Putting Organization into Organizing

If organizing your house was easy, we’d all have photo-ready garages and closets and tons of free time to sip pina coladas by the pool. But it’s not easy, which is why so many of us carve out a weekend (or more) to finally tackle the desk overflowing with receipts, post-its, bills and the occasional week-old coffee cup hidden behind the computer monitor.

I’m happy to say that help is on the way in a detailed and, well, organized book by Coastal Breeze News columnist Kristin Carcieri-MacRae. “Living an Organized, Energized Life!” is 93-pages chock full of tips and ideas on bringing order to your living space and happiness to your life. Besides giving you the tools and step-by-step instructions for decluttering, it’s also filled with positive affirmations and “you can do it” encouragement. MacRae had me at the preface when she wrote, “Don’t let a three-hour project turn into an all-day affair.” That’s my kind of cleaning project!

“Living an Organized, Energized Life!” is everything you would want from an instructional book. Each chapter has clearly written goals and lists how to achieve them. Not only does it help you with the actual physical aspect of organizing, but it teaches you how to organize your thoughts and processes to start your organizing projects. MacRae writes that it’s okay not to know what to do – “this skill set can be learned.” And then the details on how to do that follow. And it’s not just great tips like staying in the room you are organizing or completely clearing out the area before putting things back. There’s a time management template that helps you stay on track and info on getting the right containers. Each chapter also has a notes page to write down your organizational plans and thoughts. Then, there is advice on how to stay motivated so that you actually finish the job. “Living an Organized, Energized Life!” takes the ugh out of decluttering and turns it into something doable and, I dare say, even enjoyable.

I decided to test out some of the steps on a bedroom nightstand, three drawers filled with a variety of things that weren’t necessarily functional anymore. MacRae tells us to make piles like “keep,” “goes in a different room,” “donate,” “recycle,” and “throw away” as you are taking things out.  I followed the plan through drawers one and two, and when the “keep” pile was big enough, I started to put things away until I remembered the “completely clear the area” advice. Good thing I did that as drawer number three had more “keep” things. Had I not stopped and cleared it, I would have had to go back and take things out of the newly organized drawer. Doesn’t seem like a big thing but it would have been frustrating to redo the work, especially if you aren’t keen on organizing to begin with. Once everything was cleared and the piles were set, I put the “keep” items back in the drawers and tackled the other piles. “Recycle” went into that bin. “Throw away” in the trash. “Donate” in a bag to drop off at Bargain Basket. Lastly, I put the things that belonged in another room back where they belonged. I even managed to follow the advice on not reminiscing when I found my old baby book in the bottom of drawer number three, saving valuable time and angst over how old I’ve gotten.

“Living an Organized, Energized Life!” is perfect for the unorganized or just the unmotivated. If you are moving, pick up this book. If you are redecorating, pick up this book. If you’ve got a pack-rat partner, pick up this book. Not only will you find yourself properly organized but, as the title says, energized as well. So next time you open the leftover container cabinet in the kitchen and everything tumbles out to the floor, don’t panic. Help is here in “Living an Organized, Energized Life!”