Maybe you made a resolution to get organized at the beginning of January. Maybe you’re planning to tackle the piles of clutter in your house this spring. Either way, today’s guest poster, Rachel Carlino-Dangora, is sharing some tips to get started. Rachel is the CEO and Founder of Make Peace with Organizing and a mom of 2 from Marblehead, Massachusetts.
They say spring cleaning is a great time to get organized. Why not begin earlier on a cold, snowy day, so you can take that bike ride you’ve been dreaming of instead, when the weather warms up?
You might ask, “Where do I start?” or, “When will I have the time?”. Getting started can seem overwhelming with family responsibilities, work, fitness and the endless list of other things on your to-do list. But the time spent on organizing now, can actually create more time for you to spend with family or doing things you love, in the long run.
Once you mentally prepare, the best place to begin is with decluttering your home. Start with the area of the home most used, like the kitchen or family room. Each item should have its own, dedicated, spot in the home. For example, when working on your bathroom, empty all the contents and decide what stays and what goes. You might find that you have more room after decluttering and learn that you didn’t need that big shampoo that was causing your cabinet door not to close! In the kitchen, think about which items you use the least. These items should go in the back of the cabinets or stored in the basement if there is a closet with shelves. Determine if those bulky items like the apple peeler will ever be used. If not, it’s a great item to donate to a local charity.
Once decluttering is completed, the fun of organizing begins. Creativity is needed to determine the best systems that will work for you and only you. If a system works for someone else that doesn’t help; the system must be tailored to your individual needs so it can be utilized to its fullest extent. Once the chaos of clutter is lifted, and the articles that are truly needed are identified, the overwhelming feeling of having too much is removed, and peace and tranquility is restored.
If this seems like too much to tackle on your own, you might want to consider a professional organizer. Simply put, professional organizers help organize spaces. But their real benefit is the support they provide to help you make decisions, and the suggestions they give on where items that are no longer needed should go. Plus, they can help you create organizing systems you may not have thought of on your own. Professional organizers are great listeners and create personal relationships with their clients, helping them transform their home into a space that works specifically for them. Read: They are nonjudgmental and understand it can be embarrassing so at Make Peace with Organizing, we make sure clients know all sessions are confidential!
As a working mom, Rachel understands the importance of staying organized in every facet of life. Her friends dubbed her the, “Organizing Queen,” many years ago due to her ability to juggle family and the demands of a law career. After practicing law for eight years, she realized her passion was helping busy people create a more organized life so they can focus on what matters like building a business or spending time enjoying family and friends. You can learn more about Make Peace with Organizing on their website, or follow Rachel on Instagram or Facebook.