Taking everything out of ones space to organize can be daunting. If you don’t have a plan, you’ll end up feeling confused and find yourself in a state of overwhelm. Not the place you want to be in when you need a clear mind to tackle a big project. Don’t limit your results by not planning.
I like to thin out my things ahead of time before I get to this place. It is easier to go through the closet with clothes hanging and flip through it and get rid of what you know you don’t want. To make this easy, I do my multi-stage process of my “Kinda Mari Method” over an extended period and then take it all out and get it all set back just so. If you want to just dive in, and you have the time, you can start here.
Map out the space in the closet and assign places to where you want things to go and follow the plan. Your map should include a drawing of the space and the dimensions. Then you can fill in what you have and where you want it to go. You may also want to include a legend or key at the bottom: that’s basically a list of everything that you have to organize so that you don’t forget anything. Sometimes I write the items to organize pin small post-it notes so I can move them around. This alleviates the confusion and second guessing that comes with organizing in the moment. When you have a mound of items out it can be overwhelming. Planning it out, in advance, helps to combat the overwhelm and gives you the power to finish a big project.
I learned this all too well when I worked for Nike. At the beginning of each quarter, I’d arrive to find every sample for the season dumped out and unfolded in all of the show rooms. The massive amount of stuff was always hard to take and it took two days to organize it and then from then on it was fun. I’d arrange the show rooms to make it easy to find samples and also look pretty with each display. My goal was to get those buyers excited so the reps could sell! I always wanted to quit on day one of each season, but by day five, the sense of accomplishment made it so worth it. Now, I don’t have dressed mannequins or hanging graphics in my closet, but the principles of merchandising can be applied to our own closets so you’ll feel excited to wear what you have and win your day!
I like to think of the plan as creating a dream closet. What do you want it to look like? Do you want shoe boxes stacked to the left and totes on the right? Or Maybe totes all along the top? Draw out what you want it to look like and start assigning the places where you want things to go. This is actually fun to do with a fresh mind. When you plan ahead and stick to the plan, you’ll save time by not wasting moments on trying to make the best decision in the moment. I make my drawing and estimate what I have and assign locations for categories before I take it all out. Once it is all out, I may make any needed adjustments. It is easy to make these adjustments because your mind is still clear from working in these phases which help to repel overwhelm.
With your pre-plan written out now consider the following:
What do you have and how much do you have? How much space will each category take and plan around that. If you have everything out of the closet, grouped in categories, you’ll have a great idea of how much you have. If it is not all out and you are doing this to preplan, then just guess. Likely your guess will be pretty good. And if you are off, it will be because you don’t realize just how much of one category you have. If you don’t know how much you have it might be because you don’t use it. So you may end up needing to pairing down yet again. I’ve also found that when I have more than can fit in a cube, that I am usually more willing to let go of a more things. Then the satisfaction of the little organizational win sets in.
I used to organize my clothes by color and then by length. I would start with sleeve length and color. White tank tops followed by white t-shirts and ending with long sleeves.
Then I organized by size again with the next darkest shade until I reached black. I kept all shirts together grouped this way and then would do the same with sweaters, skirts, pants, and dresses. I LOVED this method and it worked without fail for 10 years. When my life changed from leaving the house in one outfit a day to wearing multiple outfits a day, I needed to change the system. Some days I was working from home while being with a baby or three all day. Other days I was working from home, taking care of babies, and then leaving for work. The clothes were not usually interchangeable and even on the days they were, rarely would an outfit survive my morning at home. The way I needed to access my clothes changed. It was suddenly like being two people: each with completely different wardrobe needs. There were my mommy playdate clothes, my professional clothes, and my evening clothes.
The way I needed to access my clothes changed. It was suddenly like being two people: each with completely different wardrobe needs.
I ended up sectioning off a portion of my closet for my daily at home clothes that were nursing friendly followed by nursing friendly work clothes. Since this phase was less permanent, I decided to keep almost all the clothes in the closet. Even though I was not wearing some at all. I just pushed them tightly but neatly together, allowing what I was wearing most often the space to be seen. You absolutely could pack the rest up but I didn’t need the additional space in my closet and it leaving it alone was easier than packing it all up. I also included a designated section for my favorite date or girls night clothes.
Having access to the other clothes gave me the freedom to experiment and try something new knowing that I always had by couple fail proof backup blouses hanging in their small designated spot looking good and ready to wear. If there was time to get dressed using more imagination, then I could experiment and give it a try. Knowing that my backup was in its spot, was like an insurance policy against any undue getting ready stress. (This is a mini capsule idea that we can talk more about later).
My last tip for today is about using dividers to section off your categories. It makes finding things a breeze and keeps everything looking tidy. When you have a system you just can’t hang your clothes up all at once. Each item needs to be put away in its proper place. Sounds like I am stating the obvious, but hang on…I’m getting somewhere. When you are in a time crunch and you have time to hang up the laundry, but you may not have time to put it away. Lord, I pray that you always have time to finish what you start in one sitting, but if you are like me, and have a few minutes here and there then you need back-up plans. I can say that I don’t need to implement my backup plans as much now that the girls have grown up a little. But, I’ll always have contingency plans and cheats in all my posts for those of you who need them. If you are reading this then you want results. Always choose progress over perfection. I promise that you will get there.
Okay, so back to my last hack. I’ve designated a section at the front of my closet where I hang it all and then put it away from there, as time allows. I think of this as my staging area. This way, it is off the couch and hanging up. I may get back to it later that day but if not, I have one night a week when I spend 5-20 minuets tidying up my closet so I’ll do it then. My husband sees his friends one night a week and I like this quiet time in my room to do things like this. Think about what will work for you and schedule it in. Adding time in your schedule to finish things gives you power and a sense of peace instead of feeling like you have so many things unfinished. You won’t walk through your house thinking of all the things you have to do anymore. You’ll have planned it so you’ll know when you will get back to it. Trust me it is a much better feeling.
That is all for today on this part of my Multi Layered Organizing System. An apparel closet is just the example. But, by creating a map and using the principals of sorting and asking, “How do I use this? When do I use this?” you’ll be able to apply it to any area of your home.
Honestly, this has saved me so much time and stress. It gives me control over getting ready. Which translates to I am ready for the day. I am less cranky, I have more time, and I feel more powerful. Your time is precious, and I know you don’t have to waste it being in a flurry trying to find what to wear amongst a mess. You can do this!
