Organize Your Home To Spark Joy For You Everyday

It seems like most people I know are making their New Year’s Resolution to organize and declutter items no longer serving a purpose or sparking joy.  This is great and all, but I’ve always found it is important to be practical about how everyday activities mean daily upkeep for a tidy home, its not just about spending a weekend to take on the large and daunting task of purging unnecessary items and finding a place for everything.  While that is a great starting point, here a few habits to adopt to maintain order and subsequently make your home one to spark joy for you everyday:

Always Leave A Room With Two Things To Put Away:  If you have children, or a significant other who just acts like a child, maybe make it three things, but you will find after doing this for a week or so (and encouraging everyone else to get into the habit as well), you’ll be pleasantly surprised how this small gesture maintains order and prevents feeling overwhelmed at the sight of total disorder if left unattended for days.

One-Touch Rule:  Adopt this mindset and you will never spend another second of your life searching for your other shoe (or keys, or wallet).  If put in its designated place from the start, an item is only touched once until you next time you need it.  Think about the dirty dish you are about to put in the sink when it belongs in the dishwasher (touch #1).  Here is what happens next: other dishes pile on top of it until its overflowing, so you move everything onto the counter (touch #2) and begin loading everything into the dishwasher (touch #3).  It takes as much effort to put that same dirty dish in the dishwasher which is literally right next to the sink.  Have you ever woken up to a perfectly clean kitchen?  Trust me, you will love it.

Avoid the ‘Clutter to Maintain Clutter’ Complex:  While there is tremendous value in finding an organizing unit solution for a chaotic spot you are constantly trying to keep in order, if you’re not properly putting it to use, its only more clutter.  Oh, the irony.  If you find yourself shopping for a catch-all to hold all your other catch-alls that hold all the random stuff you don’t know what else to with, you’re not organizing, you’re just finding new ways to store clutter.  Know specifically what needs a storage solution BEFORE shopping for organizing accoutrement (spice rack perhaps?)

Got a minute? De-Stress and Create Order:  When you find yourself with a minute to spare, take the opportunity to get a small area in order, like that utility drawer or the kitchen cabinet with the baking sheet avalanche every time you open it.  You will be amazed how satisfying this practice becomes and how eliminating the clutter also eliminates stress you only recognize was causing stress once its gone.

Abide by these four methods and you will notice everything falling into place, seemingly on its own, but its all you and your new year’s resolution habits replacing the old bad habits.  You can find inspiration and check out what we have to offer by visiting our showroom in Bellingham!