Tell me how to Organize

[Zhaylin]

I am going to post some pics of my living space. It's cluttered right now because I'm cleaning and rearranging. HELP?! How can I successfully utilize the space I have? This area ALWAYS looks like this. It is where I spend 90% of my time or more. I like to keep the things I frequently use right at hand, but it leads to a LOT of clutter. Cleaning the cabinets right above the bed will help, but not completely. This is a pic of the Fridge I use, my computer area and the driving area which is pretty useless (have to keep it basically clear of clutter to occasionally turn over the engine. This is the area of the fridge, doorway, and kitchen. It's pretty useless. Kitchen area. Bookcase Table area near bookcase and "bed".

[lucidreamsavy]

For your office, try open shelves right near your work area.

[Amethyst Star]

You're working with limited space. The biggest thing that will kill that is simply having too much stuff. I'm a "pile" person, so I'm not the expert on keeping things neat and tidy, but if you get rid of things that you haven't used and/or probably will not use, you will at the very least make some more space for yourself and you won't feel so crowded. 1. Books go on the bookshelf. If you're not actively reading it, put it away. 2. Clothes: If you haven't worn it in the last year, chances are you won't wear it again. If it's only lightly worn, donate it to the Salvation Army or other local organization that accepts donations (same with books and other usable items). If they're old, just toss them out. 3. Put everything in your kitchen area away. Check the expiration dates on food items to see if they need to be replaced. Put any spices together. Put dry ingredients together. Give dishes a proper place to which they can be returned when cleaned. 4. I don't know if you have a paper problem like I do, but at the very least, get some sort of "inbox." It could be a cardboard box or one of those magazine holders and just put all your paper there until you have time to sort through it. When you sort it, take the time to organize it into categories: tax information, work-related documents, insurance information, any medical records, etc. File folders can do great things for organization. Have a separate, visible place for "Do Right Now" documents such as bills so they don't get lost along with everything else. If you can fit another small shelf in there, it could give you more places to put things, but get rid of old and unused stuff first. Also, if something new comes in to your place, make sure that there is a place for it first or it will continue the cycle of clutter. And when something is cleaned/washed, put it away. The more you leave out, the more you have to see, and the more you have to see, the more daunting the task of putting everything away becomes. Just work on one area at a time (ie. the kitchen area, then your work space, then the space around your bed, etc.).

[Zhaylin]

Thank you both for the suggestions. Boy oh boy do I agree with "#5" Do NOT bring anything home if you don't have a place for it! My hubby gave me a HUGE PC printer/copy/fax machine that is way to huge to be practical (it was something from his office which had been replaced, not a "gift" or anything). I don't even know if it works because it's too big to be bothered with and it just gets in the way wherever I put it. And paper is one of my biggest problems: Drawings and School Work from my kids, mail, scraps, notes etc. And then I forget where I place important papers because I don't have any sort of system for storing things. Cleaning out the cabinets that run along the roof above the furniture has been improving everything greatly. I just have to take care not to start stuffing them full of STUFF I don't want to deal with.

[lagunagirl]

get rid of all the things you don't need/use anymore. And really think about something and whether or not you really need it. I always start to get rid of clutter in my room and I'll see something and think "well... I'm probably going to use it again, right?" and never touch it. Plus, I've been trying to get over feeling the need for having all these material items. Once you do, life is so much easier! Having Shelves is never a bad idea as long as they're being used and what you put in them actually looks somewhat nice, rather than a bunch of crap thrown in random places storage boxes are good for things you don't use much, but things you know you'll use again. Only keep the things you use on a daily basis out in the open