Organizing principles

[iris lilies]

Here we can talk about our favorite, organizing principles.


We all have talked about the importance of having a place in your home for everything. If there’s no place for it, it doesn’t get to live in my home! Well, yeah, I’m not there yet. As we finish construction on each room here, it gets set up With its permanent “stuff “

Another organizing principle I’ve been talking to DH about is: all of his clothes are in one place. He keeps bringing bits and pieces of clothing down from our unfinished guest room, where he has boxes and boxes piled. I don’t know why he can’t get all of his clothes in one place so we can see what’s there.

So I guess another organizing principle is this: all like things in one place.

[frugal-one]

The most efficient way for me to get things done is to make a “ to do” list. Whenever I think of things that should be done I put it on the list. If I don’t do this I either forget or procrastinate…

Also some things are done routinely… such as bedsheets are always washed on Sunday rather than wonder when they were last washed. Also find it easier to grocery shop the same day each week with a list.

[catherine]

So, I try to abide by the 80/20 rule for all my stuff--if the Pareto Principle is correct that I use only 20% of things 80% of the time, I only want that 20% in my house. The other 80% can go somewhere else, like the storage unit, our sheds, or to the local thrift store.

DH does not abide by this rule.. he has a lot more clothes than I do, and he started out with maybe 60% of our closet--and he's now at about 80%. He has everything in there from his overalls to his fancy suit, and even his Santa costume is in it. I've tried to tell him to take out the things he doesn't wear much and put them in the closet in our 2nd bedroom, but he won't do it. Thankfully, I don't have too many clothes I hang up, because it's like getting to Narnia through the wardrobe to find my sweaters.

My second organizing principle is my Bullet Journal. There, I'm with Tradd. I have a very hardcore routine every morning--I make out a page per day and I note appointments, things I MUST do and things I'd like to do if I have time, and I also capture a series of metrics I follow to wind up with a "Masterpiece Day." I also use it to mark anything notable that happened--things I might want to track.

[pinkytoe]

all like things in one place.

I am very organized by nature but struggle with things moving around in a multi-level house no matter how I try to keep up with them. Which floor did I leave my shoes, glasses, phone on? I tried multiple pairs of reading glasses on each floor but they all end up on one floor.

[iris lilies]

I am very organized by nature but struggle with things moving around in a multi-level house no matter how I try to keep up with them. Which floor did I leave my shoes, glasses, phone on? I tried multiple pairs of reading glasses on each floor but they all end up on one floor.

Yes, I agree with that. I have hand lotion on two floors along with bobby pins, aspirin, and a few things like that. I sleep on the second floor, so I don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to go downstairs. And by the way, we STILL have no handrails on that staircase. It’s still a construction staircase in progress.

[herbgeek]

In addition to all things in one place, I'm a big fan of grouping sub items within a larger box for easier retrieval. For example in my sewing box, i have a ziploc bag of sewing needles, and another bag of buttons. I don't have to dump out the entire box to get what i need, I'm more likely to put it back in the right place and the box stays organized over time- except when im in a rush, throw it in anywhere and lie to myself I'll get to it later.

[rosarugosa]

I am very methodical about where I put things, even (maybe especially) if I am setting them down briefly. If my slippers are not on my feet, they are beside the bed or in the closet. If my phone is not in my handbag or in use, there are only about 1/2 dozen places I would set it down in the house, so if I'm looking for it, the search never takes long. This is kind of a sub-category of "everything in it's place," but I believe it's one of the reasons why we are always looking for DH's things and I almost always know where my things are.

[nswef]

herbgeek, I hadn't thought of bagging like items in sewing...but I've been doing it with drugs/meds/bandaids etc. A bag for stomach stuff, a bag for ointments, a bag for nail grooming etc.

rosa, I am very careful about where my shoes are so I don't trip over them! I've been able to keep the reading glasses in their set spaces, too.

[rosarugosa]

Herb: I do something similar with my sewing box.
NSWEF: DH's reading glasses are one of the things we are always looking for!

[mschrisgo2]

I really only want things that I currently use, or I find truly beautiful AND have a place for, in my home.
I am getting really close. My biggest weakness is not getting rid of the old when I buy a replacement- blender, shoes, worn out clothes. I’m doing better with the clothes since I found a local textile recycler.
I do have a shed with outdoor furniture (right now) and garden stuff and tools. I went thru it a month or so ago, gave away a few things, trashed a bunch. I have a small pile of things here to take to my daughter this coming week (she said she wanted them).