Functional organization should align with each phase of life and focus on making belongings work for that specific phase.
Organizing personal spaces, such as closets, bathrooms, and bedrooms, can save time and improve productivity.
Dealing with common challenges in home organization, such as differing organizing preferences of family members, requires individuals to focus on organizing themselves first and take a balanced approach to decluttering.
Deep dives
Transitioning through Different Phases of Life
Lisa Woodruff, founder of Organized 365, explains that organization needs change with each phase of life. Childhood requires organizing the bedroom, while the accumulation phase focuses on moving out and accumulating belongings. The survival phase (40-60s) involves decluttering and working towards productivity. The downsizing and legacy phase (60+) focuses on caring for parents, settling estates, and downsizing possessions. Woodruff emphasizes that organizing is not about containers, but rather about making belongings work for the specific phase of life.
The Importance of Personal Organization
Woodruff highlights the significance of organizing personal spaces, such as closets, bathrooms, bedrooms, cars, and purses. By organizing these spaces, individuals can save time and be more productive. Woodruff encourages individuals to focus on their personal organization first before tackling other areas of the home. She suggests decluttering and organizing personal spaces three times a year to maintain order and efficiency.
Challenges and Solutions for Home Organization
Woodruff addresses common challenges faced in home organization, such as dealing with a spouse or family members who have different organizing preferences. She advises individuals to focus on organizing themselves first instead of trying to change others. Woodruff also offers guidance for empty nesters and individuals dealing with elderly parents who struggle with hoarding. Finally, she provides insight on decluttering, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to avoid over-decluttering and potential regret.
Organizing Storage Rooms
Storage rooms often contain broken items that people don't want to get rid of, expensive items waiting for future repairs, items intended for return to family members who don't want them back, and items saved for children that they will likely not want. A significant portion of storage rooms is filled with empty boxes. By removing trash and empty boxes, a storage room can be significantly decluttered. To maintain long-term organization, it is suggested to install shelving and use bins to categorize and store items.
Managing Paper Clutter
Paper clutter can be overwhelming but can be organized by implementing a system. Active paper can be stored in a Sunday basket, while four categories of paper (medical, financial, household and family-related) can be filed in a designated filing cabinet. Optional paper related to kids with special needs and memories can also be organized separately. Once the initial paper organization is done, it requires annual maintenance to keep it organized. By following these steps, paper clutter can be effectively managed and organized perpetually.
"Functional organization" involves embracing your stage of life in the way you organize. Lisa Woodruff explains why and how to do this, sharing practical, easy-to-implement ideas for your kitchen, bedrooms, workspaces, and more.
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