How to Organize Just About Anything
The root of a disorganized home is clutter: too much stuff coming in and not enough going out. The math behind this concept is simple, but home organization is so often sidelined by the seemingly more important priorities in our lives. I’d argue, however, that organization can be a solid foundation for your life, from which all other areas take shape. If you’re able to get ready and leave your home more efficiently in the morning, you and your family might find yourselves less frantic and stressed, able to accomplish more throughout the day, and less likely to bicker about unnecessary problems. Time and space are our most valuable assets, and Superfine strives to make more of both of them for our clients.
There’s no time like the present, so let’s jump right in, shall we? Choose one space to de-clutter. It could be a closet, a desk, a drawer, or a bookshelf.
Step 1: Take everything out of the space. This step is pretty self explanatory and easy. May Isuggest you take a before photo to document your transformation? Everyone loves a good before/after photo mashup.
Step 2: Pick up each item individually and ask yourself these qualifying questions with your current situation and life in mind:
- Do I love this?
- Do I need this?
- Do I use this?
If you answer ‘no’ to all the questions above, remove it from your living space. Try not to get caught up in the perceived value of the object — focus on the true value it brings to your life.
Step 3. Based on decision made for each item in Step 2, sort into two piles: Keep and Toss.
Step 4. Organize the belongings from your Keep pile. Organizational systems are much easier to maintain when you limit the quantity of items and can see and have easy access to those items. So try sorting by type of item, reducing the number of duplicates you have, and then consider how each piece is used and how often before deciding where to store. You’ll also want to consider the physical space you’re using to store these items (shelves, drawers, etc.) — try to keep all items visible. For this we like to utilize stacking vertically instead of horizontally, and adding separators where necessary.
Step 5. Sort the toss items into three piles: Donate, Toss and Sell. Take your donations to one of these charities, shred old papers with sensitive financial information and recycle, and discard your old and broken electronics properly (batteries in landfills = #sad). In NYC, you can use this super helpful map to find a local drop of for electronics near you. Lastly, any items with high resale value can be sold on craigslist, LetGo, or Viyet. For designer clothes in NYC, try Clementine Consignment (kids) or Ina (adult clothing).
We realize there can be a lot of fear, anxiety, and guilt surrounding the de-cluttering process. Take, for example, the items you spent good money on but never used, gifts you don’t like from the people you do, and, of course, the old box of sentimental keepsakes you don’t love anymore (or never did). We suggest you set these items aside in a visible area of your home and consider coming back to it if there are too many question marks surrounding them at the moment. With time you’ll find clarity about what to do with these sentimental objects, whether that be keep and cherish, or remove. And remember, you don’t have to get rid of everything. A handful of items can make the world of difference.
I truly believe living a clutter-free lifestyle will give you a newfound sense of physical and mental clarity, and all that negative space you didn’t know you were missing will bring a peaceful calm to your home. And speaking of progress, remember this:
Progress Over Perfection
Because sometimes just starting the organizing process is the hardest part.
Josie Floyd is a lifelong minimalist and founder of the home organization service Superfine. Formerly the Managing Director of Brand Experiences for Tasting Table, she has over a decade of experiential production experience working with blue chip companies including BMW, MasterCard and LVMH. She left the media world to combine her unparalleled execution skills and deep passion for minimalism to help people transform their personal spaces. She lives in Brooklyn and prefers to drink at bars named after really old ladies. Follow along on Instagram @superfine_brooklyn for daily organization inspiration.
