by Lyndsey Tym

Small changes = big results. How many of us have heard this expression before? I know I’ve heard it many times in my life and it has not been until the last few years that I have started acknowledging it enough to put it into practice. 

One of the frustrations I hear from my client’s time and time again is that they wish they could keep their house more organized but don’t feel they have enough time for it. I try to reassure clients that you do not have to be naturally organized to stay organized, and you do not always have to block out large amounts of time to get organized. How to accomplish this if you are someone who cannot or does not want to set aside larger amounts of time to getting organized is to make small changes which result in a huge impact. 

The quickest way to get started by making small changes is to utilize what you have on hand to establish systems that are easy to maintain. It is not always necessary to go out and purchase matching storage containers and totes. While this can be very helpful, it can also add a lot of time (and money) to getting organized. Regardless of what you are trying to organize, it is likely you have handy storage solutions in your home already. 

When kick-starting your organizing, start by tackling smaller areas like a kitchen cupboard or bathroom drawer first. Smaller areas are faster to organize than diving into a whole room right away. When organizing the smaller area, think about how you use it and what you have available that can help keep it organized. Here are a few tricks that I use in my home:

Glass yogurt containers to store like items in my bathroom. One container for bobby pins, one for hair ties, one for Q-tips, and so on. I clean the glass yogurt containers after I have finished with them and then find uses for them all over the bathroom.

Shoe boxes to store similar items in our pantry. Because they are not on display, I don’t mind that the boxes don’t all match. I store jelly and jam in one, condiments in one, extra spices in another, and so on. It is easy to know where to go for an item because everything isn’t jammed together randomly on shelves. It is also easier to notice when I’m getting low on something because like items are stored together.

Glass jars to store baking items and other dry goods. After I’m finished with a pickle jar or jelly jar, I wash them and keep them on hand for future use. They are currently in my pantry storing chocolate chips, pistachios, baking powder, and so on. Storing items this way again makes it easier to know when something is running low and also easier to locate when you need it because you aren’t digging through half used bags and boxes of items. 

There are so many different ways to use things you already have to setup systems to stay organized in your home. In many cases when you are organizing smaller areas, you are organizing things that are not immediately in view and then don’t necessarily need all matching storage solutions. 

If you are someone who wishes they had a more organized home, try making some small changes and see how they make a huge impact. If you are someone who wishes they had a more organized home but would still like some help – hire a home organizer. 

Happy organizing!

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 Lyndsey Tym, owner of Simple Spaces, desires to help others declutter and simplify in their homes to free up time for the things they love Learn more at facebook.com/simplespaceslyndseytym.. 

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This article appeared in the May 2020 edition of Women’s LifeStyle Magazine. Click here to read the full edition.