4 Organizing Mistakes to Avoid

We start out organizing with the best of intentions. We know the benefits that will come on the other side, and we get to work. I love the optimism and the enthusiasm! But, sometimes, we get stuck. We take some wrong turns, go in circles, and fail to make lasting progress, never fully reaping the benefits that are right there waiting to be discovered. And, that would be too bad!

I want you to experience peace, free up time, and have a calm environment! Here are the top 4 organizing mistakes that I see – and what to do about them. Just in case you might be there yourself.

1. Not editing down first.

Editing down, or, decluttering, is almost always the first step to organizing. At the very least, treat it is an exercise that involves looking at your items with discerning questioning eyes that asks “Do I use this/love this?” Or, “Would I buy it again?” It’s very common to struggle with organization when the real issue is having too much stuff for the space. It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole!

extra coffee mugs to choose from

Make it easy on yourself and go through that decluttering process. Get rid of as much as you can, then repeat. You’ll find that there is more than 1 layer to peel back. The more you peel back, the easier you’ll find the subsequent organizing work.

2. Obtaining organizing products too soon.

We’ve all been there. We see some cute baskets at Target, throw a few in the cart thinking that they’ll work for….something. Where? What would you contain in them? And, most importantly, how much do you have in a particular category that needs containing? If you have an amount that would fill the trunk of a small car, the shoebox size container won’t cut it (regardless of how cute it is or what a steal it was). Or, if your shelves are 12″ deep and the containers are 15″ deep, that’s not going to work so well, either.

So, instead….first, edit down. Second, categorize items needing to be contained into groups. THEN, find product. Make sure you get enough. You can always return extras. The more strategic and intentional you can be with product, the happier you’ll be with the end result.

3. Not labeling.

I understand the temptation to say “I have this container for markers. It’s obvious that markers are in there. No need to add a label”. The challenge with this is in regards to maintenance long term. Without a label, the contents is up to interpretation. You might know it’s for markers. Your daughter, however, might think it’s for any craft supply, and start throwing in glue, paper, stickers, and pencils. And, someone else might treat it like a random misc. bin because they have no idea what it’s actually for.

There’s something powerful about seeing an actual label (even for something “obvious”). Not to mention, adding consistent labels gives a nice aesthetic that pulls everything together.

4. Not adopting new behaviors.

new idea

Maintaining organization over the long term requires a commitment to forming some new habits, to adopting some new behaviors. One might be to change your buying habits.

Let’s say you recently organized a pantry and allocated 2 bins for snacks. And, let’s imagine that your previous shopping habit was to stock up on sale snacks, regardless of how many you already had. Now that you have a defined space of 2 bins, your new habit could be to wait until those bins have space, then shop. This helps immensely with maintenance, and you’ll save money and waste less in the long run.

Examples of other new behaviors would be to establish a morning routine, an evening route, a 1-in-1-out rule, or putting things away before getting something new out.

There you have it! I’m confident that, with your next organizing project, you’ll avoid these organizing mistakes. You’ll first edit down, be patient with your product selection, label your containers, and adopt some new behaviors that will set you up for long-term success!

6 Steps to Organize ANY Space

*Disclosure: The amazon links included in this post are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

So you’re on board with the benefits of an organized space and are ready to get after it? Fantastic! Now you’re ready for a down and dirty step-by-step guide for HOW to organize your space. Here’s the secret. Ready….? It doesn’t matter whether you’re organizing a closet, garage, pantry or any other space, the method for how to organize is the SAME.

1. Take EVERYTHING out.

I mean everything. So many aha moments come from seeing ALL.THE.THINGS. out in one place. Together. In all their piled glory. This is when you realize you have 4 nearly identical grey sweaters or discover that the pair of gloves you thought was lost was just hidden in the back of a drawer.

2. GROUP into like categories.

Look for similarities between your items. Your clothing categories could include sweaters, loungewear, dresses, jackets, summer tops, etc. Keep the categories broad. Tip*: Move fairly quickly through this step. Your focus in this step is grouping. It is not yet on deciding what stays and what goes.

3. SORT.

Find 5 boxes or bags and label them: 1. Keep, 2. Relocate, 3. Trash, 4. Donate, 5. Sell. The relocate box will contain items you want to keep but that should really live in another area of the home. Go through each item, one by one, and put it in one of the 5 boxes. The keep box should contain only items that fit within the space that you are decluttering. Now pat yourself on the back for just completing the hardest part of the whole process! Tip*: If you start to experience decision fatigue, take a break. You can get back to it when you’re fresh.

how to organize, books lined up

4. ASSIGN a home for every item you’re keeping.

For each item that you decided to keep/relocate, you’ll now assign a specific place for it to live. One of THE biggest contributors to clutter is not having homes for things. Sometimes those homeless items have several possible places they could be, or they float around the house here and there. Find a single place where each item will live and put it away there after each use. Tip*: Make sure to bring other members of your household in on this so the responsibility of maintaining spaces can be shared.

5. CONTAINERIZE.

This is the fun part! There are a multitude of fun, functional, and beautiful containers out there. Some multi purpose options include this one at a great price point, *these lazy susan turntables (for pantries, crafts, under sink), any *iDesign acrylic organizers, and these beautiful *baskets. Or get creative with using and repurposing containers that you already have. 

how to organize, containers

6. Develop a plan to MAINTAIN.

Determine what systems should be put in place to help you maintain your newly organized space. What habits would it be helpful to employ? For example, now that everything fits nicely into your space, adopting a One-in-One-Out rule to manage the inflow of items into your home will help to keep your space in tip top shape. 

Now that you know HOW to organize, the sky is the limit! Enjoy your new clutter free environment and go live your life!