{Be Successful} Getting organized

Today’s post is written by the lovely Alexxus Hall. Enjoy! ~Erin

I must get it from my mother. She’s the cleaning + organizing + decluttering queen. And I am too, I guess. If I didn’t have any other dreams or goals for my life, I could probably make a decent living as a professional organizer. Seriously.

But honestly, who doesn’t love the idea of a clean, organized, simple living space? It’s scientifically proven that clutter makes your ability to process information and focus next to nothing.  It can also make you feel depressed or anxious. Crazy, right? But you may be reading this right now and going Nu-uh. Not me. I’m as messy as it gets. I’m utterly disorganized. Everything I own is sentimental. I can’t throw anything away to save my life. That may be true. (And bless your sweet heart if they are.) But whether you have a bedroom or a house, these tips for decluttering + organizing are for you, friend:

Define your belongings: When looking at the clutter you have and the things you own, define why you have it. Is it something you use on a regular basis? Is it a keepsake? Or is it your old writing essays from eons ago, or that one terrifying dress your aunt got you for Christmas you’ve been holding onto out of guilt? Basically, you need to look at what you have with honest eyes and ask yourself why the heck do I even have this? You need to define it’s purpose for being among your things.

Throw it away! No, really: Can’t find a reason for why you still have it or need it? Chunk it. What I like to do is grab two boxes or trash bags; one for things to give away, one for things to throw away. And be picky. Don’t keep something just because you may need it a couple of years down the road. That’s the best way to become a hoarder! Remember, the Lord will provide. If you have a need for something in the future, you can address it then. No need to hang onto something you don’t need now or in the immediate future.

Utilize organizational tools: Storage bins! Files! Baskets! Oh my! Everything should have a place, and today, it’s not hard to find inexpensive, cute, colorful organizational bins/containers/files. Some of the best money I’ve ever invested in was files for my writing, bins for my miscellaneous items, and drawers for small things like bobby pins, ponytails, pencils, tacks, etc.

Make it fun: Turn on some upbeat music. Get your favorite movie. Set a timer and make it a game. Do whatever you need to get motivated and moving!

Do It Regularly: I try to purge my things and organize them at least once a month. You don’t realize how much stuff you accumulate on a regular basis until you start going through it on a regular basis.

Give yourself some grace: Don’t get discouraged if it takes some time to get it all done. Or if you find yourself lacking the motivation. Nobody is perfect and things take time. And if you still find yourself a little messy, a little disorganized, a little more cluttered than you think you should be, don’t beat yourself up. It’s baby steps, just like everything in life. If you have to, start with just ten minutes a day, scouting out a certain area or spot and working on it. Then do it again the next day, and the next day. Before you know it, you’ll have a whole area cleaned out.

I’m no expert, and I certainly didn’t come out of the womb organizing; it was definitely a developed habit (God bless my mother — I wasn’t the cleanest kid!).

Challenge: Make it a 2014 goal to focus on a certain area — your closet, desk, underneath your bed, your kitchen, etc. — and declutter and organize it for the New Year. 

Question: Would you say you’re more organized or disorganized? Do you have trouble keeping clutter or are you more of a minimalist at heart?