Guest Blog Post by Juliana Lytowski at Dumpters.com

Rule #1: Approach Organizing as a Lifestyle

Jane Stoller from Organizing Your Lifestyle suggests that you make organizing a part of your everyday life. Your systems should be personalized to your habits and practiced just like anything else – until they are second nature.

“Remember: being organized doesn’t mean thinking about organizing all the time. Ideally, being organized means that you don’t have to think about organizing all the time – because you do it automatically, as an organic part of your everyday routine. You can only reach this level of organizing bliss by making sure your organizing systems and routines are perfectly adapted to your goals, personality and needs.”
Jane Stoller | Organizing for Your Lifestyle

For example, if your goal is to have an organized entryway – take stock of everything that sits there now. Does it truly belong in your mudroom or does it need a home elsewhere? Once you’ve removed what doesn’t belong, make it a habit to always hang up your coat when you walk in the door and place your shoes inside the shoe rack. Soon enough, you won’t be spending your Saturday mornings sorting through mudroom clutter.

Rule #2: Own Less

“Nobody likes to hear it,” explains Tracy McCubbin from dClutterfly, but the key to being organized is simply to purge your home of anything that doesn’t serve a purpose.

“The easiest way to be organized is to have less stuff. Before you think of organizing, let go of things you don’t use, items no one will use and anything broken. Don’t think about organization until you declutter.”
Tracy McCubbin | dClutterfly

It can be difficult to declutter sentimental items, but it’s important to remember that “things don’t have meaning, we attach meaning to them.” Instead of keeping a big collection of artwork or all of your children’s toys, select a few meaningful items to store and toss the rest.

Once you have less stuff to keep organized, it’s easier to prevent clutter from building up in the first place.

To read the rest of this blog post by Dumpters.com, click here.