A messy room or house can feel chaotic. When items are cluttered, it’s like walking through a pile of the unknown, where it takes ages to find what you’re looking for. Additionally, seeing the clutter takes away your peace of mind and can even affect your productivity in completing other tasks around the house.
When the mess builds up, tidying and organizing can feel immensely overwhelming. Where do you start? What should go in the trash or stay in your closet? According to professional organizer Kathy Jenkins, the answer lies in the six-step SIMPLE method.
What is the SIMPLE method?
If you try to organize and declutter without a plan all at once, your brain is overloaded figuring out what to keep, where to place items, and so on, and this can wear you out quickly. Following the SIMPLE method allows you to organize step by step, thus avoiding all the overthinking.
Keep SIMPLE in mind- here are the steps to follow:
- S for Sorting like with like
- I for Identifying what to keep
- M for Making a home for it
- P for Putting in containers
- L for Labeling
- E for Establishing a routine
With these simple steps, you can regain control of your environment and keep your belongings and home life in order.
Implementing the SIMPLE method
Getting started: Categorizing
Like what it states in the SIMPLE method, you can start organizing by sorting like with like. Choose what you’d want, like a messy bedroom or cluttered garage, and start categorizing items. You can sort them by function, type, or whichever criteria fits.
For example, if you’re organizing your pantry, you may want to sort snacks from the spices and baking supplies. Meanwhile, you can categorize clothes by season, type of clothing, etc. What’s important is that these items are sorted in a way that makes sense to you.
Additionally, it is recommended to write down the categories and place them on the designated sort piles. These signs help make categorizing easier and faster.
Diving in: Take it one category at a time
Once you have your items sorted, it’s time to go through each pile and figure out which items you want to keep. At this point, it’s recommended that you focus on identifying if the item is essential to you or still holds value.
Much like what Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo often advises in her KonMarie Method, the items you keep when decluttering spark joy. If you’re still having trouble going through your sorted piles, here are more tips:
- You can divide it into subcategories if dealing with a large pile. This works well when organizing and decluttering clothes.
- When it comes to broken items, pick out which ones will get repaired or thrown out. Items for repair should be fixed as soon as possible.
- For worn-out items that can still be used, decide whether they’ll be discarded, repaired, or donated.
- If you have duplicate items or things with similar use, keep the one you more frequently use and dispose of or donate the duplicates.
Organizing: Know where things go
You’re done categorizing, discarding, and choosing which items stay. What comes next? Of course, it’s time to find a designated place for your belongings. Containers or storage bins are great for easy segregation when organizing items.
You can assign drawers, shelves, or cabinets for specific objects, like cleaning supplies or clothes. Meanwhile, different items with similar use can be placed in boxes and labeled. While some may think labeling is too over-the-top, labeling boxes and containers is useful in finding things quicker and knowing where to put things after.
Routine: Maintaining order
A tidy and organized home invites happiness, productivity, and peace of mind, which is why it’s best that you keep it that way. Throughout the week, spend at least 30 minutes putting things away to minimize clutter. Doing this helps prevent a mess from getting out of control and becoming unmanageable.
If you make a chart of daily or weekly cleaning routines, organizing won’t feel too much like a heavy job while, at the same time, you are getting things done even little by little.
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