Organization Power Hour
What can you do in an hour?
More than you think! Home organization doesn’t have to be a huge process. It can be done little by little within the spaces of your home. This organization power hour post serves multiple purposes:
1. To show I am not perfect and need to do regular maintenance to keep things simple and organized in our home.
2. To show how you can tackle a small project in less than an hour. We recently talked about new behaviors or habits and starting small is helpful. It is less daunting to set aside one hour vs. an entire day.
However, if you do decide you ready to go big and tackle everything then check out my Beginner’s Guide to Home Organization. It’s really helpful to figure out how to get everything done in the most efficient way for you!
But the power hour is still a really great place to start!
I recently cleaned out our hall closet. I set a timer and was able to tackle this in 45 minutes. I realize I am trained to do this and have lots of practice, but I believe any of you can do this if our follow these easy steps:
Step 1:
Remove all items from the space.
Yes, all items! It is important to take everything out and not just try to organize around things. This helps to become fully aware of what is in the space and allows you to hold each item and ask yourself “Do I need this anymore? Does it add value?”
Plus it’s just kind of fun. Looking at your clean slate will hopefully really excite you to really take on this hour of organization.
Step 2:
Sorting.
As you remove the items, sort them into piles of:
Keep
Trash/Recycle
Donate (I got rid of lots of kids coats that will not fit come next winter)
Move (Find another area in the house that is more appropriate)
I had carpet remnants, paint, gift bags, etc
Step 3:
Clean.
Once your space is empty- wipe down, vacuum, dust, etc. This just helps add that shine to all the hard work you just did.
Step 4:
Reclaim Your Space.
Once you have everything sorted, you can begin to the items back, I love this part!
I strategically place items back by putting items I use the least (this can vary based on the season) up on high shelves or on the far sides of the closet and work my way in/down so that most frequently used items are easily accessible. Even more important, is that frequently used items are easy to put back in their place!!!
Everything should have a “place”, otherwise things just get put wherever, and chaos sets in. I also look at the space and ask, "how is this space used"? This can also help me to determine how I will put things away. Ex. If I know my husband uses this closet for his shoes, I am going to put them on the lowest shelf of shoes so he can just kick them off into their place. If I put them on the top shoe shelf, they likely would not make it there and just be kicked onto the floor. Or, I know my kids use this to store their backpacks, so I added some 3M hooks so there is an actual place to put them so they can reach them. I love hooks!!
And.....Done!
Voila! In less than an hour, you can transform a small space! Watch out! It can be addicting! I have two spaces ready to go when I get another chunk of time!
What area of your home needs the organization power hour the most? Tell us in the comments!
