As the weather gets warmer, people often talk about Spring cleaning. As someone who cannot stand cleaning, I prefer to do something different: organize! I usually need it as I don't like the cold weather and get very lazy during those months. By the time spring rolls around, I am regaining my energy and motivation and am sick of seeing my stuff everywhere and want it put away or gone. A huge part of organizing that people don't think about enough is decluttering. If you have a bunch of things you don't actually want or need, they get in the way of having an organized space. I base all my decluttering off of Marie Kondo's books The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing and Spark Joy: an Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up as well as her TV show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Her KonMari Method has changed how my entire house is organized, and I was able to literally get rid of carfuls of stuff that I owned but didn't want or need.
Let's start with clothes. It's easy to have a lot of emotions when it comes to specific items. You may own a shirt that you don't wear because it reminds you of the time you got dumped, or you could have a pair of jeans that seem lucky to you. This is normal! If you have clothing you aren't wearing because of negative feelings or memories, get rid of it. Why keep something that brings you down? Also remove clothing that doesn't fit. Unless your weight fluctuates a lot, why keep clothes that no longer fit? Saving clothes for when you finally lose those 10 lbs you've been meaning to lose just leaves you feeling guilty. Get rid of them, and if you lose the weight, treat yourself with some new clothes that fit.
Another way I know what to keep and what to get rid of is by knowing what I wear often. There are many different ways to organize a closet or dresser, and my way is by rotating my clothes. I rotate everything: shirts, dresses, pants, socks, etc. If an article of clothes comes to the front of my rotation, and I skip it for a while, this is an obvious indicator that I don't want to wear that item. Is it because I haven't been in the mood, or am I really not liking that item and need to get rid of it?
All items that I don't wear on a rotational basis, I flip the hangers backward. I do this for my cardigans at the start of every fall. When I wear one, I hang it back normally. If by now I haven't flipped the hanger back, I need to either find a way to wear the sweater or get rid of it.
Closets are easy to organize because everything hangs, but what about dressers? I've found that a great way to organize my drawers, especially for my smaller items like socks, is to have compartments for everything. A cheap way to get these is to use old shoe boxes, but there are also plenty of options sold in stores. The KonMari Method also has specific ways to fold your clothes, such as rolling your socks and folding your shirts so that they stand upright instead of laying flat in your drawer. This may be something you want to consider, but for the most part it isn't for me. Because I wear everything in my drawers, I have plenty of space for my shirts to lay flat. I do roll my Harry Potter socks because I don't want them to stretch out, but socks I don't care about are folded over at the top to keep them together.
Your bedroom is another place that needs time and attention. If you have any trash, throw it out! Put your clothes away if they are hanging on chairs or in a pile on the ground. Now is also a good time to think about your knick knacks too. I never advocate getting rid of anything you don't want to get rid of, but if you have things you don't care about, such as that participation trophy from when you played soccer at age 5, it's okay to get rid of it. You don't have to hang on to everything you've ever owned! From there, it's time to find a place for everything.
Books are a hot topic for some. Again, I don't recommend getting rid of any of them if you don't want to. Some people love having a lot of books around them; it brings them joy. If this is you, don't change! But for me, I don't want to have a lot of books everywhere. If I have owned a book for years and haven't read it, I feel guilt and give away the book. Also if I am never going to read a book again, I don't keep it unless it has particular sentimental value. It is important to know who you are and to not feel pressured to keep or get rid of anything you don't want to get rid of, books especially!
Once you've decided what to get rid of, what do you do with it? If you have nice items, you can always try to sell them. I prefer to give what I have away, and I always donate my items to Second Chance Boutique. Located in Waxhaw next to my favorite Mexican restaurant, they will take almost anything, and their profits go to Turning Point, a non-profit organization in Union County that supports women in abusive relationships. One reason I especially love Second Chance Boutique is that they will accept stuffed animals. Most places do not, and while I may not want to keep a stuffed animal forever, they are more difficult to throw out. Knowing that they will find a new good home makes me happy.
What are your tips for organizing? What's worked well for you?