Table of contents for Organizing Basics 2022 in Real Simple

MAYBE YOU WANT TO GET ORGANIZED but just can’t figure out how to begin. Or perhaps you’ve tried all sorts of techniques without enjoying any success. Whatever your past experience, now is the moment to stop stressing and start streamlining with the no-fail organizing plan you’re holding in your hands. Think of us as your coaches and the four chapters that follow as your playbook. You don’t have to figure out everything this afternoon; you just need to make the first move. So start by getting inspired and mentally ready, then head for Chapter 2, where you’ll learn the most effective organizing techniques and tools to add to your clutter-busting kit. By the time you reach Chapter 3, you’ll be tackling some challenging clutter—but you’ll still be doing it…

A DEDICATED PLAY SPACE should mean the end of kid clutter, right? Not always, as one family found as they struggled to stay on top of the balls, blocks, and trucks that come with raising two young sons. They didn’t even have a place to sit in the room. The couple hired clutter coach Chip Cordelli, who had the family clear the room entirely so they could assess which items the boys truly used. “This should be a play space, not a storage space,” says Cordelli. He advises parents to devote real estate to the top-10 large playthings and move less-popular items into a closet, rotating as needed. With all of the unused items banished, the room now offered the family a haven to create together.…

Getting organized seems daunting. How do I mentally prepare to deal with clutter? JULIE BESTRY: Identify why you’re getting organized so that when you are struggling, you can remind yourself. And it’s not just about your living room or kitchen looking tidy. It’s so you can be comfortable inviting friends over to socialize or so you can see all your ingredients and embrace cooking healthfully. JANINE ADAMS: Create a vision for the space you want to organize first. If you have a sense of what the finished space will look like, it’s easier to reach it. WENDY BUGLIO: Articulate what it is you want to do in the space and how you want to feel in it. This will give you motivation when you are stuck and moving through…

YOU’VE COME SO FAR! YOU’VE CATEGORIZED YOUR BELONGINGS, thought through how you use each item, and shopped for containers to stash everything neatly. Now it’s time to lock in your system with labels. Think of labeling as the final to-do that helps maintain your newly organized life. Labels announce to everyone in the household what is stashed where, making it easy to find and replenish supplies. While labeling feels quite satisfying to some, like putting a pretty bow on a gift, to others it can feel like a time suck that’s restrictive—like a tight turtleneck you can’t stretch over time. But labels can be flexible and functional. Keep It Simple The key to following through with labeling is to tell yourself you have the right to change any label whenever…

IF YOU’RE LIKE MOST PEOPLE, you talk about time a lot, but much of what you’re saying falls into two categories: “I don’t have time for that!” and “Where did the time go?” To regain how you use your time, you need to understand how you’re actually spending it. GET REACQUAINTED WITH TIME When was the last time you wore a watch? Watched television in half-hour blocks? Looked at a calendar that summarized an entire month? Part of the reason you feel like you don’t have enough time is because you’re disconnected from time itself. Rediscover what 60 seconds or 10 minutes or an hour feels like by setting an old-school egg timer and carrying it with you for a day. If you find the ticking distracting—good! That’s time making itself…

THE URGE TO PURGE extends beyond rooms, closets, and cabinets. Read on to determine which beauty products, photos, mail items, and more to keep—and what to do with the rest. (Recycling isn’t just for the kitchen.) Get ready to open up your purse, medicine cabinet, and desk drawer and bring order to the chaos. 1 MAKEUP BAG STEP 1: ASSESS WHAT YOU’VE GOT. Lay out all your products on a large white sheet or towel. “A clean background is particularly helpful for seeing the colors and textures of your makeup,” explains makeup artist and beauty expert Jenny Patinkin. Categorize everything: Separate makeup, skin-care, and hair-care items into piles, then divide each pile into subcategories according to product type. Now get down to business: “If you haven’t even picked up a…

PAGES 4-5 NO-FAIL APPROACHES Wall ledges Mufansen shelf with hooks in white, clock Driini wooden analog clock in white—amazon.com. Bulletin board (similar) U-Brands square linen bulletin board—containerstore.com. Striped clutch (similar) Poppy + Sage halfmoon clutch in black stripe—verishop.com. Handbag (similar) large curved tote bag in white—anneklein.com. PAGES 24-25 TOOLS + SKILLS Yellow lidded container Sweejar Kitchen Canister—amazon.com. White shelf Ekby Alex shelf with drawers—ikea.com. Shelf brackets (similar) Everbilt white steel medium-duty shelf bracket—homedepot.com. Cruet Casafina simple ceramic olive oil cruet—food52.com. PAGES 28-35 CONTAINER SMARTS PAGES 28–29 Square basket Trellis Maze storage cube, plastic bins white stackable bins with label holder, caddy Favori storage caddy with wood handle, canisters Marie Kondo Cloud white modular containers, linen box Bigso Marten photo storage box with leather handles in linen—containerstore.com. Divided box The Beadery…

If you want to get organized but never have—or never have successfully—you need a no-fail decluttering plan. Our three-step approach is designed to save time (fewer closet excavations) and aggravation (no more pantry landslides). It might also erase guilt, since clutter reminds us of the decisions, big and little, that we’ve dodged. More shelf space is lovely, but more mental space is the real game changer. What will you do with yours? Step 1 The Prep CONFER WITH YOUR TEAM “It’s essential to get everyone in on the process to ensure buy-in. Without collaboration, it’s unlikely anyone will honor your unilateral decisions on where things live,” says New York City–based professional organizer Andrew Mellen. Spark your family’s interest by transforming a key shared space, like the mudroom or kitchen. “Organizing…

