The Power Of ONE

Do You…..
1.Spend too much time looking for things?
2.Spend too much money buying things you already have at home?
3.Struggle with not having enough storage space for all of your stuff?
4.Have food that expires or gets stale before it gets eaten?

One reoccurrence I frequently find when I enter the homes my clients is that they often have several bottles, cans, tubes, boxes, whatever it may be... of the same items.  From cleaning supplies and toiletries to food in the pantry, as I scan the space, staring back at me are doubles, triples and sometimes multitudes of the same items.  Additionally, it is not uncommon for me to find that many of these matching items have already been opened.  These extra items take up precious storage space and are at risk of going stale or expiring before they are used.  

Another frequent occurrence I find is that rather than the matching items being all together in one place, they are spread out in several different locations within the room or even multiple rooms.  This not only makes them hard to find when they are needed, but also creates a challenge to take inventory of what we need when it is time shop.   If this scenario describes your home, know that you are not alone; it is one of the most common reasons why so many of us struggle with clutter and frustration within our homes.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this problem, and I call it “THE POWER Of ONE.”    Although the following steps are not difficult, the challenge lies in changing your current routine, and mastering a new one that serves you better.   Changing a poor routine (or a bad habit) into a good one is the key to success. And while the new routine may be hard to stick to at first, you will find that the longer you discipline yourself to follow it, the easier it becomes.  Soon, you will be doing it without even thinking about it….and your organizing issue will be solved!

Let’s get started…

1. Using a pantry as an example, start by sorting all like items together so that you know how much of everything you have.   Place everything back on the shelf so that like items are stored together in ONE place.  Use containers and labels to keep categories of items together.  
2. Communicate with your family not to open more than ONE of the same items at a time. 
3. By storing like items together in ONE location, you will always know how much you have and where to find it.
4. Never shop without a grocery list.  This is how you avoid coming home with things you don’t need and without the things you did.  When you get down to ONE (or less depending on how quickly the item is consumed) box, bottle, can etc. of something, immediately add it to your grocery list.  When you shop, stick to your list and don’t buy on impulse.  You will be surprised how much money you save! 
5. For most items, buy just ONE replacement at a time, don’t fall for large quantity deals…they take up too much space and if it expires before you use it, you’ve wasted your money.  The exception to this rule is if you are buying either nonperishable essentials like toilet paper or paper towels, or food items that are used in mass quantities.  For example; we go through 5 gallons of milk a week.
6. Use this rule in every room in your house.  For example; have only ONE open bottle of shampoo in each shower with just ONE unopened bottle stored nearby.  Train yourself to stick to these rules and you will have mastered the POWER OF ONE!

​         Written By Laura Coufal

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