Getting and staying organized can incorporate many activities: reviewing and sorting clutter, gathering bins or other structural supplies, setting up systems for belongings, donating unwanted items, and more. All of these are important. However, there is one habit you can’t be organized without. Are you wondering what my best organizing tip is?
Clues to My Best Organizing Tip
First, let me give you a couple of clues:
- It doesn’t cost anything but time.
- It’s something that people of all ages can do, at least somewhat.
- It doesn’t require special equipment.
- It can feel unimportant in the moment and be easy to avoid.
- Without it, disorganization quickly escalates.
Did you figure it out? Here is a Haiku poem that might give you the answer:
Nothing asks to roam,
Each shape settled in its place,
The room breathes softly.
You may know it by now, but just in case, here’s a riddle that will surely seal the deal.
I am not a thing you own,
Yet I help all things be found.
Ignore me and clutter grows;
Follow me and calm comes round.
What am I?
My Best Organizing Tip
My best organizing tip is: put your things away as soon as possible.
Why This Tip Matters
I understand that life is busy and both time and energy are limited. Frequently, we are trying to juggle multiple tasks at once. It can be very tempting to put items down instead of away. When we are rushing or stressed, taking an extra couple of minutes to put things away can feel difficult.
But here is the catch: when we delay putting something away, we create more work for ourselves later.
Why? Because at a minimum, it will take the same amount of time to put an item away later. In many cases, it ends up taking longer.
Let’s look at a few examples.
Filing Paperwork
Your child, employee, boss, or spouse walks in with a paper you need to file. If you do it right away, perhaps it will take two minutes to walk across the room, open a file drawer, find the appropriate hanging file, and put it inside. Alternatively, it might take only a minute to tuck it into a “To File” folder that you process once a week. (If you need help with setting up a filing system, click here.)
Now let’s say that instead of putting it away, you put it on the kitchen counter/desk. Odds are that something else will get piled on top of that paper during the course of the day. As a result, when you go to put it away, you will need to dig it out from underneath the pile (which takes time), and then spend two minutes filing it.
Furthermore, once the paper is out of sight, you may forget about it. As a result, when you need to access that piece of paper in the future, you will waste a lot of time hunting for it.
Putting Laundry Away
Laundry often gets stuck at some point in the process: it doesn’t make it into the hamper, doesn’t get taken out of the dryer and folded, or doesn’t get put away in drawers and closets once folded. If you move laundry from one step to another within a reasonable period of time (e.g., within a couple of hours), each task takes a few minutes.
However, if you allow laundry to linger, such as letting it sit in the washing machine too long or piled up unfolded, you end up having to wash or refresh the clothes all over again.
In addition, when clothing gets stuck at one stage of the process, we lose track of exactly where it is. (“Did I wash that?”)
Travel Gear
One of the most common times we delay putting things away is immediately after a trip. We feel the need to jump back into the routine and get ready to resume normal daily functions. Items can get left in a suitcase for days, week, or even months.
If we commit to unpack within 24 hours, we may spend 30 minutes walking around and placing items where they belong.
In contrast, when we leave items in a suitcase, we tend to forget about them. Our eyes adjust to seeing the suitcase on the floor, and we end up putting other things on top of it. We may end up purchasing things that we forgot were in the suitcase. Plus, the contents of the suitcase can become wrinkled, musty, or worse.
When we delay putting things away, we risk creating future hassles, expenses, and projects.
When You Can’t Put Things Away
Putting things away in the moment (or soon thereafter) is the goal. However, I know that we don’t always have the bandwidth to move belongings to their final destination right away. For instance, maybe we are watching small children and can’t leave them unattended to run something upstairs, or we’ve come in from a meeting, put things down to grab lunch, and now need to dash out again quickly.
I have two suggestions for these types of situations:
First, make an effort to get things one step closer to their “home.” Put things on the stairs so they can be carried up on the next trip, stage items that belong in the car on a table near the door, move groceries to the kitchen island to be put away before bedtime. Do whatever is possible to make the job easier in the future, and then continue to move items closer to their storage location until you get them there.
Second, set up regular intervals in your day when you will walk around and put things away. Think of this as your daily “reset” time, at least one time a day when you will return items to their rightful homes. Some people find it helpful to do both a morning and evening reset. Some even reset whenever they finish working in one space and move on to another.
* * *
There are always excuses we can generate to avoid making the effort to return things to their place: we don’t have time, we just want to relax, it’s inconvenient, etc. But putting things away is one simple way to be kind to your future self. It helps ensure that you can easily find what you need, when you need it.
What’s your best tip for being organized?
I am SO good about this with everything EXCEPT paperwork…you know, the stuff that you need to file. Ugh. Part of my issue is I keep my files in tubs in the basement and some days I have no reason to go down there, so I start a pile. When I do go down there, I tend to not file it, but just put it on top of the tub it should go in. I HAVE to get better at that.