THE PILES WERE JUST TOO MUCH. To regain control of her townhouse’s closet, Joy Evans turned to Certified Professional Organizer Yvette Clay, owner of LivingOrder Austin, for some guidance. After assessing the situation, Clay determined the closet had plenty of space—but a major purge was needed. Once that was done, the appropriate organizing systems could be put into place. Clay’s key challenge to Joy: Get rid of anything you don’t regularly wear or use. Then move any non-clothes or accessories to where they truly belong. “My rule of thumb is that if you can’t wear it on your body, it shouldn’t live in the closet,” Clay says.…

HOLD ON JUST A MOMENT, excited storage shopper. Put down the credit card! Before you buy, you need to be certain that you’re purchasing the best solutions for your situation. Edit and Sort—then Buy Avoid the urge to buy new containers and storage products before getting organized. Buying before you sort and edit often forces a solution on you while wasting money and time spent selecting (and inevitably returning) purchases. “Products alone are never the answer,” says Lorie Marrero, retired professional organizer. “Your own habits and systems are most of the solution. After all, hooks don’t work if you don’t hang things on them.” Set up your system first, then go shopping knowing the number and exact sizes you truly need. Good Enough for Now Remind yourself that it’s OK…

1 COMMIT TO A CALENDAR Digital calendars work for visual thinkers, and paper planners are good for people who remember things better by writing them down. Some folks require a hybrid method: physical to-do lists for checking off tasks and an on-screen calendar for a big-picture view. If you’re always reaching for your planner, left, and forgetting to check your digital calendar, then rely on just your planner. Consider what hasn’t been helpful to you in the past, and switch to a different approach for a three-month trial run. Turn to “Take Your Time,” page 44, for more on calenders and other time-planning tools. 2 SORT BY COLOR Whether you’re working digitally or on paper, color-code items by type of event or family member so you can quickly see what’s…

Junk Drawer 1 MODULAR MIX Acrylic bins let you play Tetris to max out a drawer’s space, says Beth Penn, a professional organizer in Los Angeles and the author of The Little Book of Tidying. Tuck in a fun organizer—like a doughnut eraser to hold pushpins—for a happy moment whenever you open the drawer. 2 RECEIPT WRANGLER Use a small pouch to keep little papers like receipts and coupons from taking over. It holds about a week’s worth; when it’s full, it’s time to toss the ones you no longer need. 3 BIRTHDAY KIT Corral candles, matches, and spare balloons in one spot and—voilà—you're that pulled-together person who’s always party-ready. 4 POP OF PATTERN A decorative background (like adhesive wallpaper) makes your drawer instantly look better. 5 GRAB-AND-GO ROW…

JANINE ADAMS, a Certified Professional Organizer, is the owner of Peace of Mind Organizing. peaceofmindorganizing.com DR. SUSAN BARTELL is a nationally recognized psychologist, consultant, and multiple award-winning author. drsusanbartell.com JONDA BEATTIE is a professional organizer at Time Space Organization and the author of From Vision to Victory. timespaceorg.com WENDY BUGLIO is a Certified Professional Organizer, ADD Specialist, Chronic Disorganization Specialist, and productivity consultant. She owns Wendy Buglio Consulting LLC. wendybuglio.com DEBORAH CABRAL is a Certified Professional Organizer and a productivity and efficiency consultant. decluttercoachdeb.com YVETTE CLAY is a Certified Professional Organizer and owns LivingOrder Austin. livingorder.com/yvette-clay CHIP CORDELLI is an estate organizer and home decorator. Instagram: @vintage_treasure_snack ELLEN FAYE is an ICF Professional Certified Coach, IAC Certified Productivity Leadership Coach, and Certified Professional Organizer. ellenfaye.com AMANDA JEFFERSON is a KonMari-certified…

“THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX” was the mantra from professional organizer Deborah Cabral for homeowners Christy and Tony Brokens on how to work within the tight dimensions of their entry closet and find solutions for their family of six. Out went the traditional hanging bar and one of the top shelves, and in came the wall hooks mounted on 1×6 boards hung at two different heights. “Coat hooks are quicker and easier to use because they put everything you need right at your fingertips,” Cabral says. Woven bins organize items on the top shelf based on the weather—rain, sun, and snow. To ensure the closet remains clutter-free, everyone is limited to two in-season coats and two pairs of shoes. The new setup pleases parents and kids alike. “I can’t believe how…

STREAMLINE YOUR PHONE Leverage your phone’s features and curate the best apps in order to use your smartphone more effectively and efficiently. Regain Control in Three Steps 1 EVALUATE Take a hard look at what’s on your phone. Go through your apps—news, email, games, social media. Look at each one, weigh its functionality, and consider whether using it makes you feel good or lousy. Delete liberally—you can always bring an app back. 2 ORGANIZE YOUR HOME PAGE It’s prime real estate. Reserve it for the practical apps and tools you require regularly throughout your day, or any that support habits you hope to build (such as daily meditation). Dedicate the dock or navigation bar to your absolute favorites. 3 MAINTAIN Keep your phone decluttered as you would your closet by…

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