How To Get Organized During the Holidays
Disclosure: I am a #TalkEarly ambassador. All thoughts, opinions and clutter are purely my own. Last year, I met an organizing guru and had to fight the urge to kidnap her and make her get my house right. Sadly, I lack the strength, both physically and financially to make this happen.
So, I just sat there nodding my head and smiling til I felt like a crazy person because Rachel was speaking to my soul.
I stalk follow her on Instagram and have yet to find something that doesn't speak to my organizing heart.
During our #TalkEarly Summit last year, Rachel talked about how our lives aren't curated. As influencers especially, we feel the need to keep the clutter out of our images and only show you the perfection that surrounds us. Want to see what currently surrounds me?
That's the real. I take those nice pics that you see on Instagram on my office floor. That pile that you see there was from me dumping out a box that I was clearing out (and not yet having found a space for the items that I am keeping). Organizing is a whole overwhelming thing but I've realized that I don't have to deal with it all at once. There are stages to it and I have to be conscious of a few things.
Tips that help me
I can't do it all at once. My favorite thing to do is to make proclamations about what I am going to do. Usually I say things like "I am building a rocket ship that can fly to the moon as soon as I wake up on Saturday". Well, I don't say that exactly but, I minuswell seeing as the things I take on are too big! #AriesProblems
Before there is organization, there has to be clutter. What does this mean? It means that I am going to have to pull out all the boxes in the garage to sort through things before figuring out what stays and what goes. This means that I will have 3.2 heart attacks in the process because seeing the garage look like it's preparing to be on the next episode of hoarders is slightly anxiety-inducing. Walking away and breathing coupled with telling myself that I HAVE to see what's there so I can make good decisions on what happens to the "things" is a good place to operate from
It's going to look worse before it looks better. My garage looked a tornado had run through it recently after I opened all the boxes I could find and started digging through it all. I'm still making my way through the logistics of where to put what was kept but, 10 boxes/bags went to Orlando Rescue Mission and I think I have another 5 boxes going to Goodwill after this weekend. I have a goal and a plan in mind and that's what matters!
Don't buy organizing products until you know what you're organizing. I cannot tell you how much money I've spent on bins, cubes, and other items that I was sure would help me get organized BEFORE I went through and decluttered to figure out WHAT I had to organize. Don't make this mistake, friends.
Have a goal in mind! For example, my goal is not just to declutter the garage, I made a little sketch of what I want the garage to look like in the near future. I look at it often, knowing that I still have a ways to go but that I've also come a long way.
One last thing...
I've done this with baby girl's room, my cluttered AF office, my closet, you name it. Everything can feel as if it's in a state of disarray which leads me to: show yourself some grace! I am only one person. And some days, I have to take it easy. I am NOT that person that will have everything done in one weekend. I'm taking little bites of this organizing cake!
Something I loved that Rachel said was around papers and mail. Y'ALL! Why is there so much mail?! WHY?!? WHYYYYYYYY?!? I loved the idea that she gave us about papers. Whether it's mail, our own office work or even the kid's school work. Here's what she says:
When it comes to papers, I subscribe to the “touch-once” principle, which means that each incoming item is dealt with as it comes in. I try not to let papers pile up without taking action, whether that be signing, filing, or recycling. The idea is to avoid holding onto things that you don’t need. It takes two minutes!
She is SOOO right! I am currently trying to find a box with a lid that I can keep by the front door so I can quickly sort them and they are not seen (because seeing paper clutter is the quickest way to get me anxious).
And guess what? With the holidays around the corner, I'm doing a once over, reviewing what I learned from Rachel and trying my hardest to keep my zen AF mentality. If things aren't as organized and picture perfect as I imagine they should be (hello, Instagram!), guess what? LIFE WILL GO ON. As long as I remember what's really important.
In being intentional this year, I've had to face the places where I fall short. Where I am not as present as I'd like to be. This season, it's not just about the presents I put under the tree but, about the clearing of my spaces (literal and figuratively) that will allow me to be present in the lives of those that love me.
I am my happiest in organized spaces. I am my healthiest mentally, in spaces where I can easily access the things in my life, when there's no clutter. This season, I'm continuing to give myself the gift of organization because it leads to the gift of being present in a more vibrant way.
Do you find yourself more stressed about organizing during the holidays? How do you cope?