My best tip for staying organized…keeping up with our family joke and never being ashamed about it. We have this running joke in our house that I can find ANYTHING in two minutes or less. I HATE the walk of shame if I can’t. Talk about motivation!
I absolutely love your running family joke, Kerith! You really have your act together! The basement stairs and the lids on the tubs are what I call “barriers”… they are obstacles that make it just hard enough to put something away that it is a deterrent to following through. Maybe you need to get a filing ottoman that can be more convenient. Remove the barrier, and I’m sure you will put it away. Way to go!!
if my hubby was reading this he would scream it aloud. this is my bad habit and I have to work hard to make sure I do not let this take over.
Sometimes I want to scream this too:) You have really hit the nail on the head, though… its a habit! And new habits CAN be formed! You can do it, Karen!!
YES!!! What a simple but amazing tip!!!
Thanks, Susannah. It really is simple, but it can also be surprisingly difficult. But like many things, its a habit. Once we form a habit, we do it automatically:)
I know this is true, but I’m terrible about it!!! Argh… Gotta work on building the good habit of putting stuff away.
You are right on, Sarah. It’s a habit — hard to form at first, but totally worth it in the long run!
Ugh putting something away is the biggest battle in our house! And it is so simple to do! LOL 🙂 So glad to visit you! Jodi (LOBS)
Thanks so much for stopping by, Jodi. And I know… it isn’t rocket science, but it can be a hard habit to put in place. It’s definitely worth the effort though, because once it becomes habit, it will be automatic!
This is so true and easy, but so hard to do sometimes! I think taking the the time to do it would easily result in forming a habit of just getting it done… with time.
Totally agree, Savanna. It is a habit. Forming new habits can be hard, but the good news is that once we form one, they become “automatic” and we perform them without thinking about it. That’s the win!
Filing. Ugh.
My cabinet is a foot to my left, yet I constantly pile my paperwork on top of the file instead of inside. Then when it starts to cascade to the floor because the pile is too high, THEN I take the time to file.
Sigh.
Perhaps I will start filing right away. 🙂
Thanks for the nudge.
If it is any comfort, paperwork is the #1 issue I help clients with – everyone struggles on this one!
Well said Seanna, I was jus saying that exact thing to a client I am working with this week. To stop piles, put items back where they belong right away.
Thanks, Jill. It’s tough to convince people that it actually saves them time – but we carry on trying, right?
My best tip is similar to what you said – deal with paperwork or tasks asap and then put things where they belong. I love your point about taking more time – so true. Why not put things away now in less time than it will take you to put it away later? I wonder if my husband and kids would buy into that. It’s hard to be the most organized person in the house!
I don’t know about you, Dana, but somehow my family doesn’t appreciate all the great organizing advice I have to give them:) Can’t understand…!
HI Seana! I tried to leave you a comment on google plus and was having difficulty. I love this tip! I try to tell my daughter this all the time and her room is living proof of what happens when you don’t put things back, or clothes in the hamper, etc., etc.
Is your daughter a teenager? I’ve got one of those too:) I tend to just close the door on her space. But in my zone of the house – don’t you dare put anything down! My poor family….
This really is the best tip. I’m not always good at putting things away immediately, but I make it a priority for things like laundry and mail. Those two items seem to just pile up higher and higher if you don’t do it straight away. Now if I could just make myself put everything else away immediately…..
If you are dealing with mail and laundry, I give you the gold star, Leslie! I agree that the paperwork seems to pile up like weeds!!
You are SO right! I am the worst at this. The worst. I just leave things for my husband, or worse, for me? And of course it builds up.
Well, we all have our strengths, right Tamara? But you can start by just putting one type of item away faithfully – and then it will often spread out into others when you build some confidence… like maybe always hang up keys, or just tackle the mail daily..?
Oh Seana, you took the words right out of my mouth! Since I’m the type of person who absolutely HATES clutter, this has got to be a stickler for me. To go along with what you’ve mentioned, I also know that in order for this to work…there must be a place for EVERYTHING! As always…thanks for sharing with us Seana! Have a lovely rest of your week!
You are absolutely right, Michell. First you’ve gotta have a home for things (hard to put something back if there is no “back”). You and I could be roommates – no clutter zones galore:)
I have to agree with you, Seana. I don’t know when I developed this habit, but I do remember a time when one of my weekend chores was to put away all the stuff I’d brought home and dumped on the coffee table or elsewhere throughout the week.
Another valuable strategy I’ve learned is to do a walkaround every day, just tidying up and returning things to their proper homes. This takes less and less time as tip #1 becomes an ingrained habit.
That’s so true, Janet. If you get in the habit of putting stuff away, then the daily “restore order” isn’t such a big deal. This is one of the truths that just seems so hard to embrace in the moment. But hey, we can all have goals and you never know!!
I’m happy to report all these years later that I no longer need a daily walkaround – once a week or so is enough for me and my even-more-organized spouse!
Wow – #lifetimegoals! That shows what great systems you have in place, Janet. Way to go!
