How to Fall in Love with Organizing: Valentine’s Day Edition

Valentine’s Day is approaching and whether you’re single or not, now is a great time to fall in love…with organizing! We’re a month into our New Year’s resolutions and if organizing is on your list, let’s keep it a priority! They say it takes 30 days to turn something into a habit, so why not start now? Let us help you!

Make a list and prioritize

When you’re looking to get organized, it helps to make a list of the things you want to work on. Before you write “EVERYTHING” in all caps and underline it 3 times, really take this time to break it down. Like when you’re dating, it’s important to know what’s on your ‘must organize now’ list (ie. ready to settle down, wants kids, wants to live in the city) versus what’s not a priority (doesn’t also have to be a vegetarian, can work long hours, can have different taste in music than me). 

With organizing, start with what rooms you want to organize. Once you create a list of rooms you want to organize, prioritize which room you want to go further with. In terms of dating, you might be presented with 3 different matches in one week, but you only have time for 1 date. Which room or match do you choose? 

Once you decide which room (date) you’re going to spend time with, create another list of tasks that need to get done in that room. Include everything you like or dislike about the room (or date) so you can have a better vision of what your goals are. 

Sort and Purge

Next, follow our S.P.A.C.E. (Sort, Purge, Assign, Contain, Equalize) organizing protocol created by Julie Morgenstern. I wish I had a dating equivalent of this. Maybe this is after you’ve gone on a few different dates and start to question who’s for you. First, sort and purge your belongings within the space you’re working in. Put all of the like things together and get rid of the things (or people) that no longer tickle your fancy. 

Next phase of the relationship: Commit

Once you’ve sorted and purged what you have in your disorganized space, it’s time to commit, errr Assign and Contain as we say in the organizing world. Decide where exactly you’re going to keep those items. Is it going to be in a drawer beside your nightstand? On a shelf in the pantry? Is the person you’ve chosen finally emotionally available? Commit, assign them a space in your home and contain. This is the fun part of organizing (and love) that is often rushed. You can’t assign a home or container for your belongings until you know exactly what you have and how much of it there is. 

Lastly, it’s time to take things to the next level. If you’ve been together for a while, things may have become complacent. Now is NOT the time to ignore your love (ie, kitchen cabinet, closet, attic), but rather give it the extra TLC it’s looking for.

Maintenance

The final phase in organizing is maintenance. This is the time when organizing can become a make it or break it, so don’t stop now! Give it the attention it deserves and revisit what’s working and what’s not working. This is something that you should be doing routinely. 

We wish you a lovely Valentine’s Day and hope that you’re able to fall in love with organizing. It’s time to get back on track with your goals and turn them into a reality!