Some people seem to be born organized, like my husband, who folds his dirty laundry before putting it in the hamper, rotates his clean socks and underwear to ensure even wear, and tears every piece of trash into four pieces before stacking it neatly in the bottom of the trash can!
Other people, myself included, are not so naturally endowed.
When I was growing up, my mother would have found it impossible to imagine that anyone whose closet and drawers looked like mine would ever be able to keep an orderly home. But visitors who admire my tidy closets, drawers, pantry, or garage today assume I’ve always been neat-nik. Little do they know that they’d have needed a tetanus shot just to peek under my bed thirty years ago!
My point is this – organization is definitely something that can be learned. I acquired it out of sheer necessity, as big families cannot afford to be disorganized. You know the frustration you feel when you are ready to walk out the door and realize the baby has misplaced his shoes? Well, multiply the hassle of tracking them down by twelve or thirteen, and you’ll see what I mean.
Through the years, we’ve developed systems of doing things that keep our lives and home running smoothly. Click on the topics below to read some of the ideas that have worked best for us. We hope they may help you make your home into the peaceful haven of rest that God intends for it to be.
We’ll be adding to this section as time permits, so check back later for more hints. If there is an organizational challenge you’d particularly like to see addressed, send us an email. We’ll try to address it here.
I’ve always been a “messie” except for one year growing up when I always made my bed and kept everything neat as a pin. That memory kept encouraging me that I “could” do it! But how? So much inherited stuff kept flowing in from grandparents, uncles, aunts, and parents, not to mention shopping for gifts for others and coming back with a cartload of cuteness that I “couldn’t pass up.”
“If I could only get organized!” I’d say. Finally, with the help of women on YT, I realized I just plain had too much stuff and I’ve been decluttering, decluttering, decluttering, and my home is starting to look and feel as I’ve always dreamed it could. I am marveling at all of the positive changes that have been occurring in my life lately, and it all began with letting things go. 🙂 It’s nice to know that learning a new way IS possible and that I am not alone in learning how to do it! Letting go of books is the most difficult for me. That and “memory” items/photos/boxes.
Books and mementos are difficult categories for me to declutter, too, Janine! Not sure I’m ready to tackle either of those yet, but I’m proud of you for doing so!
Hello,
Can you do a podcast on organizing your email inbox?
Do you delete even potentially important emails?
Thanks
Alesha
You’re not the first to ask about this, Alesha. It’s definitely a common challenge — and one that continues to challenge me, as well. I’ll do my best to record and episode devoted to this topic in the next few weeks!
I struggle with my 2 other kids,no matter how many times i teach them to pick up clothes,not mess their wardrobe…I do not win and it affects our relationship and communiccation.
I’m sorry about that, Olga. The three most important things to remember when training kids to do anything are:
1. Clearly communicate what you expect (don’t assume they already know what they should be doing or how they should do it)
2. Be consistent in following through with consequences (don’t ride them about something one day and let it slide the next)
3. Pick your battles (not everything is equally important, so make sure it’s really worth it to you to train them in a certain area before you ever begin)
When it comes to tidy bedrooms, I found using a little checklist helped me achieve all three of these goals. You can find the one I use by following this link: Free Bedroom Inspection Checklist