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5 Organizing 'Rules' You Don't Need to Follow (According to a Professional Organizer)
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If organizing feels intimidating to you, take a deep breath, a step back, and listen to the experts: Organization-maxxing isn’t getting you anywhere. In fact, the standard tidying practice of "less is more" also applies to your mindset. For better results that stick, we spoke with a professional organizer who says you can officially kick the following rules to the curb.
01. The entire house should be decluttered before organizing.
"If you think this way, you will most likely never get around to organizing," says Tzur.
Instead, "start small and build on your sense of calm and accomplishment," she suggests. "Celebrate the small wins. This will give you the motivation to keep going. A great place to start is with a single dresser or a small closet."
02. Everything has to be aesthetically pleasing.
"Your house does not need to look like a social media post. It needs to meet your needs so that you can be more efficient and not feel stressed," says Tzur.
"Organizing is about creating systems that work for you and your family," she further explains. "While the results often look good, it is more important that your house functions in a way that meets your day-to-day needs."
It's about progress over perfection, she says.
03. Surfaces should be completely clear.
Zero clutter may be the vision, but it’s far from reality. "This is not realistic for many people and creates unnecessary stress," says Tzur. "Having stuff out is not necessarily clutter if it helps you to be more efficient and productive."
She suggests designating a "drop-zone" for odds and ends, keys, and mail to keep things from getting out of hand. "Items that are used regularly should be easily accessible and can be kept organized in baskets or bins," Tzur says.
04. You need matching containers.
Blame big organizing stores on this fake rule. Just because you can buy cohesive organizing products doesn’t mean that you need to. "There are organizing items available at every price point," says Tzur, "but you can use what you have around the house—shoe boxes, Ziploc bags, empty crates, and more."
05. You're done after a big declutter.
"Organizing is not a one-and-done process," Tzur says. "In order to keep your house organized, you must maintain the systems you created."
Schedule certain daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal tasks that will help you stay organized. This may include re-evaluating your closet at the end of each season, or clearing your kitchen counters each night.