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I was reflecting on my goals and priorities as an organizer, and I have to be 100% honest with you. My top priority, every day with every client, is ALWAYS efficiency. People will often laugh when they peek inside my car and see how I store things, but the chaos comes from the fact that I do not like to waste time. If stacking product perfectly in my vehicle will take an extra forty minutes (only to be unloaded multiple times throughout the day), I am not going to do it. That might sound funny and can look a little disorderly for an organizer, but I am not unorganized. I know where things are at all times. My clients sometimes tell me the same thing. They know where things are within their piles; it just may not look perfect to an outsider. I get it.
Efficiency should be the most crucial aspect of any organizing project. It is essential to remember to keep productivity at the forefront of your mind as you tackle your own projects. Let’s talk about how to achieve efficiency.
1. Always think about whether or not a certain organizing action will make a difference.
If it is not going to help you, why waste your time? Are you spending time sorting toys that will quickly end up unsorted? Try to think big picture when organizing and focus on activities that are actually going to impact your everyday life. If that transformation is visual appeal, it still counts! 🙂 If a rainbow bookshelf will make you smile, go right ahead! If you are rainbow sorting your 3-year-old’s LEGOs and know for a fact that he is unable to maintain the system, stop what you are doing! Organizing efforts should not be made in vain. Organizing should always be about efficiency.
2. Is there a system in place that is not working?
Think about what happens in your space and why it doesn’t work before attempting to change anything. Are you frustrated that your kids leave their homework on the kitchen counter? Instead of trying to fight the system by creating a new space for homework, consider clearing a drawer to store homework supplies. Think about adding a mail sorter to hold homework tools and papers that are in progress. Sometimes fighting routines that are already in place is less efficient than finding a solution by working with those routines.
3. Find ways to make your day more efficient.
In a new space, I always begin with analyzing the problem. For example, if a client struggles with finding their keys or kids’ backpacks each morning, we start there. I think about which door they use to enter the home and what we can do to create a routine. Do they have space for hooks on the wall? Is there space for a furniture piece to hold purses or bags as you walk in? Analyzing is often a skipped step when home organizing, but it is a crucial part of the process.
4. Is the effort going to be worth it?
If you set up a new, efficient system, will your family members support or ignore the new process? If a system is too complicated or you know it will not be followed, go back to the drawing board. Consider ways you can tweak your activity to be more successful.
I hope these guidelines help you think about your organizing journey and how to increase the efficiency of not only your projects, but also your home. Message us if you need help simplifying!
~Steph