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Having an organized home (and life) is something that many people dream about. But if you’re not intentional with your organizing habits, you could end up with more stress than when you started. Taking back control of your space isn’t just about making things neat and tidy — it’s about making things efficient within the framework of your life.
Before you start channeling your inner Marie Kondo, be aware of these organizing mistakes that cause more chaos than they conquer.
1. Trying To Organize Before Decluttering
It’s pretty much impossible to achieve an organized space when you’re determined to keep everything under the sun. You won’t find the peace you desire in crammed closets or piles of paper. Organizing around your clutter and trying to stuff it all into pretty boxes and bins only creates more clutter and mayhem in your home and mind. Before you start finding a place for everything, it’s essential to realize you don’t need everything.
The first step is decluttering and paring down the items in your home to the things that add value to your life. Donate, sell, or toss the unnecessary pieces or anything that doesn’t make you happy or help you better your life in some way.
2. Buying Storage Solutions First
It’s tempting to buy out The Container Store when you’re motivated to get organized. All the cool storage solutions stir up images of Pinterest-worthy closets, make-up cabinets, office spaces, and kids’ play spaces.
However, if you think the solution to your storage woes is more containers, think again. Buying baskets, bins, dividers, and other organizers when you don’t actually have a plan only adds to your clutter problem. After you declutter and know what you actually plan to keep, you’re ready to think about storage. But wait until you’ve made a thorough plan before you make any purchases.
3. Organizing Without Thinking About Your Lifestyle
It’s great to draw inspiration from others. Scrolling through social media, flipping through magazines, and binge-watching HGTV or organizing videos on YouTube and TikTok can give you loads of ideas about curating your desired living space.
However, it’s vital to remember that your house needs to function and make sense for you. The primary goal should not be to turn your home into a replica of a photo shoot for The Home Edit. Therefore, when organizing your home, consider your lifestyle when deciding where to put things.
For example, if you work from home, think about where you typically end up when you start working. Maybe you have a dedicated office, but still end up at the kitchen table or in the living room. Perhaps you envisioned family game nights around the dining room table, but inevitably end up playing around the coffee table in the den. Instead of forcing yourself to use a space that isn’t working for you, organize the space you use to suit your lifestyle.
4. Ignoring Your Habits
Similarly to organizing with your lifestyle in mind, don’t ignore your habits. It doesn’t matter how well-organized a space is if it doesn’t work with your personality and behaviors. For example, when you get home, do you kick off your shoes or take time to remove them and put them away?
If it’s the first option, a hidden shoe rack that requires you to open a drawer and put away your shoes won’t likely do you any good. But a lidless basket near your front door makes it easy to kick off your shoes and keep them from piling up on the floor.
5. Getting Rid Of Everything
Many people confuse organizing with minimalism. They assume if they simply get rid of everything, they’ll have an organized, streamlined, peaceful home. However, getting rid of all your belongings isn’t synonymous with organization.
By all means, let go of things that don’t add value to your life or make you happy. If you don’t like something, use it, or need it, then it’s best to bid it farewell. However, keep the things you love that show off your personality and style and inspire you to make your house a home.
6. Skipping Labels
You might think labels aren’t important because you know where everything is. However, as time goes by, you might be surprised to realize how quickly you can forget.
Through the business of life, it becomes easy to wonder where you stashed the spare batteries or stowed backup light bulbs (especially soon after organizing a space). Labels help you remember where things go and make it easier for others to locate items and put things away.
7. Not Including Other Members Of The Household
Unless you live alone, organizing your house is not a one-person show. If you don’t include everyone in the plan, your efforts will be for naught. Things will most likely quickly return to how they were before.
Discuss the plan with everyone in the household and make sure to come up with storage solutions that work for all. Let everyone organize their private spaces in a way that suits them. Work together on shared living spaces and come up with compromises that accommodate different organizing styles.
8. Thinking Organizing Your Home Is A One-Time Event
A big mistake to avoid when organizing your home is to think that once you do it you’re done for good. Life happens every day and things change. Getting organized is only the first half of a peaceful, well-functioning home and the second half is maintaining it. Approach home organization as an organic, fluid process that’s ever-evolving. As your life and habits change, be ready to tweak things, so your home continues to work smoothly and efficiently.
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