5 tips for the organizationally challenged

Last night I was at an undisclosed retail center where I saw a car filled to the brim with.... STUFF!  The sight of it almost brought me into a panic attack as I felt my skin crawl with hives.  Those of you who know me are aware of my organizational OCD tendencies.  Therefore, I wont badger the poor soul anymore as I have a few issues myself. 

Here are my 5 tips for the organizationally challenged (with a little help from AT):

1.  Everything must have a home....EVERYTHING!: Although it sounds like a simple statement, it's actually quite difficult to do. There's so many things that just get tossed in a closet, garage or storage space instead of being dealt with. And junk drawers, don't even get started on junk drawers.... they shouldn't exist! Making a home for every item in your possession makes you take responsibility for treasures and trash alike.

2. Clean Flat Surfaces Every Day: Every. Single. Day. Each day we have mail, packages, groceries and other purchases that come into our space. If you have kids there's homework, dinosaurs and My Little Ponies that also make an appearance. Skip a day and things can pile up!

3. Laundry Goes In Closets or In Hampers: In many homes, clothes can be the largest monster taking over your space. You might have pants in the living room, underpants in the bathroom, shirts hanging over the back of chairs or doors and in the blink of an eye all your clothes are dirty, or folded in baskets, never to be put away. Staying on top of it brings peace of mind and allows you to carry on a healthy relationship with not only the amount of clothes you own, but also which ones are truly getting worn.

4. The 12 Month Rule: If you haven't used it in 12 months, toss it out, donate it or pass it on. There might be small exceptions, but in my experience, if there's something you use less often than every 12 months, there's a good chance you can borrow it from a friend down the line. Making space is key!

5. Make a Chart: Even if you think this is something a 5 year old should be doing a chore chart is something that will not only keep you organized but it will be a visual of what needs to be done.  Therefore, more likely to get checked off the list if it is staring you in the face everyday.