Simple Ways to Keep Christ at the Center of Your Homemaking
“The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more important to the…
Learning how to organize your home can feel incredibly overwhelming, especially when you’re just beginning your journey toward a more organized life. Trust me, I’ve been there before, staring at piles of clutter, wondering where to even begin! As a mom who has found joy, satisfaction, and freedom in home organization and decluttering, I can tell you that it’s so worth it and the secret is breaking down the process into manageable steps.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to organize your home, using proven methods that won’t leave you feeling frustrated or defeated. We’ll cover everything from basic decluttering principles to room-by-room organization strategies, plus practical tips for maintaining your newly organized space.
The best part? These techniques are specifically designed for beginners, so you won’t feel overwhelmed by complex systems or unrealistic expectations. So whether you’re tackling a small apartment, or a multi-story house, this guide will help you transform your living space into an organized, functional home that brings you joy and peace of mind.
Imagine walking into a perfectly organized home? Everything has its place, surfaces are clear, and there’s a sense of calm that just washes over you. Imagine that being your home. Now, look around your own space. If you’re seeing cluttered countertops, overflowing closets, and random items that don’t seem to belong anywhere, you’re not alone, but it’s time to get to work!
According to a recent National Storage Association survey, 78% of Americans feel overwhelmed by their home’s organization. That was me a few years ago and I didn’t even know it! In fact, the average person spends 2.5 hours every day searching for misplaced items or trying to tie up a cluttered space to be more efficient. Let me share something from my own experience…
You can’t tackle home organization in a day, or even a week. It can take several weeks or longer. Why? Because I’ve learned it’s usually not a physical problem, but a mindset. We all know, it could take on average, 21 days to form a habit, and sometimes longer for a complete mindset shift.
While the transformation won’t be magic, it’s simply about having the right approach and taking things one step at a time. Overtime, you’ll feel the amazing effects and naturally you’ll want more of it, forming a mindset renewal. I’ll help you get there!
When it comes to home organization, there’s a crucial concept that many beginners overlook – it’s not about creating a picture-perfect space, but rather about developing systems that work for your unique lifestyle. I learned this lesson the hard way when I first started organizing. I’d set up elaborate systems with countless bins and labels, only to find that these Pinterest-worthy solutions weren’t practical for daily life. They were just cute, but didn’t serve me well enough. Start with understanding how YOU naturally use your space, and then build organization systems around those patterns.
The foundation of any successful organization project lies in what I call the “Three C’s“: Categorize, Contain, and Create habits. Categorizing helps you understand what you actually own and use. Containing gives everything a dedicated home, making it easier to maintain order. Creating habits ensures your organized space stays that way.
Think of home organization like learning a new language. You need to master the basic vocabulary before you can have fluent conversations. This means understanding fundamental concepts like zones (keeping items where they’re used), the “one in, one out” rule (when something new comes in, something old goes out), and the importance of regular maintenance. These principles might seem simple, but they’re the building blocks that will support your entire organization journey.
The biggest hurdle in beginning your organization journey isn’t the physical clutter – it’s the mental barriers we put up. Success in home organization starts with understanding that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Your space didn’t become cluttered overnight, and it won’t become organized overnight either.
One of the most effective strategies I’ve discovered is what I call the “15-minute rule.” Commit to just 15 minutes of organizing each day. It sounds almost too simple, but I’ve seen remarkable transformations happen through this approach. The key to maintaining motivation is celebrating small wins. Did you organize one kitchen drawer? That’s worth celebrating!
These small victories build momentum and help create a positive association with organizing tasks. Remember, perfectionism is the enemy of progress. Your goal isn’t to create a home that looks like it belongs in a magazine, it’s to create a space that functions well for you and your family.
Before you rush out to buy every pretty container and organizing gadget you see, let me share a valuable lesson I learned after wasting hundreds of dollars on unused storage solutions. The most effective organizing doesn’t start at the container store, it starts with understanding exactly what you need to organize. I always say to wait on buying containers until after you’ve sorted and purged. This might sound counterintuitive, but I’ve seen too many people end up with beautiful bins that don’t actually fit their items or space.
When you’re ready to invest in organizing tools, start with the basics: clear bins for visibility, labels (a simple label maker is worth its weight in gold), drawer dividers, and a few versatile baskets. Here’s a pro tip I discovered through trial and error – clear shoe boxes are one of the most versatile and affordable organizing tools you can buy. They’re perfect for everything from bathroom supplies to office materials, and they stack beautifully. I once organized an entire pantry using just these boxes and a label maker, and it’s still one of my favorite transformations.
