A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

I get A LOT of magazines. Last year I had a chunk of frequent flier miles that were about to expire, but not enough to earn a free ticket. I couldn’t bear to lose them, and the only thing the airline rewards program offered that I could use were free magazine subscriptions.

“You can’t even keep up with the 3-4 you get now,” my husband pleaded. But, I earned those miles. I wanted something for them. So now, our mailbox bows under the weight of the monthly and sometimes weekly issues delivered. And I have to read them all. Just as I didn’t want to waste the miles, I don’t want to waste the rewards of those miles.

One thing I’ve noticed is that January issues focus on simplifying and organizing. Note: I know this from previous years and from perusing the tables of contents. Because face it, with the number of magazines hitting my mailbox, I’m still catching up on how to frost Halloween cupcakes from the October issues.

Why do editors think we need organizing help in January? Do we have our ducks in a row all year, but once we flip the calendar page, we’re in utter chaos? Do our Christmas gifts not fit in our houses without restructuring? Does the physical mess the end of the year brings go way beyond pine needles left on the floor? Has our financial situation changed so much from December to January that we need to rethink our entire saving and spending strategy?

No matter what the reason, physical and mental clutter causes many people stress, myself included. So I’m in. I want to alphabetize my spices, shred paper until the recycle overflows, and label everything that doesn’t move with my P-Touch label maker.

Here are some general recommendations.

• Start small. Cleaning out a spare closet can be so daunting that you never begin. Instead, tackle a junk drawer. I once spent over an hour cleaning out a BASKET! But I felt so good when I finished; it was like a burden had been lifted.
• Don’t run out and buy storage containers and file folders. Although The Container Store is the Best Invention on Earth, you should start your organization project first, then decide what you need for storage. Otherwise, you won’t buy the right ones or the right amount, and they’ll become clutter themselves.
• Have a party or just invite a few friends over. Nothing inspires me to clean and organize more than knowing people are coming over who might judge my piles.
• Think about what you can do with the things you don’t want. Your trash really can be another person’s treasure. Can you sell it on eBay, Craigslist, or at a yard sale? Do you have a friend or family member who could use it? Can you donate it to charity? Can you post it on Freecycle? But remember, sometimes trash is just trash.
• Consider organizing as a good habit instead of a chore that you need to do. Stop throwing things in that junk drawer. Avoid creating a file folder labeled ‘miscellaneous’. Don’t buy something just because it’s a good idea if you have no use for it right now. The piles won’t grow so fast and you won’t misplace as many things.
• Make a plan. You knew I was going to say it! Think through why you want to get organized, what you want to tackle, when you want to start, how long it will take, who you need to enlist, how much it’s going to cost, and if you have any constraints. Maybe even put it down on paper. A good plan motivates and helps keep you on track.

I could list more detailed tips, but I’m interested in learning from others. Do you have any good organizing tips? Please share in the comments field. I promise to read them in between categorizing my magazines.