Kicking off a Home Organization Motivation Series

We are kicking off a Home Organization Series for your hidden spaces!  Doing it together will keep our home organization motivation going until the end.  We will be tackling what you see when you open the:

• Pantry
• Master Closet
• Linen Closet
• Entry Closet

We’ll discuss why to go through the trouble of organizing these ‘hidden spaces’ that are behind closed doors.  We will also discuss the obstacles you’ll face and some strategies to keep-on-keeping-on the organizing bandwagon.  Then we will celebrate our progress together and enjoy the simplicity of living in our organized spaces!

WHY ORGANIZE YOUR HIDDEN SPACES

Closets, the pantry, the cabinets under the sink- these spaces become a place to shove things, and quickly close the door.  Trust me, I’m no different!  I’ve had to balance all the things just so and quickly slam the door to keep everything in 5 min before a kid’s birthday party begins many a time!

I am trying to transform into one of those people who has a place for everything and I am telling you…. it has taken away so much frustration! When i need something random (or something I use all the time) and I know right where to go to get it… ahhh it is just the best feeling. Keeps me on track with what I’m working on, I don’t loose steam and become the Mouse in “If you give a mouse a cookie…” (If you don’t know that book- its a kids book, but worth the read because “chances are” you’ll relate, lol.

I just love how organization carries over to how your headspace feels.  When the hidden spaces are all clean, pretty and organized- they are optimally functional, & it creates calm in a frenzied brain. Organization of your hidden spaces will benefit you… your heart, your enjoyment, your ease of life, your simplicity, your pleasure.  Organizing your home will aid you in your busy life, facilitate everyday tasks, boost your time management, help your future self, and provide encouragement for a tired soul when you open those doors to the organized space where things are where they are designed to be.

OBSTACLES:

The common obstacles during an organization project are:

• To stay motivated
• Have an actual method to get it DONE,
• Remember where everything is after the organization project.

Here are the strategies I’m using to keep me motivated on this mission, the practical on how I move through each task to get the job done, and the gift that labels keep on giving.  They’re so good, I wanted to share!

KEEP THAT MOTIVATION ON THE UP & UP

Now that we have gone over the why- here are some obstacles we all face while organizing these jam-packed hidden spaces.  The “during” is always worse than before you started.  When you are redoing a closet/pantry, even under the sink… Everything has to get pulled out into a disastrous looking mess. There is always that wide-eyed moment of “What did I get myself into?!”  Just remember it is always worse before its better- and you are on your way to better!  Now during the worse…

It will all be worth it, stay focused on the prize.  One common thread I’ve heard a few times lately from different sources on productivity and creating positive change is that you have to celebrate your wins to stay motivated.  There are chemicals released and things that happen in your brain when you celebrate that makes you subconsciously want to do that again.  Keep that in mind with your organization mission.  Celebrate each step you’ve taken!  Celebrate that you’ve even decided to take these spaces on- to improve the flow of your everyday life.  What does celebrate mean?  Give yourself those words of affirmation, even out loud, smile, pause to give yourself that pat on the back for making these steps towards positive change. Even if you feel silly, remember it is science.  There are brain chemicals- just try it!

SCRUM METHOD

Now that we have some tips to stay motivated- we need a method to get the madness done-  Have you heard of the scrum method?  You can learn more about it in this easy breezy podcast episode by Screw the 9 to 5- 3 Time Management Hacks to Help You Get More Done in a Day.  For the SCRUM method, you’ll list out all the steps to get a single task done.  Then, those steps then get transferred (on sticky notes) between 3 columns:  Backlog, Doing, Done.

Example:

The task: “Paint the Pantry”

The steps:

1. Empty the pantry out
2. Clean shelves and walls
3. Dry them well, Tape off edges and floor
4. 2 coats of paint with drying time and fans going in between

Each of those steps gets moved- ONE at a time- into the doing column until its complete.  That is the cue to start the next step.  This method keeps you focused on one step at a time.  It also clarifies every step in writing, taking the brain work out of it.  I don’t even use sticky notes- I just turn my notebook sideways, make my 3 columns, write the task on the top, all the steps in the backlog column and then arrows over to the doing & done columns as I go.  It takes only a few minutes and it simplifies each task.  I also look forward to sitting down with a cup off coffee and writing out all of the steps to get a task done.  Makes my brain feel streamlined as I’m working 😉

LABELS

One month later- you perfectly organized all of your different linens into bins & open the door to grab some throw pillow cases to change out your throw pillows and you are wide eyed & wondering which bin?!?!?!  When you are doing the organizing it would only make sense to have it in this bin, so you think you’d never not remember that but….. you do, lol.  Trust me, I’ve been there- many times!  Labels have been a game changer for this issue.  They are so much fun to design (if I had to go back to 18 years old I would have chosen graphic design).  Labels make each organized closet, under the sink cabinet, and even the trunk to the minivan so beautiful and functional.  Everyone in the house knows where to put that item, and where to find it, including myself;)

Here are the labels I made for my pantry, you can check it all out here:

If you want to get my labels for each project free in your inbox, just Subscribe to my email list and I’d be thrilled to send them to you!  Just put your email into the opt-in box at the top of my website to subscribe.

CELEBRATE A JOB WELL DONE

With kids and parents and life going in so many directions all at the same time it is such a nice thing to do for yourself to simplify the things you can to keep everything as easy for you as possible.  A busy life is so fun and exciting!  Sports x3 is what our extracurriculars are these days.  It is so great to watch the kids thrive and make friends on their different sports teams.  I love that they get to be outside & active- and sing softball chants with their teammates (prob Kendall’s favorite part about softball;) Extracurriculars are so beneficial on so many levels for the whole family, but it takes a lot of planning and prep on the backend to keep it all rolling smoothly (or just rolling, even when its rough!)

Home organization motivation- bottom line: The effort makes living in our home as easy on ourselves as possible.  We get to design the spaces we live in and having organized closets and a labeled spot for everything makes navigating through busy schedules and fun activities that much more light and fun for us too!  And when its pretty its more rewarding and more reason to keep up with it 😉