One of the biggest mistakes I see beginners make is not measuring their spaces before buying storage solutions. Take it from someone who once bought twelve “perfect” bins only to discover they were one inch too tall for the shelves. Keep a small measuring tape in your purse or car, and always measure both the space and the items you need to store. This simple step can save you money and countless trips back to the store.
When it comes to organizing your home, starting with the right room can make the difference between success and frustration. I always recommend beginning with either the bathroom or a small closet – spaces that are manageable and provide quick wins. This approach builds confidence and teaches you organization principles you can apply to larger spaces.
Each room in your home serves a different purpose and requires a unique organization approach. For example, kitchens benefit from zones based on activity (cooking, baking, food storage), while bedrooms need clear divisions between storage, rest, and dressing areas. The key is thinking about how the space is actually used rather than following conventional storage rules.
The most important aspect of room organization is maintaining the flow of your daily routines. Think about how you naturally move through each space and organize accordingly. I call this the “path of least resistance” method. For instance, if you always drop your keys and mail on the kitchen counter, don’t fight that habit. Instead, create an organized landing spot in that exact location. Working with your natural tendencies rather than against them makes maintaining organization infinitely easier.
The secret to lasting organization is creating sustainable ones. I learned this lesson firsthand when I organized a kitchen using an elaborate color-coding system.
While it looked amazing, it fell apart within weeks because it was too complicated to maintain. Now I focus on what I call the “lazy proof” method: if it takes more than three steps to put something away, the system needs to be simplified. The best organization system is one that’s so intuitive, you don’t have to think about it.
Family buy-in is crucial for maintaining any organization system. If you have children who need to access things, consider lowering everything to kid-height and add simple picture labels, and suddenly the whole family can participate in keeping things organized. I do this particularly in my kids room and the bathrooms (teeth-brushing, hand-washing, bathing, etc…).Remember, a system that only works for one family member isn’t really working at all.
Flexibility is another key component of sustainable organization. Your needs will change over time, and your systems should be able to adapt. I recommend doing quarterly check-ins to evaluate how your systems are working. Are items ending up where they should? Is anything consistently causing frustration? These regular assessments help you catch and fix small issues before they become big problems.
Maintaining an organized home doesn’t require hours of daily work, it’s all about small, consistent actions. The “10-minute tidy” is one of my favorite maintenance techniques. Set a timer for 10 minutes each evening and do a quick reset of your main living spaces. You’d be amazed at what you can accomplish in such a short time when you do it regularly.
To prevent organization backslide, catch clutter before it accumulates. Try the “one-touch rule”, where you handle items only once before putting them in their proper place. This means no more dropping mail on the counter to deal with later, or leaving clothes on “the chair” (we all have that chair!). When I first started implementing this rule in my own home, it felt time-consuming, but now it actually saves me hours of cleanup time each week.
Seasonal changes provide natural opportunities for organization maintenance. Create a schedule for rotating seasonal items like clothing, decorations, and sports equipment. I recommend using this time to reassess your systems and make any necessary adjustments. For example, every fall, evaluate your entryway organization to ensure it can handle the influx of winter gear. These regular check-ins prevent your systems from becoming outdated or overwhelmed.
Let’s talk about “container cascade”, which I consider as buying tons of organizing products before understanding what they actually need. I still remember spending $500 on matching bins before I even started sorting items. Half of those bins ended up being recycled because they weren’t the right size or type for what I actually needed to store. That was a hard pill to swallow, for an occasional penny-pitcher. Always sort and purge first, then measure and plan, and only then buy organizing supplies. Trust me on this one, it’ll save you time and money, don’t learn the hard way like me!
Another common pitfall is trying to organize everything at once. This approach almost always leads to burnout and half-finished projects. I learned this lesson when I attempted to organize my entire house in one weekend. By Sunday afternoon, every room was in chaos, and I was completely overwhelmed. Now I know that focused, smaller projects lead to better results and lasting change. Start with one drawer, perfect that system, then move on to the next project.
The temptation to copy organization systems exactly as you see them on social media can be strong, but what works in someone else’s home may not work in yours. The key is to use inspiration as a starting point, then modify and adapt systems to fit your unique situation. The most beautiful organization system is the one that works for you.
Starting your home organization journey doesn’t have to be overwhelming or perfect. Remember, every organized space starts with a single drawer, shelf, or corner. Focus on progress, not perfection, and celebrate each small victory along the way. The most important thing is to begin, even if it’s just spending 15 minutes organizing your sock drawer today.
I hope this guide has given you the confidence and tools you need to start organizing your home. Remember, you’re not just creating an organized space; you’re creating new habits and systems that will serve you for years to come. Start small, be patient with yourself, and trust the process. Before you know it, you’ll be looking around your organized home wondering why you didn’t start sooner!
