TOYS

This year I will get organized.

It’s a popular New Year’s resolution, right up there with losing weight and saving money. At the end of the year, however, few of us are actually better organized. The reason isn’t what you would expect, though. It’s not a lack of time, effort, or willpower. It’s that we go about the process backwards.

Don’t believe it? What’s the first thing you do when it comes to getting organized?

Most of us rush out to purchase storage containers, organizers, and other products. For one thing, that’s the fun, “sexy” part of the process. Even if it weren’t, we think we will need some products to put new systems in place, and we’re usually right about that.

However, buying the products is almost the last step in the process if you want to do the job correctly. By correctly, I mean in a way that will work for your unique needs and save you time and effort from that day forward.

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against any of the organizing products out there or the stores that sell them. One hundred percent of the products work — they just don’t do the work for you. It’s akin to joining a gym and expecting to lose weight just by joining. The membership is great, but you have to go inside and exercise to get any benefit.

The real problem is that we buy the products before we know what we need. We haven’t done the planning necessary to see what will really work for us.

In this regard, organizing is like painting. At least 80 percent of the work involved in painting has nothing to do with brushes, rollers, or even paint. The time consuming work is in washing down the walls and taping around windows, doors, and baseboards. Once that prep work is done, the actual painting is a breeze.

Preparing for an organized life

Same with organizing. There is a lot of prep work involved, but once that is done, actually putting the items where they belong is fast and easy.

So, what’s the first step then?

It’s in figuring out what you need to organize. Begin by dividing your like items into three groups:

• Items to Keep
• Items to Donate
• Items to Throw Away

If you keep it, the item must be something you will actually use that is in good working order. If you have multiples of the same item, all but one will drop into the next category.

The only difference between items you keep and those you donate is whether you actually like and use the item. If you are going to donate an item, it should be in good working order. Be respectful of charities, and don’t give them faulty items they might innocently pass on to those in need. Items for donation are typically those that you simply don’t like. They either aren’t your style or color or something that fits into your lifestyle.

Finally, there are items for the trash. Anything that doesn’t work goes here unless you know someone who will actually repair it and use it or repair it and pass it along to someone else.

Let’s use holiday lights as an example since it’s time to store them. Say you have 38 strands of lights. Ten strands don’t work, so they go in the trash (unless you know someone who will actually take the time to repair them and use them). Four strands work well, but you simply don’t like them; they don’t match the others or are not your style. These four strands you will donate. That leaves you with 24 strands of lights that need to be stored.

Had you purchased containers for the lights before doing this work, you would probably have purchased more containers or larger ones than you actually need. In today’s economy, it’s essential to be wiser with our money.

Before we get to other examples, let me interject another important point. Storage containers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Consider how easy they are to move and whether they fit into your storage space. Some are so long, they are difficult to wrap your arms around or get up and down from the attic. Some are so large that when filled, they are too heavy to move up and down stairs.

A Pop Quiz

Now I want to see if you have been reading my past columns. Since I know you will skip to the bottom to find the answers, I’ll give them to you now.

1. What else should you consider as you purchase storage containers?
   Whether they will stack with your other containers. Choose a manufacturer you like and stay with them. New containers will then stack neatly on top of older ones.
2. What is the last step before you put the items in the container? (Hint: it will go on the outside of the container.)
   Take a picture of the contents. Tape that picture to the outside of the container so there is no question what’s inside.
3. What’s the most important criterion for choosing any organizing product?
   That it meets your needs. It doesn’t matter how great it is. If it doesn’t work in a way that helps you, don’t buy it.

Make your own systems

There are times when you don’t need to buy containers at all. Again, it depends on your needs and your space.

For example, there are lots of wonderful wreath holders for sale. I never buy them, however. I find it easier and less expensive for me to hang them in my attic. I put nails in the attic beams to hang the wreaths on. Then I slip a hanger in the wire on the back of the wreath and put the wreath in a garbage bag. The bag protects it from dust, and there is less damage to the wreath because something else is not stacked on it.

Likewise you will find other household items serve well as storage devices, particularly while you are figuring out what you need.

Next month’s feature – on mail – provides a superb example.

You should have one place where all mail is kept until it is sorted. But what should that be? a box? a basket? something else? The answer depends once again on your needs. While you are figuring out what works best for you, a shoebox is a good alternative. It will allow you to see how much mail comes each day and whether most of it is envelopes or packages or magazines, etc. After you have used the shoebox for a few weeks, you can choose a container that is pleasant to look and even more importantly, functional. We’ll discuss mail a lot more in February.

Happy New Year. This is a wonderful time to get organized. Take advantage of your natural desire to start the year off on a good foot, and use that energy to move forward with your organizing plans.