Why Those Pretty Bins Won’t Make You Organized

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Rose Lounsbury, author of Less: Minimalism for Real.

If you’re like many of us, “get organized” is always near the top of your interminable to-do list in big, bold letters. 

If you truly want to accomplish this goal, I’d like to let you in on a dirty little secret…

Those pretty canvas bins with the chalkboard labels just ain’t gonna get the job done.

There is nothing wrong with pretty bins and baskets. I happen to like them very much. But I’m here to warn you:

Fall not into the trap of thinking organizing products will organize your life. The only thing that will help you get organized is making no-nonsense decisions about your stuff.

I think about organizing as a two-step process:

Step 1: Minimize down to what you truly use and love.

Step 2: Just organize that stuff.

When you head to the basket aisle of Target before decluttering, you have skipped right through step one and I hate to break it to ‘ya…. but ye shall not be organized as a result.

It’s kind of like buying fancy new sneakers and expensive workout gear and hoping that your sweet workout swag alone will help you get in shape. Unfortunately for all of us, this is not true. The only way to get in shape is to pump the iron, hit the sidewalk, and put down the doughnut.

Similarly, the only way to get organized is to look at your stuff and ask it, very seriously, Why the heck are you here??? 

Granted, this is not as fun as going to the basket aisle of Target. But I always say, if getting organized was as easy as buying bins and baskets, we’d all be organized. Believe it or not, it is possible to become organized without spending any money at Target. (Of course, this would require you to not go into Target, because I swear, there is a legit financial twilight zone hovering over that store that compels me to spend my money almost as soon as I step inside! I believe federal researchers are currently looking into this phenomenon.)

The main thing you need to do to get organized is follow Elsa’s famous advice in the Disney movie Frozen: “Let it go… Let it go… Don’t hold onto that panini maker anymore!”

Granted, letting go is hard. I mean, it took Elsa like two whole movies + a lot of merchandise to figure it out.

So here are my top 5 tips to help you let go of the stuff you don’t need:

Tip #1: Make donating a habit, not a special occasion.

I used to go through my house once a year or once every two years, whenever the amount of stuff started to really bug me, and do a major purge. This is not a very effective way to stay organized. Think about it… stuff comes into your home more often than once a year; thus, it makes sense to donate items regularly as opposed to waiting for all the clutter to pile up.

Keep a constant donation box somewhere in your house (or on every floor, or in every room, if you’re really serious) and add to it regularly. When it fills up, take those donations to the charity of your choice and drop them off. Fill, drop, repeat. Fill, drop, repeat. And watch the clutter flee from your home!

Tip #2: Pick your favorites.

This tip applies to duplicate items. For example, a toolbox full of similar hammers or a closet full of similar shirts. There is no reason to have multiple items that perform the same task. Get all your like items together, pick your favorites, and donate the rest.

Tip #3: Set donation deadlines for “maybe” items.

We often hit a decluttering roadblock when it comes to “maybe” items, those things we probably don’t need but we just aren’t ready to say sayonara yet. Put your maybe items into a box, tape it up, and write a future date on it. If you have not needed to open the box by that date, donate without opening. I recommend making tight deadlines for your maybes, just a month or two. At most, you could make the deadline one year from the current date. If you haven’t needed it in a year, you really don’t need it!

Tip #4: Follow the 20/20 Rule.

I borrowed this tip from Joshua and Ryan of The Minimalists and it is a good one to help you let go of those “just in case” items. Ask yourself, “If I ever needed this item in the future, how hard would it be to replace it?” If you can replace it for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes, donate it. You would be surprised how many things you can replace following this rule! (Note: kids, pets, and spouses are generally not replaceable with the 20/20 Rule…?)

Tip #5: Don’t keep items out of guilt.

I sometimes call this rule “Keep the Love, Not the Stuff.” The basic idea is that you should not keep items in your home that make you feel guilty.

If, for example, you are keeping something because someone gave it to you, ask yourself, Would I buy this for myself? If you are keeping something because you bought it and feel bad that you don’t use it, ask yourself, Would I buy this again? If the answer to either of those questions is “No”, donate it and get that guilt out of your life. Believe me, you will feel physically better!

I hope those tips help you accomplish your goal of being more organized – aka more decluttered – this year.

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Rose Lounsbury is a still-sane triplet mama who helps busy working moms find more balance by owning less stuff. You can read more of her words on minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living at roselounsbury.com or get to know her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Listen to her Ted Talk here.