How to Deal With a Home Organizing Plan That Isn’t Working

You’ve worked diligently at organizing every room of your home. The kitchen is tidy, the bedrooms are calm and peaceful, and even the garage is orderly. The hard work and planning were rewarding and satisfying. Now, you and your family can enjoy the fruits of your labor. Not so fast.

Regrettably, your organizational plan is deteriorating. Clutter is accumulating in corners and closets. Mail is piling up, and empty Amazon boxes are finding a home in your entryway. Even the junk drawer has made a comeback.

The problem is that real people live in your home. Sooner or later, even with good intentions, they will abandon their neat and tidy habits. Gradually, the clutter will accumulate, especially in heavily used areas.

One way to control the mess is with a secure, affordable self storage unit. You can reclaim your space by packing up your rarely used items. Give them a new home in a climate-controlled self storage unit.

Trusted Self Storage has a wide range of sizes, types, and affordable prices. Having extra space will make it easier to stick to the plan. Your items are easily accessible when you need them, and they’re not cluttering your living space.

Home Organizing: Why Your Plan Isn’t Working

Following are some of the surprising reasons that your organizing plan may need to be fixed and a few solutions to get you back on the right track.

Problem: There is No Actual System
An organizational system doesn’t mean moving all of your clutter into one room or several closets. That’s a stopgap, not a solution.

A viable system will help you better use your space, save time, and create a more peaceful home for your family.

Solution: Start Small
Start with a basic approach that gives you the benefit of building on small successes. The conventional approach of making 3 piles (keep, discard, and donate) is a great start. Set your timer for 15 minutes and see how much you can accomplish. A self storage unit is the perfect place to store items to be donated or things that you want to keep but use infrequently.

Objects that are targeted for disposal should be placed in the trash immediately. The items that you’re keeping need to be stowed in the appropriate areas. Don’t make piles that you’re planning to “put away later.” That will not work.

Check Pinterest for tons of organization tips and hacks to get you moving in the right direction.

Problem: It’s Complicated
The point of being organized is to make life easier, not more difficult. If you have to keep up with a number of complicated steps, you won’t enjoy tidying up your home.

For example: Dirty laundry goes into a family member’s personal hamper. It is collected and separated on laundry day by the person who is designated to do laundry. Don’t demand that everyone carry their clothing to the laundry room daily and categorize it by color, fabric, and wash cycle. The goal is to streamline your life, not to have everyone give up because it’s too much work.

Solution: Be Clear
Be sure that your system is clear. Give yourself and other household members a couple of weeks to grasp it. If it seems too complicated or doesn’t accomplish your objectives, it’s time to reevaluate your system.

Problem: It Doesn’t Work For Everyone

Don’t try to copy another person’s system. An organizational system that works for one household may not work for another. What is perfect for one family, may not work for yours. Every household is different, every space is different, and every group is different. Create a system that fits your needs.

Solution: Create The Perfect Fit
This isn’t about one system being better than another. It’s about creating the perfect fit that will save time and stress while keeping your home organized. For example, the Kon Mari method is very popular. However, it’s extremely complex, requiring a commitment to strict guidelines for categorizing and rule-following.

There are many less complicated systems that you can adapt to your needs. Check out 21 Smart Family Command Center Ideas. There are plenty of family-friendly ideas that are fun and motivating.

Problem: You’re the Only One Who Can Use the System

If you don’t make your system easy for everyone in the household, they won’t bother to use it.

Think of it like this. You design what you think is a very simple system for creating a grocery shopping list. You attach 7 or 8 slips of paper to the refrigerator labeled meat, seafood, pantry, dairy, fruit, veggies, etc. You become upset when someone adds chips to the dairy list. It’s obvious that this is not the system for your family.

Learn to use a smart technology device like Alexa. The kids will love it, but you may find a few strange items on your list!

Solution: Keep It Simple If you keep the system simple, everyone will be on board. And what could be simpler than asking Alexa to add Snickers Bars to the shopping list?

Problem: You Care More About Control Than Organization
Don’t be a micromanager. The goal is organization, not control.

Solution: Don’t Demand Perfect (at least not in the beginning) You’ve handed the kids the job of rinsing dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. They do an adequate job – not perfect – but adequate. Does it really matter if every tiny bit of food isn’t rinsed off of a plate? No, it does not. Let the kids do the job and learn as they go. If your goal is to force your family into your idea of perfection, say goodbye to your system. It won’t work.

Takeaway

Frustrating yourself and everyone else involved in the plan is futile. An organizational system should make life easier, save time, and keep your home neat and tidy. Your first task is to get everyone on board. Your second task is to lease a secure, affordable self storage unit. Use common sense and patience. Before you know it, your home will be a model of organization.