It’s an Organizing Bonanza!

Today’s guest post is a great example of “ask and ye shall receive.” I really want to get organized this year, so I went straight to the source–Rubbermaid–and asked for advice. The assistant e-marketing manager was more than happy to write a guest post that I could share on my blog. Enjoy!

Every year getting organized appears as one of the top three News Year’s Resolutions. It seems that everyone struggles and wants to have that perfect home where everything is beautifully in its place.

Well like weight loss and saving money (the other two popular New Year’s Resolutions), becoming organized takes work. And not just an effort to complete a project but the effort to keep the project that way afterwards. Sorry there is no wonderful solution for quick results like winning the lottery or crash diets.

However, the effort does not have to be anything huge. The first activity of organizing and straightening a space may seem overwhelming but believe me when I say there is no better “high” or “kick” than starting to throw things away you do not need and finding a place for those items you keep. And it often does not take nearly as long as you think like I found out in one of my very first organizing projects while at Rubbermaid .

To get started, use the Four Pile Principle that we love here at Rubbermaid. It will help you to get your things in control so you can look at what you need to put back and the space you have to put it back into. You’ll also find that by using this principle you start to take stock of what you need and stop buying “clutter” that is not going to do anything to improve your life.

The key to becoming organized is when you start to put everything back after you use the Four Pile Principle. You have to create a home or place for every object and you have to know what that space is. If you live with other people (aka husband and children), you have to let them know what that place is to. Show them and then label it so it is clear (labeling also helps those of us who forget things). You need to know where that rubber band belongs, where those bill goes, what section of that closet that sweater goes, where your shoes go when not on your feet, etc. If it belongs somewhere, your items will make it back there.

Finally, there is the effort of upkeep. Put things back in their home when you are done, even if you are late and running out the door if possible. Then take 5 minutes every night before bed as you lock the doors and turn off the lights to put everything back in its home that you missed throughout the day. This is so quick and easy to do and eliminates the need to put getting organized on your resolutions list next year.

If you are still lost as to how to organize specific areas of your home like your kitchen, garage, closet, etc., join Rubbermaid January 10^th through January 21^st for the Organizing Bonanza! Every day we will be giving organization tips and tricks on our blog, website, twitter account and facebook with the chance to win over 45 prizes. So join us for some knowledge and motivation.

–by Erin Gentry

Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, nor did I get anything free from Rubbermaid, even though I tried because I’m cheap like that. I sincerely appreciate the info, though, and am personally looking forward to the bonanza next week!