Getting Organized Without Getting Rid of Everything
When it comes to anything home organization, there seems to be this misconception out there that “getting organized” also means “hurry up and purge everything you own!” Well, I’m here to bust that myth wide open. Organizing your home does not necessarily mean you have to get rid of everything. Yes, there is definitely something to only keeping items you love, but at RíOrganize, we’re all about encouraging you to simply KNOW your belongings.
You’re probably sitting there thinking, “OK, great, I don’t have to get rid of everything, but I know I have stuff I don’t need.” This is a great mindset to be in because the key to getting organized without just getting rid of everything is knowing the right questions to ask yourself while sorting through things. For example, you might know WHAT you want to keep, but we’re going to challenge you to go a little deeper and ask yourself WHY you want to keep it.
Do I love it?
Do I need it?
Do I use it?
Do I wear it?
How often?
Don’t overthink this! If you have to sit and stew on it, or there’s any hesitation, you can probably live without it. You also want to know that you actually have SPACE for the items you’re keeping. There are options for creating more storage like utilizing under your bed, the back of a door or installing shelves, which I am all for when necessary, but before you add storage you might not need, work though the following questions to narrow things down:
And then as you move forward and bring more things into your home, refer back to these questions. They’re not just good for getting rid of things, but also for buying! Because ultimately you want to shop for the space you have, not the space you want. This will help you set boundaries for yourself and maintain the spaces you’ve curated.
Quick Tip
Always shop for the space you HAVE, not for the space you WANT. This will help you set boundaries for yourself and maintain the spaces you’ve curated.
Once you’ve decided what you’re keeping and why, the process of organizing shifts to the method in which you store your items. Each space is unique, but there are three goals to keep in mind when deciding how to store things: items should be visible, accessible and maintainable. Because remember, and this is important, if you can’t see it, you can’t use it (or eat it, for that matter)!! I know this to be true because I have personally made this error several times in my own home, so learn from my mistake!
While going through this process, whether it’s your kitchen, your storage room or closet, learn your inventory. Take note of what you have so you can use it later. After all, that’s the point of organizing, am I right? And this is much easier to do when you know WHY you’re holding onto something. There’s that why again! It’ll keep showing up again and again because it’s the foundation to everything in our homes.