so that you can mentally prepare for it. Maybe you can incentivize yourself to provide a little extra motivation, instead of punishing yourself. For example, you can reward yourself with getting your nails done or getting your favorite Starbucks drink if you organize the disheveled cabinets under the sink. It’s also very important to start small. You will quickly fail if you set the goal of organizing your entire home in one long weekend. Start with a single drawer, your contacts list in your phone, or the trunk of your car. Choosing an achievable task is what your success ultimately depends upon. There are also resources to support this process. For example, body doubling is a strategy where you invite a friend over while you complete a laborious task. They act as “body double” and keep you from getting distracted and anchor you to the activity in hand. There are also “body doubling” videos on Youtube if you are not ready to have a friend witness the chaos. Another strategy is to set a timer for fifteen minutes and organize anything you can during that time. Having a visual representation of how much time you have left, keeps the stress a bay. To stay organized, you must create systems that work for your life. For example, you can have an extra laundry bin for your “not dirty yet” clothes. Throughout the week you can rehang them or rewear them straight from the hamper. This will in theory stop the hanger to the chair pipeline. Creating systems that work for you is crucial to analyze your daily routine because the way you systemize your life needs to work for you. Consider how you enter your home after a long day of work, how you make your coffee in the morning, or your shower routine and how you can make the procedure simpler.

There are a few steps involved with organizing. First, is selecting a cluttered space to organize. Secondly, you need to establish a purpose for the area. Is it a catch all when you walk in the door, storage for your seasonal decor, or is it simply your closet? Next, you need to find a show, playlist, or podcast you can mindlessly listen to. My favorite is trashy reality TV like Love is Blind or Real Housewives. Then you need to take everything out and start with a clean slate. Next, you need to sort your items by category. Use this time to also declutter and throw out old, broken, or useless items. Flour goes with the baking, chips go with the easy to grab snacks, and the bottle of worcestershire from 2008 goes in the trash. Then you need to stand and stare for a while to process where each category will go. This is a very important step and should not be skipped. Now you will need to begin placing items. You will probably need to mix things up and try again. Go back to the stand and stare step and repeat as necessary. We’re almost done, now you are going to make it look pretty. Straighten and space everything out. Lastly you celebrate with a glass of wine, you’re done!

Rebecca Hastings, Houston, TX