Thursday, May 6, 2010

Happiness Project - Organizational Tips: Part 1

I've talked about it many times before, but I have to say it again...I love organizing! It is so gratifying to find a place for everything and purge your life a little bit. In fact it makes me happy and happens to be the first place to start on my Happiness Project.


I didn't start this intentionally. In fact, I had told myself I was going to go through the whole book myself then figure out my own way to do it. It just happened that chapter 1 coincided with my life at this point. Before I started reading this book, I couldn't really tell you what exactly made me happy besides the normal stuff of hugs and ice cream and new clothes. Now that I've started getting deeper into this project I am really figuring out just what makes me tick. It's brought a new awareness of myself to me. That sounds silly doesn't it? Out of all the people in the world, shouldn't YOU be the one that knows YOU best? Well I thought so too...turns out I didn't know all that much about myself after all or at least I wasn't completely aware.


The first month of the Happiness Project focuses on boosting energy. There are examples like getting plenty of sleep at night, exercising, and just being outside. Although those are all things I need to work on myself the simplest one to start with for me was getting organized because that's something I love anyways and having a new house with a baby on the way totally calls for it!


Organizational Tips


To get started I began trying to find a place for everything. Maybe not it's perfect home, but at least putting it in the room or closet it belonged in. To get really organized you need to know exactly what you are working with before you start that way you aren't constantly reorganizing things.


For my own sanity, I need to do things one project at a time. My husband and I are notorious for starting a project and getting the bulk of it done then going on to the next one before all the little loose ends are tied up on the last one. It drives me absolutely bonkers! I find my head constantly reminding myself, don't forget we have to put the trellises up for the garden project, we have to return that rod that didn't work in the master closet and replace it with one that does, we need to finish installing that cabinet pull out drawer in the kitchen....it's enough to drive you and your husband crazy because you know what that leads to? NAGGING! That's another topic all in itself that we will discuss later.


So...pick a room to start with...I prefer to go from the back of the house to the front that way you aren't doing all the easy projects first then leaving the big ones to hang over your head at the end. It helps to vary them that way you don't get overwhelmed and just give up. Make a list of every problem in that room and devise a plan.


Focus on the things that get you frustrated when you try to use that room. For example, let's say the bathroom....why is it that every time you try to find a hair tie you have to dig through a whole box of stuff to find one, why is all that old makeup hogging all the space, omg look at all that bath and body works stuff, why is it that you and your husband leave all your stuff on the counter instead of putting it back?


Now you should have a general idea of what it is you need to fix....you'll have to wait till Part 2 to find out what to do next!

2 comments:

  1. I am a nut too...I love organizing!! Great tips. It makes me wanna get started on some of our tasks on our to do list!

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  2. i so need these tips... i've got to get rid of some of my clutter!

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