Virtute.org

The test of a well organized space is if it stays organized over time and use.  It should be easier to put things back where they go, then to put them back improperly.  Accomplishing this is not as black and white as some of my other tips.  I often have to ponder the items and the space that I’m organizing and sometimes try a little trial and error.  If I organize a space and it doesn’t stay organized then that’s a good hint that I need to rethink my organization scheme and try something else.  

Here are the ideas that I have which fall into this area:

• Leave some room to grow.  It is much easier to put things away if you don’t have to stuff things in or re-orient other things to make them fit.
• Use a container.  It’s much easier to toss a measuring spoon into a container of measuring spoons than to take the time to match it with the rest of it’s set. 
• Store it where you use it.  Or as close as you can get to that area.  Laundry detergent on a shelf right above the washer is more likely to be put right back in the correct spot than detergent that is stored on a shelf around the corner.  Phone books that are stored close to where they are used are likely to return to their proper place.
• Create specific use containers.  Instead of creating a container for medicines, consider creating a container for cold medicines and another for pain relievers and another for nausea, ect.  This system creates a new process.  You remove the specific use container, use it’s contents, and then return the contents to the container.  Another idea for a specific use container would be to make a cake decorating container.
• Develop better habits.  If you don’t habitually put things away right after using them, retrain yourself.  Start with one simple thing and make a conscious effort to always put that thing away and eventually you will find yourself putting it away automatically.  Here’s an example:  Since moving to our new house, I have decided to store my deodorant in the medicine cabinet.  I noticed that I regularly leave the deodorant out because I haven’t developed the habit of putting it back.  Since I use the deodorant right in front of the cabinet, it would not take much longer to place it in the cabinet than on the counter in front of the cabinet.  I just need to make a conscious effort to practice that process every time I use it, until I develop the habit of putting it away.