how to find happy organization out of the chaos

Help! I Don’t Know Where to Start!

Feel overwhelmed with the monstrosity of organizing your house and it makes you feel like your whole life is a mess? I’ve been there. Many times. I probably could say I’m still there. My kids are 4 and 2 years old. Plus I am halfway through a third pregnancy. We recently moved to a new house and I feel like any progress I made previously has been thrown out the window, door, garage, and other mysterious locations that things end up. I’m holding on to the few routines that are still rocking and rolling… naptimes and bedtimes for the kids. No worries though, there is a way to find organization out of the chaos!

I’m still in the process of establishing better systems for the whole house, but sometimes those motherhood emotions get the better of you. This is why community is so important! Encouraging each other through the ups and downs of life so that your mindset stays positive, that is the key! Having everything organized and in its place makes a HUGE difference and will give you some of those happy feelings, but the joy is found with people! Comment below if you agree!

Step 1: Decide You Are Ready for a Change

Enough is enough, right? If you’re feeling like that, then step 1 is complete! If you want to change then you can make it happen. I did a ton of research on organizing and wanted something simple to start. It can get rather overwhelming with everyone’s “perfect” or “easy” method they’ve mastered and want to pass onto you. So what do you do? Becoming organized should give you a feeling of relief, not more stress! I’m guessing you don’t want to spend all those hours reading articles or watching seminars, and it’s just not in the budget to hire a professional organizer…

Having so much that needs to be done can make it easy to put off starting. I believe those feelings of stress, overwhelm, and anxiety cause this tidy-up procrastination issue! So take a deep breath and be calm. You will accomplish what you want, remember you wanted to change? There is a way to find that organization out of the chaos! I need to tell myself this more often than I would like, but nothing wrong with positive self-talk. I heard it’s incredibly helpful in being successful! What is some positive self-talk that you have had with yourself? Comment below so we can all benefit!

Step 2: Analyze All the Problem Areas

Neon signs are pointing directly at all those chaotic piles of doom in every room. At least that’s how it seems to me at my house. Others may not notice, but it’s very obvious to me. I would love to demolish those garish signs and turn all the doom and gloom into an area conducive for enjoying life with my family! Who’s with me?

Okay, so you’re probably wondering if getting a piece of paper and writing down everything that needs to be cleaned up, organized, and “fixed” is the first place to start? I’ve tried that. You could do that if you want. For me it just adds to the overwhelm and I feel like I’m going in circles, getting nowhere. Solutions to the piles nowhere in sight.

There are many methods out there, but I created a simple page that slowly introduces you to the issues in each room of your house, while also doing a little tidying up. You spend 10-minutes in each room picking up and cleaning for 10 days. Write notes about what you have discovered and that is what gives you a starting point! Get down to the essentials of each room, declutter what you can, and then go from there. (I need to do this myself…!) All you need is:

• printer
• paper
• pencil/pen
• timer
• maybe some good walking shoes
• a nice reward for a job well done

Preview of the Printable…

The printable includes suggestions for what to clean up first, such as:

• EASY/quick items to put away
• Obvious garbage/recycling items
• Clothes/laundry lying on the floor
• Papers/books that need to be put away, filed, or otherwise sorted
• Miscellaneous items – put in a box/basket for sorting later
• Vacuum/dust

What Do I Put in the Notes Section?

Once you finish doing the 10-minute tidying and you have that misc pile or other items that don’t belong in that room, write out what still needs a “home” (if an item has a home in another room, don’t worry about that right now). Would certain storage containers, labels, or other organizing items be needed to create a home for those items? Do you have too much of something that needs to be purged? Are there any items in the room that you don’t need and don’t really love (or even like!)? It might be a good idea to pick a day/time to declutter if it’s needed! I feel like this is almost a yearly thing, maybe with your spring cleaning? It’s easy to collect stuff if you’re not intentional about what you keep!

If you want to get a copy of the printable for free, just sign up for my email updates (and I’ll be throwing in some special offers here and there too)! Let me know how it goes, I’d love to hear from you!

If you want to check out other home organization printables I have designed, there is a variety in my Etsy shop!