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Since December, this space has been dedicated to local experts that can help us with some of the most common New Year’s Resolutions (as determined by a highly unscientific Googling of the topic).  So far we have looked at Going Green, Eating Healthier, Getting Your Financial House in Order, Losing Weight and Getting Fit.  This week we wrap up the series by Getting Organized.

Whether it’s a drawer, closet, guestroom or your entire basement, everybody has that space that is an un-tamable mess.  I personally have rearranged a hall closet no fewer than three times in the last five years and it still taunts me with both empty, wasted space and the inability to shut the door properly because of “stuff” overflow.  Who knew opposites could exist in the same space?  Jill Lawrence, CPO-CD® has seen that and more.  Formerly a documentary producer for NPR, Lawrence is credentialed by the National Association of Professional Organizers and is also a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization.  Jill does not have closets like mine in her home.  Her business, Jill-of-all-Trades, has been eradicating clutter since 1996, so I asked Lawrence what organization really means and picked up some tips for getting started.

Lawrence laments what she calls the “organization myths” perpetuated by magazines like Real Simple and television shows like Mission Organization and Clean Sweep.  “They give people the impression that [the process] is very quick or that you’re not organized unless your house looks like a museum. People develop expectations from that so they don’t try at all because they’re stuck at this idea of perfection.”  Instead of pretty baskets with lids on high shelves, Lawrence advocates clean bins with no lids and bold labels.  She believes a simple, structured approach is more realistic than something prissy or fastidious.  “If you want, you can add that after you get the structural stuff done, but if that’s what you’re holding up as your end product then you’ll procrastinate.”

What things look like on the surface doesn’t always tell the whole story either.  There is a difference between being neat and being organized.  Things may be messy on the surface because you’re engaged in some activity but, according to Lawrence, “the key is that all the drawers, closets and storage are completely understandable, logical and accessible. The purpose of being organized is not to have an immaculate home.  Many immaculate homes are actually disorganized.  You see a beautiful, decorated environment, not a thing out of place, but open the closets, the spare bedroom, the garage and you can’t find anything.”

Getting Started
Lawrence says the best approach is to tackle one room at a time – don’t jump around.  Get some open boxes with labels to sort through things that will stay in that room plus “destination” boxes for things that should go elsewhere: garage, kid’s room, media, cleaning, garbage, etc.

Sort through everything and find a home for things that are staying; take destination boxes to their respective spots, but don’t feel the need to empty them right away.  Instead, some things may need to wait until you decide to tackle that room.

Store seasonal things tucked as far away as possible.  Store everyday things in accessible spots between your nose and your knees.  And absolutely no lids.

What about after you’ve sorted through everything and still seem to have more stuff than space?  To Lawrence’s eyes there’s always more space.  When she does whole house assessments, she finds there are all kinds of creative, useful spaces, like storing blankets behind the sofa.

Most importantly, Lawrence feels the structure should make it easy to keep up.  “You should be able to do something simple like set aside a certain hour [each week] to get things in order. Everything is grouped together so that makes it easy to maintain for everyone in the house.”

Beyond Organization
Lawrence doesn’t believe in organization for its own sake.  She has seen many health benefits for her clients.  “People tell me I’m better than Paxil!”  The way she sees it, it unlocks benefits by not wasting so much time and stress panicking over lost items.  “It’s your house and it should sing to you in a happy way.  You have 24-hour stress when you live with clutter and disorganization.  You don’t have to have stress at home.  It can be the place where you replenish your resources.”

Jill’s energy is contagious.  I went home and tackled my bedroom.  It is one of those spaces that look neat on the surface, but open up a few drawers and its chaos.  In two hours I had a bag of garbage and two bags of recycling.  I found dusty magazines from 2005 and some Christmas presents I’d picked up … for last year.  I felt quite a relief getting rid of all the things I didn’t need and finally being able to see the essentials that were left.  Next stop:  the hall closet.