Organizing vs. Projects in the New Year

I like managing projects even for personal projects – I used project planning tools for my wedding planning, buying a new house a few times, and doing home updates and repairs to them. I also love sorting and organizing things so they are easy to find and all in one place. For example, after a build, as an 8-yr-old child I usually sorted the Lego bricks into bins – until my uncle superglued 2 shapes and colors together ruining everything.

The past few months, I’ve been helping my mother move from the house she has called home for about 25 years. The move isn’t her choice, so while I desire the structure and process of building out a project schedule and managing it, it feels like it would be adding to the emotional trauma to treat it as a simple series of tasks and dependencies. Because a big, unexpected move really hits differently, any task management tendencies I’ve put to the side burner (though nudging when possible) but leaned more on my organization skills and patience in sifting and sorting to helping her.

I have been seeing so many lessons & takeaways for my own work and personal life in this effort and for the new year, maybe others can appreciate the insight.



Use the good stuff

Cleaning out the pantry cabinets, I found a small jar of tiny sweet smoked onions that were at the best buy date. They were a gift to her with some other gift basket comestibles. She’d had them for years but was saving them for something special. We ate them that night on hamburgers and they were just amazingly divine. That night was an occasion; use the good stuff now before it goes bad.

Every day is an occasion. Use the good stuff.



Set a smaller goal

The guest bedroom was also used for general storage. The closets, eaves attic, dresser, and desk were full of out-of-style, off-season clothes, unfinished or unstarted craft projects, unpacked boxes from my grandmother’s house, tax returns from 1992.

It was too much stuff to tackle all at once, even if it was just the one room. It was so overwhelming she couldn’t start. So we broke it down, by removing one box or drawer from the room at a time.

Small wins make you feel good, accomplished, and help carry some momentum to the bigger goal.



It’s just a little bit broken

The corollary to using the fancy or nice things you have is to get rid of the things that are broken, chipped, have holes, or are worn out. And the things you’re never going to use again. It’s easy to get into a rut/comfort zone of using and keeping stuff. It has been there for 25 years, after all.

But some items can be dangerous if they chip or cut while in use – like the ceramic knives and etched highball glass. Others have nice buttons, but the holes in the elbows are never getting patched. Some items could be repaired, like the hand embroidered foot stool with a broken leg. But if the cost of repairing keeps you from making the repair, you have a box of junk in storage.

Personal self-reflection on realistic expectations for keeping things, not just the broken ones, can help de-clutter and clean out.



Preserving heritage

The black lacquer tea table was hand painted with intricate roses by my great-grandmother and gifted to her daughter-in-law, my grandmother. I remember it being at her house since I was a child – well everyone does. It was moved to my mom’s house when my grandmother moved in with her 15 years ago. It is lovely but is an impractical piece. It’s got wheels and is a little wobbly. My mom doesn’t like it herself, and no-one else wants it, but she has been pressured to “keep it in the family.”

I learned from my sister that my grandmother didn’t particularly like it either but kept it out of spite when her mother-in-law died. Marie Kondo suggests things should spark joy in you; I do think some objects can absorb “energy” or something like that. I think the table at least symbolizes that tension subconsciously for my family. Let it go – it could spark joy for someone else.

Don’t let family members’ expectations take up space, especially negatively charged space.



Give it a home

Putting items back where you expect to find them, and making sure they have a natural home, is an easy way to ensure you don’t have to search for routine things.

For example: Keys go on the hook; broom and dustpan in the corner (broom) closet where the vacuum also lives; and trash bags go near the trash bin under the sink.

My mom has texted me a few times about where something is because she can’t see it – I’ve put it in the shelf, drawer, or cabinet where other similar items live. Even if I don’t remember I put it there, I can tell her where I would have put it/look for it and most times that is where she finds it.

Habitual storage locations make for simplified retrieval and save you time.



You don’t have to keep it

There are a couple categories here.

You don’t have to keep it if it was a gift you don’t love or isn’t your style – even if you love the person.

You don’t have to keep it if you inherited it (was foisted upon you) from a family member or because a family member owned, loved, created, or built it.

Ask yourself: Do you love it? Is it your style?



Let us know your organization tips and sorting suggestions.
Wishing everyone a happy healthy and organized 2024