Chaos Cure: Putting Everything in its Place

Cara Pagan

Founder, Hotmess to Homemade

Life can be busy. Really freaking busy. Or at least we tell ourselves that. Which then leads to feelings of chaos and losing control. I'm definitely guilty of this. I'm also a rusher. I will half ass things and literally shove stuff in drawers just to save a few seconds. Quick fix? Yes. Does it come back to bite me in the ass in the long run? Yes. This weekend, instead of persisting to complain about how messy, gross, and disorganized things are and continuing to add to them, I decided to do something about it. This little miracle wasn't that hard and the fact that my toddler took a 3 hour nap, allowing me to do it just proves the universe wanted me to get that shit done. I found a simple method to organizing the chaos and one that helps to keep it that way for as long as possible (even if that means just a few days!). Now, I realize this is something that normal people probably do on a regular basis. But for us scatterbrained rushers, it's a skill that needs to be learned and taught.

1. Clear out the space you are cleaning.

Whether it's your closet or kitchen cabinets, empty everything in there so you can see exactly what you've been storing. Give that space a good vacuum, wipe down, spiritual cleansing, etc.

2. Get rid of every item that is not serving you.

Ask yourself: When is the last time I used this/wore this? If the answer is more than three months ago CHUCK IT! You don't need it. It's just become an emotional attachment that's actually doing more harm than good.

3. Organize your goods.

While everything is out in front of your little eyes, organize it into categories if at all possible. Find a correlation or system that works for you. Buy containers, glass jars, and tools to help organize and designate proper places. If it can’t be organized, let it move along.

4. Assign every item its own space.

This is key to making those 2 hours of torturous organization pay off. First, begin to put the items you categorized together away together. Find a spot that makes sense for that item. Have some cans of beans or tomato paste you aren't reaching for every day? Put them in the back. What about that shirt you put on every day when you get home from work? Up front is the perfect spot. Every time you use that item, put it back in its "spot". When everything else around the item is organized it will automatically remind you of where it goes.

5. Maintain the joy of order.

Now comes the hardest and most important part- keeping it your space in the awesome condition it is right now. This might be super easy for you or one of the hardest tasks you've been assigned. Either way you can do it. Realistically, it's not going to last forever but you can make it last as long as possible by putting everything in the spaces you chose for it.