Follow these 5 steps to keep organizing as simple as possible:

Organizing is a January ritual, and with the welcoming of a new year, we’re ready to put those Christmas decorations away and make a tangible fresh start by getting our homes and offices in order.  It is also in January that most stores place many of their storage containers on sale so it’s a great time to get organized.  However, don’t go shopping just yet, it is best to  sort what you have first so that you don’t buy more containers than what you need.  The key to tackling an organizing project without becoming overwhelmed is breaking the job down into simple steps.  Follow these steps to keep the job as simple as possible: 

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1. Start with the space or room that is bothering you the most, organizing this space first will make you feel so good that you will be inspired to keep going!    
   
   
2. Pull everything out of the space and JUST sort like items together.  Don’t try and make any tough decisions about what not to keep just yet.  Create a toss pile, but for only for things that obviously need to go.   Create a second pile for items that either need to be returned to someone else or stored in another part of the home.  Plan to deal with these items LATER, so that they don’t distract you from your sorting process now. 
   
   
3. Once the sorting process is complete, it will be easier for you to stand back and evaluate what to keep or toss.  You’ll realize that you don’t need 35 drink cozies, unless of course, you are a large party thrower.  Keep about five of them and donate the rest.  Decisions can more easily be made about what to donate, recycle or toss now that everything has been sorted.
   
   
4. After decisions have been made, and you are left with only the items you want to keep, its time to shop for containers.  Be sure to measure your space to ensure that the containers you bring home will fit appropriately.   Keeping all like items together, put everything in separate containers .   Be sure to place the items you use most often, where they are easily accessible.   LABEL your storage bins.  This is an important step if you want your space to stay organized, especially if you want other family members to put things back where they belong.
   
   
5. Develop the “Do It Now” habit to maintain your newly organized space.  Commit yourself to putting things back in their proper places as soon as you are done with them.  This step is the most challenging but is also the KEY to staying organized once and for all.