Say you have a problem area in your home and want to get it organized?  No problem—many people can do it themselves--with a little guidance.

Step #1—do *not* skip this step!
Answer this question, in writing:  What is your goal?
For instance, do you want to get rid of half your stuff? Do you want to be able to use the space more effectively?  Do you want to love the clothes you have?  Is it time to get rid of old spices? You get the idea; now put it in writing.

Step #2
Commit to a date and time.
Write it in your calendar.  Set as many reminders as you need. The amount of time you commit can be as little as 20 minutes or as much as two hours.  I wouldn’t recommend longer than that.

Step #3
Assemble your supplies.
Chances are you will need heavy duty bags or boxes for the stuff you no longer want.
And don’t forget some cleaning supplies.
How about a notepad or e-note pad for all the ideas that cross your mind.
And make a space for sorting.
NB: “supplies” does not mean the containers you may ultimately need.  That comes much later—see Step #7.

Step #4
On the appointed day and time, empty all the contents of the troublesome space onto the space you designated for sorting.  The purpose of this step is to allow you to see your stuff in a different light as well as facilitating the remaining steps.  Now is a good time to clean that space.

Step #5
Sort like with like.  If you have more items for any category somewhere else in the house, go get it now and add it to the pile.

Step #6
Keep only the ones from each pile that make you smile or that you use constantly. Really.
If it needs cleaning, put it in a pile of things to be cleaned.
If it needs repair, put it aside for repair and schedule the time to do this task in your calendar, or just face reality and give it away or toss it.
There are many things you can say to yourself to help with the process of parting.  See the list of motivational quotes on my website for inspiration.  Use one as a mantra. Refer back to Step #1.

Step #7
Eyeball what you are going to keep and decide what containers you will need.  People vary widely in their need to re-purpose containers they already have or get some matching new ones.  If you decide to get new ones, measure or count first.

Step #8
Get rid of everything else, now.  Give it away to someone who is hankering for it; put it where it belongs someplace else in your home; return it; donate it; toss it.  Don’t delay this step.  Refer back to Step #1.  How did you do?

See?  That was easy.  If you find yourself struggling with any of these steps, give me a call