Organization 101
I’m a huge organization junkie and definitely believe that the more organized your things, the less they will intrude on you living your life. I know most people don’t enjoy organizing or don’t think they have enough time. If you took 5 minutes each day to organize a small part of your home/car/office, I guarantee your routine will become more efficient and even more enjoyable.
First, don’t start too big. If you are new to organizing or are short on time, compartmentalize your home and tackle it in small chunks. A good place to start is your medicine cabinet. This important and often cluttered storage cabinet is used twice a day, at least. Here are a few steps to organizing your medicine cabinet.
image from slog.thestranger.com
Take everything out. It is good to have all your products out in front of you and to see the available space inside the cabinet.
Examine all medications. Check expiration dates and dispose of any that are past these dates. (It is also recommended to keep medications in the kitchen, where humidity is low)
Throw away any products you have not used in the past year. An important thing to remember when organizing is to not keep items in your home with the fear that you may need it later. If you are apprehensive about throwing things away, refer to tip #9.
Take any products you still need on hand but do not use daily (band-aids, nail polish remover, etc) and place them in another container beneath the sink.
For under sink storage, I would recommend these from Bed Bath and Beyond: Smooth-Glide Under-The-Sink Drawer
If these products must exist in the medicine cabinet, designate a shelf for them and don’t let them mingle with your daily-use products.
Take any items that require a specific shelf because of size and put them there. Position them so the ones used most frequently are easiest to reach.
Take all remaining items and arrange by use. I assume most people use their products in the same or similar order each day. Arrange your items in the order you use them to speed up your morning/evening routine.
Buy some clear containers for Q-tips, cotton balls, etc. As supply gets low, refill so they are always on hand. Having small items contained and easily visible both keeps the area free of clutter and helps you find these items quickly.
Try something like this: Palace Chrome Bath Ensemble By Springs
Most importantly, put each item back where it belongs after you use it. This small act will keep everything in its place and eliminate the “where is my deodorant?” dance each morning. It may seem like a hassle, but a few seconds each day will eliminate the clutter that slows you down and stresses you out.
EXTRA TIP: If you keep things around in the fear that you may need it one day, first recognize that this is a hoarding state of mind. There is no reason to keep things in your home that you do not use or do not have sentimental value.
An easy way to deal with these kinds of feelings is to set a specific purging goal. Take any items you have not used in the last year. Place a sticky post-it note on the product and put it back in the medicine cabinet. If you do end up using that product, remove the post-it note. After another year passes, throw away any items that still have post-it notes attached. If you haven’t used something in two years, I doubt you will miss it once it’s gone.
This whole process takes 5 minutes at most. I promise tomorrow morning when you get ready for work, you will be very pleased to see all of your necessities neatly organized and ready to use.