You guys!  I can’t thank you all enough for taking a minute to answer the questions I asked on my recent survey!  I have so enjoyed reading all of your responses.  Every single one of them!  If you haven’t taken the survey yet and are a regular reader here I’d love to hear from you!  You can find my survey here.

One question I asked on my survey was what you are all struggling with specifically when it comes to organizing.  WOW!  You all have given me enough blog content for three straight years!  Ha!  So many of the same things were repeated over and over and they are a lot of the same things I’ve struggled with too!  I’ll share some survey responses with you soon, but for today I wanted to quickly address a few words I heard over and over.

“I don’t know where to start!”

You guys!  I have been there so many times!  When we have a lot of clutter and spaces that are a mess we just don’t know where to even begin.  It’s overwhelming to say the least!  To get rid of this feeling, I do the same thing every January.  Time to make a plan of attack!  It helps me so much with that overwhelmed feeling of “where do I start!?”  If you feel overwhelmed by everything you want/need to organize this year and don’t know where to begin do this:

Grab a notepad and a pen and take a walk through your house.  Write down every single space that needs to be organized.  I know.. this might be a LONG list. :)  Be as specific as you can!  Break each room down.  After I’ve done this I take my messy hand written notes and type them so they are easier to read.  This is an example of what my “to-organize” list looked like a couple of years ago:

KITCHEN
– pantry (snack drawer, lunch making station)
– drawers the kids can access
– silverware drawer
– junk drawers
– dish cupboards
– cooking utensil drawer

PLAYROOM
–  toy closet
– pullout drawers
– create a better system for DVD’s

OFFICE
– space/system for scrapbooking
– gift wrapping station
– kids’ cupboard
– homework system
– organize files
– organize kids’ school work
– organize greeting cards
– place to store camera equipment
– small office supplies
– organize magazines and kids’ workbooks

GIRLS’ CLOSETS
– bin for too small clothes
– make things more accessible for them
– books/toys out
– bins/baskets for extras

GIRLS’ BATHROOM
– hair bows/headbands
– drawers
– bath toys

One year I broke my rooms/spaces down by month so that I had a deadline!  Here is an example of what that list might look like:

JANUARY:  PLAYROOM/EXTRA ROOM/ATTIC/

-Holiday decorations/ski clothes-Donate old toys and organize playroom closet and pull-out drawers (labels)

FEBRUARY:  MUDROOM/UNDER STAIR CLOSET

– Under stair closet (organize cleaning supplies)

– Luggage closet

– 3 Mudroom lockers/drawers by bench

MARCH:  KITCHEN

– pantry (finish w/ labels)

– butler’s pantry drawers/cupboards

– garbage sack drawer

– medicine cupboard

– plates/cups/bowls

– junk drawers

– baking sheet cupboard

APRIL:  OFFICE/CRAFT ROOM

– pull out drawers

– scrapbook supplies

– kids’ projects/work-in-progress

– upper cupboards

– FILES (my papers/kids’ papers/magazine inspiration)

– desk drawers

– greeting cards

MAY:  OUTDOOR CLOSET

– organize outdoor/pool toys

JUNE:  UP/DOWN LAUNDRY CABINETS

– batteries/flashlights

– church stuff

JULY:  FAMILY ROOM

– organize built-in bookshelf cupboards

AUGUST:  KIDS’ ROOMS/BATHROOMS

– go through all 3 closets (donate old clothes/organize)

– girls’ nightstands/desk drawers/bookshelves

– bathroom drawers

– girls’ linen cabinet

SEPTEMBER:  MASTER BATHROOM/CLOSET

– donate old clothes/organize hanging clothes

– cupboards and drawers in closet and bathroom

– organize jewelry

OCTOBER:  MASTER LINEN CABINET/UPSTAIRS HALL CABINET

– organize towels/sheets/blankets

NOVEMBER:  COAT/DECOR HALL CLOSET

– purge!

DECEMBER:

– ENJOY a clean, organized house decked for Christmas.  :)

This year I’ve made my annual “to-organize list” and instead of giving certain spaces a month, I just numbered them in the order I want to organize them.  Here is a short example of what this looks like:

1 – Attic: Christmas decorations

2 – Girls’ Bathroom: Drawers/linen closet

3 – Playroom: Toy shelf/drawers

4 – Kitchen: Spices

5 – Office: Pull out drawers/Kole’s workbooks/file folders

This isn’t my whole list, but I am encouraged by the fact that my list is finally a lot shorter this year.  Plus a lot of the spaces I listed I’ve already organized and they just need a touch-up.  (#progress)  Definitely include those spaces that just need a touch-up on your list too!

If you aren’t sure how to number your list, think about your life right now and what space is driving you CRAZY.  What is the space that is a constant eye sore or continues to slow you down because it isn’t organized effectively?  That space should be your Number 1!  Number 2 is the space that is a close second when it comes to driving you crazy.  And so on.  Maybe we should re-name this list the “driving me crazy” list. ;)

Making this list is important for several reasons.  First, it gets the jumbled, overwhelming swirl of to-do’s out of your head and on paper.  Whew!  You can breathe now right?  Second, it gives you a clear plan.  Now you don’t have to ask “where do I start!?”  You start with the first space on your list!  If you’ve broken each room down into smaller projects you can start with something easy and small like one kitchen drawer.  When you finish that drawer, check it off of your list!  It will give you such a good feeling and motivate you to tackle more spaces.  Have you all seen the movie “What About Bob?”  One of my favorites that we just showed our girls a couple of weeks ago.  It keeps coming to mind.. BABY STEPS!  We can do this. ;)

I know if you’ve been reading my blog for years you’ve heard this before, but I can’t tell you enough how much this process helps me every year.  If you’re overwhelmed with where to start, try it!  Then we can tackle our lists together this year.

I’ll be back soon with one space I’m happy to have checked off of my 2017 “to organize list.”

:)