Essential Organizing Tips for a Fresh Start

The start of the year is full of resolutions and fresh starts. It’s the perfect time to get reorganized for a year of efficient living. Getting organized can be a game-changer when it comes to how you feel and function every day, and we’ve got a few easy tips to get you started…

Set Your Guidelines

First, have an idea of what you’re going for before you launch this project. It doesn’t have to be too serious, but you should have a few goals in mind. Here’s a few examples:

• “My goal is to organize what I have in a way that increases accessibility and convenience, but I’m not ready to let anything go.”
• “I’m feeling practical—no more hanging onto things ‘just in case.’ My goal is to keep everything I love and need, but toss everything else. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t stay.”
• “Right now, my goal is to simply figure out what I have and where it is… But I’ll keep a bag handy just in case I find something I haven’t touched in a year or something random that I don’t even recognize anymore.”

Whatever your needs, writing down simple goals like these can help you keep yourself on track throughout the process. Just remember to be flexible! You can always alter your goals as you go.

Start Small, Then Snowball!

It’s the little things that clutter up our space the quickest: junk drawers (you know the one), glove compartments, or those hard-to-reach corners of the pantry. These are great places to start because reorganizing them doesn’t take a lot of time and they tend to create a snowball effect. You might start with your glove compartment and before you know it, the whole car is spotless!

Starting small also means you should work your way up to that intimidating area. Don’t start with the biggest project and anticipate meeting all of your expectations. When you tackle smaller messes first, not only do you rack up powerful feelings of accomplishment, but you also become more aware of your process: what you struggle with, what you prefer, what type of mess bothers you the most…

Create a System That Works for You

No matter how perfect your end product is after you organize, life keeps moving. Messes will happen, and if you don’t take the time to put a system into place, you’ll likely end up needing to reorganize again. 

Luckily, there are so many tools you can use to create lasting structure for your freshly-organized spaces: baskets, cubbies, drawer organizers, hooks, shelves… These days, many of these tools are also collapsible, stackable, removable, or expandable to make the whole process that much easier!

One example is to use a long, narrow bin to keep your kitchen cabinets organized. You can use the bin to easily slide in newer canned goods and push them to the back of your cabinet, so your older ones always get used first. This way, you don’t have to move each can around individually or reach all the way into the back to get to the can you need.

Another place you can easily implement a system is the closet. It’s easy to let clothes and shoes pile up—especially when we’re in a rush to get ready or can’t decide what to wear. Having a system for putting clothes back where they belong will make it easier to keep your closet tidy and help you know where everything is when you’re searching for that one shirt. You can even customize your system by organizing by color, clothing type, or season!

Try Out Different Methods

Figure out what your favorite method is by trying different options! Maybe you prefer to organize room by room and not move on until the entire space is finished. Maybe you’d like to try organizing by category: a paper day, a clothing day, a cabinet or shelf day, etc. You might also like to start by tossing what you can, then organizing the rest into “keep” and “give away” piles. Experimenting with different techniques to see what works best for you is a great way to make organization feel less like a chore and more soothing.

Take Inventory & Label What You Can

As you go along this journey, take note of what you have so that you can get rid of any duplicates (or triplicates) that are clogging up space. Know what you need to add or replace, or simply reacquaint yourself with what you have.

Once you’ve taken inventory, try taking advantage of a label maker! This affordable, easy-to-use tool elevates the organization process by making it easier to maintain moving forward (everyone will know where things go in your home, not just you!). Don’t want to buy a label maker? No problem! Just grab a sheet of white address labels and write them out yourself!

Find What You Need at Hamrick’s!

Whichever organizing project you intend to tackle this new year, Hamrick’s has your back! With all kinds of helpful gadgets available in store like baskets and bins, drawer and desktop organizers, makeup and brush holders, food storage, and planner. Whichever project you plan to tackle first, you’ll find fantastic tools at Hamrick’s that will help you incorporate organizational systems into your home. Don’t forget to sign up for our free More Rewards Loyalty Program to build points to use toward your purchase and show us your “before and after” photos on socials! 

BONUS!

Not sure where to start? Here’s a list of areas that you could reorganize. And since we all have other things on our to-do list, we’ve even broken them down into doable portions for the days when you have only a few minutes to throw at this overhaul… 

Kitchen

• Pantry
  • Canned goods
  • Baking
  • Breakfast
  • Snacks
  • Drinks
  • Spices
• Pots and pans
• Tupperware: Make sure everything has a lid!
• Fridge
  • Produce
  • Dairy
  • Proteins
  • Condiments 
• Freezer
• Cooking/Prep utensils
• Small appliances
• Knives
• Silverware
• Specialty or rare-use items like holiday themed pieces, cookie cutters, etc.

Living Room/Den/Family Room

• Cabinets and drawers
• Display shelves
• Blankets and throw pillows
• Media center
• Games, toys, movies, CD’s
• Books

Garage

• Tools
• Hobby-related items
• Yard care items
• Keepsakes
• Seasonal storage
• Outdoor toys, beach gear, etc.

Car

• Center console
• Glove compartment
• Under the seats
• Cup-holders and other open compartments
• Seatback pockets
• Trunk

Bedroom

• Closet
• Dresser
• Accessories
  • Bags
  • Glasses/Sunglasses
  • Hats
  • Jewelry
  • Scarves
  • Shoes
• Under the bed
• Bedside tables

Office

• Books
• Desk drawers
• Papers
• Electronics
• Cords

Bathroom

• Medicine 
• Travel
• Extra toiletries
• Towels and linens
• Makeup
• Hair-related items