Organization

It’s that time again. We need to clean out the garage, but I hate this chore. I love to organize and put things in their place, but the garage has too many pitfalls to make me tempted to tackle it voluntarily. I am overwhelmed by the scope of the job. Typically, we reach Code Red status before I drag Darrell out there to begin working on the disorganized chaos. There are several reasons why I struggle – as many people do with major projects like this – and it often begins with my organization.

Organized Thinking

Organization begins within us and how we think. When striving to improve organizational skills, it is important to consider where the breakdown occurs. Once I organized my thoughts about how we will clean the garage, it is easier for me to divide my time, space, and stuff.

Organization of the mind includes the way in which you prepare and think about things. Whether this thinking is intuitive or a learned skill, the ability to proceed logically is paramount. If I can’t begin to fathom how to begin in the garage or what to do with the items we will uncover, then I will get stuck. To avoid this paralysis, I need to prepare mentally. This is not adopting an “I can do it” attitude. Instead, this critical step involves some realistic problem-solving. Where will the unwanted items go? Where are the clutter spots? How could the space be better organized? What is my ultimate goal for the garage? What is most frustrating and needs immediate attention? These are just some of the preparations I need to make mentally before I ever begin the physical task. It feels counterproductive to spend time thinking about cleaning rather than just jumping in, but there is a great return on my investment. 

Once I understand my final goal, I can map out (physically and/or mentally) the space. Where should things be located? Do I need storage devices like shelves or bins? Is there an easier way to access stored items or keep them safe? Mapping it out may include a physical floor map, but it might include a flow map as well. How will it work when I need to grab extra paper towels? How easily can I access the second fridge or the cleaning supplies or even get into my vehicle? By considering these frequent traffic patterns, I anticipate problems and can avoid congested areas, clutter spots, and under-utilized space in the most convenient locations. 

Next, I need to create a task list for the entire project. The critical step of breaking down tasks into individual steps forces me to slow down and consider all the actions necessary for each part of the project. So, for my garage project I might list sweeping the floor, clearing out trash and unwanted items, wiping down shelves, installing hooks by the door for the grill tools, or repairing the fridge handle. When I list the individual tasks required for each part, I give my brain an opportunity to consider several aspects: How long might this take? What supplies will I need to complete this? Which steps will generate another related task? If I decide that it makes the most sense to move the paper towels, toilet paper, and other frequently accessed items closest to the door, then I also have to consider where will the items currently placed by the door be relocated? There is often a cascade effect – if I want to start by relocating those high-use items, then I begin by sorting and moving out the things that are currently in the way. Those are listed separately. 

When we clean our garage, one of our biggest hurdles is what to do with unwanted items. Considering my options and preparing mentally means that I gather boxes for donations, borrow a truck, or rent a dumpster. One year we “accidently” cleaned out the garage the morning of the neighborhood yard sale and others removed our discarded items for us. I may also gather cleaning supplies we will use and make sure we have the tools needed for the repairs we need to make. 

By clustering tasks, supplies and small tasks within the whole project, I also provide natural stopping points if a single large chunk of time isn’t available. Perhaps the first day is just to remove the items from the area where I would like to move the paper towels and tissues. Day two can be cleaning the space and organizing the often-used items to their new home. By breaking the enormous job into smaller ones, I minimize the feelings of being overwhelmed. I can also better anticipate the time I need for the smaller jobs, which means I can better plan for stopping points. Finally, I will likely begin the project more easily since I am not waiting for an entire free day, but I can capture smaller segments of free time to do a portion of the major project. 

While many want to rush immediately into the DOING part, I encourage you to spend a few moments considering the smaller tasks and supplies for a given project. Whether it is cleaning out the garage, throwing a party, moving to a new home, or creating a presentation for work, an organized mind is the first step toward success. 

Organized Time

Time is one of the few features that all people share in the exact same amount. You are given the same number of minutes each day that achieving CEO’s, entrepreneurs, inventors, performers, and top-notch sales team members have. Finding ways to reduce wasted moments and re-allocating our time are critical steps.

Building stronger organizational skills and patterns usually include time awareness. If you procrastinate even smaller jobs like picking up clutter, running errands or even cleaning your home, it may be time to consider your awareness of time. Because you perceive it takes forever to complete a task, you will wait until you have a huge stretch of time. I challenged a client to time himself on those kinds of tasks, to get a feel for true time. For each of those procrastinated tasks, he timed how long it took him to complete it. He was surprised to find many tasks were less time consuming than he perceived. This enabled him to establish some patterns and rules regarding what needed immediate attention throughout the day and which tasks could be broken apart or even clustered to streamline productivity. 

