.jpg)
Simplify Your Life:
Summer Organizing Checklist
💡 Including my top 5 tips💡
Congratulations on taking the first step toward creating an organized home! Please read this checklist in its entirety before beginning your organizing sessions. This list is based on my professional experience with clients and is designed to bring the most satisfaction. While the tips are not in a specific order, the weeks are numbered based on what I have found to be most gratifying for my clients. For young, growing families, it's often best to start in the pantry and kitchen. For individuals without children at home, beginning with the closet usually works best. Ultimately, start in the room you feel would add the most value to your life and provide much-needed peace and productivity. Let's dig right in!
Phases
There are 5 phases to every successful organizing session.
1. Phase 1: Make Room – Before you start purging & sorting any area, quickly clear the floor. Throw away trash, place clothes in a basket, and create one pile for miscellaneous items that will be sorted later. This will provide an instant sense of gratification and give you more space to work in.
2. Phase 2: Purging – This is when you are ridding yourself of (someone or something) of an unwanted quality, quantity, condition, or feeling. Removing anything that no longer serves a purpose or brings joy.
3. Phase 3: The Quick Sort – This sorting happens simultaneously while purging. Creating your initial piles: Keep, donate, sell, trash, or relocate.
4. Phase 4: The Detailed Sort & Categorizing – This involves breaking down your piles into detailed categories. Ex. Long sleeves, short sleeve shirts, dress shirts, Cami’s etc. Grains, baking, snacks etc. First aid, hair products, body products, facial Products. This detailed sorting helps create a more organized and efficient space.
5. Phase 4: Organize & Beautify – Arrange the sorted items in a way that are both functional and visually pleasing. Use storage solutions and decorative elements to enhance the organization and aesthetics of the space.
Tips
💡 Tip #1: Use a folding table to provide extra surface space for purging & sorting. This tip can be applied to every area you are working on for increased efficiency and organization.
💡 Tip #2: You should prioritize organizing areas where items from other spaces are likely to end up. For example, if you have clothes in your bedroom that belong in your closet, start by organizing your closet first. This way, when you begin organizing your bedroom, you'll already have an organized closet for the clothes, making the process more efficient.
💡 Tip #3: Purchase organizing containers based on what you have after decluttering, not for the clutter you started with.
💡 Tip # 4: Stay focused! If you are reading this, it is likely that you are one that gets easily distracted. Do your best to stay focused on one room at a time. Even if they are closely related. Ex: If you are working on the closet, resist the temptation to start organizing the bedroom. If you are working on the pantry, resist the temptation to start organizing the kitchen.
💡 Tip #5: Create a “By When” for task that you want to complete. Ex: If you create a sell pile, “I am going to list this by (date) and if it doesn’t sell by (date) I will donate it.”
💡💡 Bonus Tip: The 20/20 rule is a decluttering strategy created by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists. The rule states that you should consider letting go of an item if you can replace it for less than $20 and can replace it in less than 20 minutes. This rule is for small and random items around your home, and may not apply to sentimental, clothing, or other items.