Organize your life

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions on Americans’ lists is to get their homes organized.

There’s nothing quite like the instant gratification of a sorting out your living space. Professional Organizer Amy Traylor of Before and After Designs shares her expert advice on how to approach this often exhaustive undertaking.

1. Evaluate and strategize.

Make a list of the problem areas of your home, then evaluate them by answering these questions: What is working? What isn’t? What’s causing the problems?

Visualize the end result, and make a plan for how to get there. What supplies and storage units will you need? Could simply rearranging furniture make the space more efficient?

2. Begin with the room that bothers you most.

Start in the room that gives you nightmares, but start hacking at it with the easiest task in the room. Small successes generate larger successes. Try sectioning the room and working on one section at a time.

3. Can’t throw things away? Think of it as giving them a new home.

Accept that you will need big, black garbage bags. Lots of them.

Traylor says many people struggle with the purging aspect of organization, refusing to dispose of unused items. But unnecessary stuff suffocates the environment and creates chaos. If it helps, donate the stuff to charity and think of it as giving the unused stuff a new home where it’ll go to better use. (See Step 5).

4. Follow the “Year Rule.”

If you have not worn or used something within a year, then give it away. Exceptions to this rule include seasonal and sentimental items.

5. Donate to the right place.

Volunteer! Baton Rouge publishes a wish list from many local charities. Matching your tossed-out treasures with an organization’s needs is a win-win. Visit volunteerbatonrouge.org, and click “Guide to Giving.”

6. Don’t overwhelm yourself.

Set a time frame to complete each task. Begin with a 15-minute increment, then give yourself the option whether to work for another 15. Do not spend more than one hour on any given task. If you try to accomplish too much at once you will burn out and probably won’t finish the job. It may take more than a day to get it done.

7. You must maintain.

Traylor says the rules for keeping an organized home are simple. If you take it out, put it back. If you borrow it, return it. If you open it, close it. If you drop it, pick it up. If you break it, fix it.