Organize+ Energize: 4 Organizing Projects to Tackle This Winter

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Wednesday, January 06, 2016

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalPDXOrganizing Expert

At the beginning of each quarter this year, I’ll be giving you projects you can tackle that will fit with the season. If you break your organizing projects into sections this year by season, you can have your entire home organized by the end of the year. Mark these projects on your calendar for the winter season and you’ll be on your way to running an organized, efficient and productive home. For the months of January, February, and March, you can work on the following projects.

Here are 4 projects to tackle this winter.

Home office. Don’t let your home office bleed out into the rest of your home. If you haven’t purged your files in a couple of years, it’s time to do this and free up some space for new information that’s entering. Be sure to have great systems in place to tackle your mail and any other correspondence that enters your office. If your systems aren’t working well, it’s time to re-evaluate how you are functioning and give your office an overhaul. Get it together and then you can focus on your time management skills. Re-organize and re-energize your office.

Mudroom/entryway.  This space is the most traveled through space in the home. Think about how you function in this space. Does it become a collection spot of shoes, book bags, hats, gloves, and random items? You want this space to be functional, but also create a space that is presentable when people walk through the door. One mistake people make is piling shoes into a bin by the door. How long does it take you to find a shoe or even a match to a shoe? How many shoes do you touch before you find the one you need? If you want to keep shoes here, incorporate a shoe rack that works well in this space. Do all of the coats need to be out and hanging on hooks or can some live in the closet? Switch out seasonal items in this area and just keep what you need for this season in this area.

Den/living room. You spend so much time in this room that items just start to blend in. If you really take a close look and pull apart the room, you’ll realize you don’t utilize half of what is kept there.  Are you holding on to old dusty magazines, VHS tapes, old CD’s, or random items that don’t belong in this room? Start decluttering and then think about what you really need to keep in this room.

Spare bedroom. This can be the black hole of the house. If this room doesn’t serve a purpose, it will be a collection room for things that don’t have a home. Before you start decluttering this room, create a vision of what you want this room to be. Do you need a craft room, home gym, or home office? Once you have a clear vision, you’ll be able to work towards something! You’ve been putting this room off for years. It’s time to tackle this room. You’ll feel like a weight has been lifted and you can breathe again. You’ll be wondering why you hadn’t tackled this room sooner.

Take a look at your calendar for the next few months and pen these projects in on days that you have a few hours to spare. Tackle these projects in 3 hours increments. Take a break after 3 hours and then continue on if you aren’t finished.  Choose the least stressful room first and take note how you feel after you are finished. You’ll be motivated and energized to continue with the rest of these projects!

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on talkstreamradio.com.   

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