Another client struggled to find time for a new project since there were no large blocks of time to dedicate to the new venture. We began by mapping her day to get a strong visual for her. We used two clock faces side-by-side. One represented 12:00 AM to 11:59 AM; the other represented 12:00 PM to 11:59 PM. Since her schedule was consistent day-to-day, we agreed that completing one pair for the work week would be sufficient as a start.

She began by marking the typical hours she slept and shaded in those segments on all the clocks. Next, she marked and shaded the time she typically spent in her morning and bedtime routines. She proceeded through her day with the fixed elements of her schedule like mealtimes and other regularly scheduled events (carpool, exercise classes, work, chores, meetings, etc). Then, she listed separately those times that are optional and vary greatly (time with friends, hobbies, self-care, etc). We agreed that most of those items were addressed during the weekends and wouldn’t impact her weekly schedule very often. 

So, we moved to evaluate her blank spaces. She considered her needs and ultimate goals and elected to make some shifts. She was willing to compromise her socializing at lunch twice a week by choosing to eat in her office. Additionally, by delegating some of her obligations and dedicating just an extra 15 minutes from her morning and bedtime routines, we were able to capture daily dedicated time devoted to her new project. 

Time management is often an exercise that feels like a jigsaw puzzle – which piece can fit here? How can I make this work to facilitate meeting my goals? Setting aside the time to examine and evaluate your own time usage is a critical step to finding ways to organize your life differently. 

My garage project felt overwhelming until I created a master list of all the segmented pieces. I was more easily able to complete one of the segments in one of my smaller pockets of time. Some of those only required my devoted attention for 15 or 20 minutes. So, while it took more weeks on the calendar to mark it as complete, my time was most efficiently dedicated and fewer hours were wasted. The slow and steady pace kicked my procrastination to the curb – along with a hefty load of donated and trashed items. 

Organized Space and Stuff

Just as we need to organize our thinking and time, sometimes we need to consider how our spaces are contributing to our disorganization. While some prefer clean, tidy spaces, and others do not mind some clutter; all benefit from having organizational systems that work for them. 

I am a pile person. I own it. I tend to prefer larger horizontal surfaces and often pile frequently used items. I have found stackers and drawers can help when space is limited. But I can acknowledge it is pretty unlikely that I will ever have a completely clear desktop. 

Additionally, I have clutter zones in different spots in my world and each need attention regularly. Many will agree that the most expedient solution is to tackle any task immediately if it takes less than 2 minutes to complete. This idea led me to develop good habits in my own life built around the same principle. I established “rules” that I follow about hanging up clothes, putting away laundry, unpacking – groceries and suitcases – and emptying the trash from my car. These habits have helped me prevent some of the Code Red circumstances like my chaotic garage. 

Most of us perceive that the “right” organizational tools/cute desk organizer, perfect pantry containers, etc. will prevent clutter zones. Those things can be very helpful and worth it. For some, it leads to the desire to keep the area “pretty” and it is easier to regularly tidy the space. Sometimes organizing our spaces requires us to think differently and delegate.

One of the best dinner parties I attended was when I was made to feel useful and appreciated. As usual, when we arrived, we asked the hostess if there was anything we could do to help. She eagerly said yes and handed each of us a bowl or platter of food. She had anticipated and had laid out place cards with the title of each item on the serving counter. We each knew exactly where to put our bowl or platter. Not only did we feel good about helping, it meant that she didn’t have to do all the work herself and was free to devote her energy and focus on her guests.

In my garage, I have tried many organizational systems and layouts. After twenty years, I am still refining our patterns and needs. I have learned to keep a trash can near my husband’s car door. He is more apt to clean out his car each evening if it is easy to toss the refuse. We also learned the expensive way that the cool gadgets that were supposed to eliminate all the clutter and chaos, were just gadgets sometimes. I am savvy now about what works for us and what just looks cool.

For some, the most critical step is just eliminating some of the stuff. Americans seem to be prone to keeping a lot of stuff. Most of us have space and we have so many shopping options that we sometimes accumulate more than we need. Without scaling back enough to live in a tiny house, most of us could benefit from eliminating some needless clutter. 

In closing, be cautious about organizing your space and stuff before considering the ideal scope and sequence of the project. By efficiently evaluating the task and time required in the beginning, most projects will flow more easily and will have stronger longevity. I’m off to work in the garage …