When I look at my personal organizing struggles (Yes! I have them!) and consider what would make things easier for me, I always come back to “ease of access”. As much as I love beautiful things, if it isn’t easy, I will do it, I will just delay it as long as possible. It is this principle that I use when helping my clients make sense of their belongings and assigning them homes.
One of the most remarkable examples of this is when I was regularly selling items on Ebay. I had four very large plastic totes full of items to list. When it came time to put a sellable item into one of these tubs, if it was the top tub, no problem; but if it was the top tub the item would be set on top. Imagine the clutter I was creating!
Perhaps I’m lazy but the truth is so are you…and almost everyone else breathing on this earth. I needed my system to be easy. I have since stopped selling on Ebay but before I did, I moved to smaller cardboard boxes that were easily shelved. They were properly labeled of course.
A smaller example is the twist ties that come from bread and bun wrappers. For a long time I would throw them away although my family would leave them on the counter as if they had somehow got “lost” as the sandwich was being prepared. Now I have a lovely antique vase in the sink window that is home to these pesky little fellows. They are right where I need them when I need them and so easy to drop in there that even my kids and husband can do it!
Finding an easy way to be organized is little more than thinking outside the box…or plastic tub! Take care of your twist ties today!
Happy sorting…
Jennifer