Putting away paperwork is what makes me crazy. If I file it, I forget to check the file. If I leave it out, you are right that stuff gets piled on top of it…so I still forget about it! Can’t win!
I hear that, Amy! For many of us, out of sight is out of mind. There are some tricks we can use to remind us of what we need to do/read/pay/etc.. maybe I should write a blog on that:) Thanks for your comment!!
I am awful with doing this. We have piles of STUFF everywhere. I really need to just start putting things away properly. One day…
And looking at piles of stuff can make it seem like a huge job, right Amber? BUT, you can start with a very small area… like the entry table or corner of a desk. Don’t get discouraged.. you can do it!
Oops – looking around at my office I have definitely not been following this one but I can also see from that why it’s important. There’s always time to file away one piece of paper but never time to file 500 right?
You’ve captured it in a nutshell, Ana. A stack of 500 papers is simply intimidating! But a clear desk… Ahhhhh!
I love this idea! I’d like to put away things as much as I can and when I’m not able to do it, I usually go back to it right away so I can keep it.
I’m guessing you have a pretty clutter-free space! I’m like you… if I can’t do it in the moment, I go back to it as soon as I can:)
Paperwork is my nemesis, which I know we have talked about. I don’t have a good system. I need to sit down and figure it out and get it under control!
Paperwork is pretty much everyone’s nemesis, Michelle:) But having a system at least gives you a place to be ABLE to put it away, which is a great feeling! Good luck in the snow!
One of the mantras I teach clients is ‘don’t put it down, put it away’. All your examples are spot on, Seana. It is an organizing tip to keep top of mind.
Yes, yes, Diane. Put it away, not down. Of course, this means we need an “away” place to put it. But if we don’t have that space, we can always create one. 🙂
This is so simple but so helpful, Seana. It’s so satisfying to get someone to stop putting things down and start putting things away. Your point about items getting one step closer to home is exactly the right way to frame it for people who can’t always do it in one go.
I use the one step closer approach myself, especially for items that need to go upstairs. Anytime we make a task easier, it’s a win.
This is THE #1 rule of getting and staying organized. Don’t put things down, put them away! Your approach is 100% the best!
As a professional organizer, you’d expect me to be good at all of these, and I am at most. When I get back from a trip, I open my carry-on and my suitcase and immediately put everything except the laundry away, no matter what time it is. (All the toiletries, all the meds, all the electronic paraphernalia, because I’m going to need it all first thing in the morning, if not sooner. And the suitcase and bag go back to their pre-travel staging area.) If it’s enough before midnight, I do at least the first load of laundry, but either way, I sort the laundry and get the first load into the washer.
Laundry was the bane of my existence in the first half of my life because I had to go to a laundromat or laundry room; having my own washer/dryer made it easy, because everything goes in the basket or washer, and everything gets easily walked to the dresser or closet when it’s done. And I’m a paper person (hey, I’m Paper Doll!), so that’s not a huge issue — it goes in the tickler file if it’s action-oriented, or it gets filed or tossed ASAP.
But I’ll admit, I’m terrible at putting the cordless phones back in their bases, my glasses back in their cases, and coats back in the coat closet. (My coat closet it downstairs, against an outside wall, and everything else is upstairs. During chilly season, I take off my coat upstairs and never put it back in the closet, just hanging it on the back of a chair, to keep from having to PUT ON a cold jacket or coat. I tried a coat rack, but it always fell over. I’ve given myself permission to abide this kind of clutter, but I still don’t like it.) And I find I don’t put the popcorn maker away because I can never decide if I’m going to make more, and somehow it feels harder to imagine taking it out ever again if I put it away. All edge cases, but it just proves there’s always room for improvement.
I can totally understand not wanting to put on a cold coat. My husband prefers hanging coats and jackets on the kitchen table chairs. He just keeps adding to them, even though he walks past a mudroom that has easy-to-use hooks. I have to admit, I don’t get it. However, for the sake of marital harmony, I try and let it go. We can acclimate to things if they serve us well.
In-home laundry is a game changer. It’s almost the most important thing about an apartment IMHO. That and convenient, covered parking. I used to have to carry all my laundry down two flights of stairs to a dingy basement. Now I have upstairs laundry, and it has totally made the whole task way more pleasant. Turns out it was the schlepping that I hated most.
You are so right. Putting things away as soon as possible is very important to keeping a restful and peaceful home.
I know that sometimes you come home late and extremely tired and the idea of even a few more steps to put things away is overwhelming. That’s when on the next morning you do a daily reset.
Exactly. Putting things away shouldn’t be a painful task. Ideally, it is a discipline that you repeat almost mindlessly. If you are exhausted and it is 2am, maybe you do it the next day. The goal is to never let it go on so long that the task becomes overwhelming.
I love how you made this fun and kept us guessing! But here is the truth! “when we delay putting something away, we create more work for ourselves later. Why? Because at a minimum, it will take the same amount of time to put an item away later. In many cases, it ends up taking longer.” Boom!
It backfires on me every time I delay!