HOME ORGANIZATION STRATEGIES: CREATING HEALTHY HOME BASE RULES (PART ONE)

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Submitted Date 08/28/2019
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Do you have healthy home organization strategies? Do you do well to keep your home in order regularly? Are your stress levels at a minimum in this area of your life?

Today, A New Journey

I offer you to come with me on a new journey! Whether we admit it or not, many of us desire things to go well in our lives. As moms, one of the areas in constant view before us is keeping the home in order.

I have to be the first to admit, and I need help in this area of my life. Moreover, maybe you need help as well. If so, come with me and make today a new day with a new way of living – moving forward step by step - toward having a healthy home that is organized in a less stressful way.

Healthy Home Organization

By creating healthy home organization strategies, we live day by day in a more predictable fashion. Creating a system that works for our family and home allows us to keep moving forward in creating the life we love.

Home Base Rules

Rules, rules, rules…why more rules? Whether we like to face the facts or not, many regulations make our lives easier. Think about it.

While driving in the car to the grocery store, when you come to a stop sign, do you stop? Normally, yes. Why? Because the stop sign means we should brake and come to a complete stop. Why? Because a traffic rule has been put in place for our protection and to help us live healthier, happier lives.

What is the definition of a rule?

Merriam Webster reminds us of various definitions of the word "rule." Here are a few to consider on our new journey to becoming organized:

· A prescribed guide for action

· An accepted procedure or habit

· A regulating principle

· The exercise of control, or to exert control

· To draw a (the) line

So, are you ready to draw the line in your life in the area of being organized? Do you desire to gain control over the clutter in your life? Are you ready to create healthier habits to make your home life more comfortable? (I know my answer is YES!)

Forgiveness & Grace

Before we begin discussing creating organizing rules in our lives to help us, let us remember mercy and grace. For our family "system" to work, we need to allow forgiveness and grace.

Things will not always move forward as we like. Life does happen and block our efforts. This is when we accept forgiveness and allow grace into our lives. I always think and say, "Why allow this situation to cause me more stress?" Go with the flow when possible, and keep moving forward. Deal with life situations as needed, and move back to making progress toward an organized life.

Creating New "Rules" To Help

Are you ready to get started? Let's talk about creating some new rules! Alternatively, to begin placing action to good regulations we already have in our lives in the area of keeping the home organized.

What Are Some Rules to Consider?

One of the reasons we cannot stay organized regularly is clutter. Yes, clutter! So, what can we do to minimize what we have to organize our homes and stay organized?

Rule #1: Give items away – Recently, I have started going through each room of the home. I am going through all the drawers, shelves, everything. I am on a journey of "downsizing my stuff." I am getting divorced from the idea of "I need these items in my life."

Don't get me wrong, and I am keeping essential items on this journey. However, I am asking myself the following questions. "Do I really need this?" "Is this item making my life easier?" "Is this item, or set of items, a hindrance to my happiness?"

Challenge: What items do you have that you really don't need? What things can you give away to those in need? Let's get specific – what TEN items can you remove from your home, today?

Rule #2: Keeping Numbers – Ruth Soupuk once said in one of her books, she keeps only a specific number of outfits in her closet. If she buys a new outfit, one outfit has to go. Moreover, she only keeps the outfits she truly loves. This is a excellent concept to consider to get control of the chaos of "too much stuff."

Challenge: What area in your life can you use this "rule" to help you? Is it clothing items, or shoes? Is it buying jewelry to wear? Alternatively, maybe it is the number of books you have on your shelf waiting to be read?

Rule #3: One Home Junk Drawer – We all seem to have a junk drawer in the home, or do we have multiple junk drawers? Can we allow ourselves the grace to have ONE junk drawer in the house and manage it? I believe the answer is yes.

Challenge: Think about where ONE junk drawer would be the most useful to you. Is it in the kitchen or the front room? Secondly, what one extra junk drawer in the home can you minimize and declutter, today?

Rule #4: Neighbor & Family Swap – One strategy in taking a step closer to being organized is to hold a neighbor or family swap. This strategy is an option – some will take the idea and run with it. Others may say, "This is not for me." That is okay – it is all about finding strategies which work for you and your family!

Challenge: Do you have items your neighbor (or family member) can use? Do they have things you can genuinely use? This organization tip can be used as a cost-savings strategy as well.

Rule #5: Face the Fear – When it comes to organizing and decluttering our homes, we have to face the fear. One definition of fear is an anxious concern (Merriam Webster). Another explanation is a "state" marked by this emotion (Merriam Webster).

When decluttering, here are a few questions I consider. Will I need this item in the future? Do I really want to get rid of the gift Aunt Sally gave me? If she finds out, what will she think of me?

The fear is real, and it is something we have to deal with head-on. Otherwise, how will we move forward to a more organized life?

I determine that I will not allow fear to rule my life in any way, shape, or form. Facing fear is an ongoing challenge, but eventually, fear's "grip" on my life will lose its hold on me. Also, it will lose it's holding on your life too!

New Standard of Living

Today, we have discussed some new standards of living – in the area of living organized. A few strategies to consider are giving unneeded items away, using "keep" numbers, downsizing to one junk drawer, holding a swap, and facing the fear.

The Journey Continues

Will you join me in the continuation of this new journey? Together, we can make our homes a better place to live – a place we love to spend time with family and friends!

 

Barbi Green

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