Paralyzed by Clutter?

4 simple ideas to get yourself started

By Barb Eimer

Getting organized is a little like going to the dentist.  It’s painful in the beginning, but in the end, you are glad you did it.  To further the analogy, you might even be in a bit of trouble if you keep putting it off.

Many people look at the chaos in their homes and panic.  Where do you start when so many areas need help?

There are several ways to go about this, and organizing is definitely not one size fits all.  The key to getting started is to pick projects that you can finish in an hour or less. 

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!

Here are four ideas you can start that will give you some momentum:

Idea 1: Organize and clean your car

I love starting with your car because usually you can do this in less than an hour, and you will come away with a huge sense of accomplishment.  Plus, because you are in your car every day, you get what feels like a big bang for your buck. In the organizing world, we call this low hanging fruit!

While I try not to go too crazy with gadgets, there are a few things that are worth the money.  When my kids were little, I had an over the seat organizer for wipes, coloring books, and snacks.  I also bought thin organizing pocket type things with the very unattractive name of “car seat gap fillers.” These kept my phone (and pens and credit cards and twenty-dollar bills!)  from falling into the crack between the seat and the console.  Worth. Every. Penny! 

Because I shop at Aldi’s, I keep collapsible picnic baskets in my Jeep, and these are amazing as well.  You can use them for just about anything. Foldable plastic crates from Costco are also a game changer!

My point is that you are in your car a lot and it’s worth a bit of money to try to keep that space as clean and organized as you can. Try to take a handful of things into the house every time you exit the car so that it isn’t overrun with takeout napkins or week-old French fries. (And, yes, I realize this last tip is totally worthless if you have small kids as all you can take when leaving the car is one of them!)

Check back on the blog on June 16 for another simple idea for finding calm in the chaos…