These are the exact FIVE steps to declutter and organize ANYthing…and everything.ย
Watch this video to learn the steps. Or if you prefer to read, scroll below the video.
If you want to declutter and get organized, these are the EXACT steps to make it happen.
But first let’s look at what being ORGANIZED means. The definition I like is “knowing what you have and being able to find it when you need it.”
That’s it. It doesn’t have to look a certain way and you don’t have to spend a bunch of money on matching containers.
Let’s also look at what CLUTTER means. The simple definition is that clutter is delayed decisions. Clutter keeps you from the life you want.
SPASM is my 5-step organizing acronym.
SPASM is the acronym I’ve used for the last 14 years. Here are the five simple steps to organize ANY thing!
S = Sort
P = Purge
A = Assign Homes
S = Set Limits
M = Maintain
SORT and PURGE are the decluttering steps.
As you stand before the area you will focus on, the first step is always to sort. Pick up one thing, ask what it is (category) and place it in a pile. Continue with the next item and the next until everything is sorted, like with like.
Once all the items are sorted, go back through each pile and purge. I like the “favorites method.” Choose your favorites from the pile – the things you love and use regularly.
THEN, look at the rest of the pile. Could you live without it? When is the last time you used it? Could someone else benefit from it right now? Could you trust that you’ll have what you need when you need it in the future and let go of it now? Is it broken? Does it fit?
Donate as much as you can.
ASSIGN HOMES, SET LIMITS and MAINTAIN are the ORGANIZING steps.
Now that you only have what you are keeping, decide where the category of items will live. This step is ASSIGN HOMES.ย Will beach towels live in the laundry room on a shelf or in the linen closet? Will extra toilet paper live in the pantry or in the attic storage space?
There isn’t a right or wrong answer. You just get to decide.
SET LIMITS is the step most people like. And hate. Setting limits requires you to use containers, dividers, bins, boxes, shelves, or drawers to contain, or set a limit to, the amount of stuff you keep.ย Where finding containers can be fun, having a limit to what you keep in a space can cause turmoil. Once the space is full, you must donate the rest. Start by putting your favorites into the container first.
My pajamas get one part of one of my dresser drawers. When this space was full the other day, I chose one pair to donate.
The final step is to MAINTAIN. Just like your health, the laundry, a garden, the dishes, organizing requires maintenance. The secret to maintain is to tie it to something you already do. I do taxes every January so I also make an appointment with myself to purge all my hanging files. Taxes done and paper maintained for another year.
Do you want to get organized?
If you want more help with organizing, I invite you to join Organized Life Academy today! Click here to learn more. Each month we have an organizing focus and a mindset focus. Plus in 2022, we are having a book club discussion each month on a different organizing book. February’s book is Let It Go. If you have a hard time letting things go, please join us!
