Interestingly, post-COVID lockdowns we made a decision to move across country and it was yet another disruptive decision in a world-gone-mad era. We wanted to minimize how disruptive this disruption was. Our house sold within the same day as the only open house but we'd not found one at our destination yet. Yikes, do not recommend this approach. lol. However, in the spirit of minimizing disruption we ended up finding a house quickly that was almost our exact house we sold, but smaller. So, to the punchline (at last lol). During this time I was so emotionally discombobulated. My husband said I lost my mojo. But one thing I did well is that I set this new house up EXACTLY like the old one. Same place for stuff in the kitchen, same artwork and little ladder shelf with beach goo-gaws in the powder room. Same stuff in the same places is was at the old house. This was a somehow a soothing, security blanket for our senses. We settled in faster than I imagined to our new HOME. Looking back it was the best thing I could have done to give a visual hug to my family during this highly stressful time. Now, now I'm retiring soon and the FIRST THING I'M doing is purging and reorganizing this house to match the way we live now, not how we used to live. It's time to move on. Thank you so much for the 5 S's. It will be of great help to me in the coming months!
We call it the Sharpie test in our home! With four teens who are very into crafts and art projects, we made a point of having ONE place the Sharpies go. Not in a pencil cup, not on a desk, not crammed in with dried-out acrylics and edge stampers… There is one box in one drawer where Sharpies go. It was a great start to get the kids in the habit of helping us keep everything organized!
Last weekend I was helping my partner organize a section of his kitchen and applied this same principle. I could see there was a sense of where he felt his kids' school snacks, lunchboxes, and bags SHOULD go, but the entire section had just become a dumping ground and was serving no one. So we did away with not just the random items that had found their way there, and the clever-seeming organizing bins in the cabinets below (which MAY get repurposed in the pantry, when we do that section) but we embraced the countertop as a "drop zone" for bags, papers, mail, etc. We moved the snacks up to drawers (because who wants to crouch down and use the bins in the cabinets below? it was clear no one did because that had become another chaotic toss and drop zone; now it's a place for rarely used larger items) that are easy for him or them to pull open when he's packing their lunches or when the kids want a snack when they get home. I've observed its use this week and I'm optimistic that the system seems to be working. He has (diagnosed) ADHD and I think "clutter represents unmade decisions" would really resonate with him. It's fun to help try to generate some of these systems with him, but the real test is whether they work for him --if they don't, then we'll have to reconsider!
Great problem solving! And I totally agree the real test is to watch and see if the system is working before declaring the issue solved. Iterating and refining is an often forgotten part of the job.
When thinking of where to store an item, @iorganize on TikTok frames it as “family, cousins, or coworkers.” Family = the same item, like putting bath towels on the same shelf with washcloths. Cousins = similar items, like putting the beach towels in the same closet as the bath towels. Coworkers = what items go with it, like putting your giant sun hat in a bin next to the beach towels in the closet.
There’s one problem with the “where should it go” quick decision making - when your family doesn’t have the same instinct! My husband and kid are often asking me where stuff is, and I think it’s because they haven’t bothered to learn “the system” but it might be because MY system isn’t obvious / instinctive to them.
In my experience they ask me no matter what so the system might as well make sense to me 😂. Also, labels sometimes help reinforce with everyone where things go.
This is one that I need to think about! With a specific problem in mind, actually. We store crayons and markers in mason jars in our kitchen, above the table, because that’s where the kids draw. We stored them up high on that shelf because we wanted to be in control of when they came down! However, now the kids are tall enough to try to (unsafely) stretch up and get the jars themselves. We need a new system! It was working…except now it’s not! Close to the table still, but safely within their reach. Hmmmm. Thanks for the post! :)
Oh I relate! You could always do the classic parenting "wait it out" system where you suffer until eventually they're mature enough to handle their art supplies. That's an oldie but goodie when all else fails ;)
I always appreciate your hacks. This is a great one! Yesterday I found something I'd been looking for. It SHOULD have been in my jewelry box, which is where I kept expecting to find it. No, it was in with my envelopes (in the living room). I have no idea why. So of course I moved it to my jewelry box. I do have a place for everything, but sometimes not everything is in its place.
Yes, she uses it too! If I recall correctly, she even takes it a step further and asks "and if I needed this item, would I think to look for it?"
I first came across this idea in "Getting Things Done" in the early 2000s -- he uses this question to figure out how to file your papers (under what word) and I love how adaptable it is to other parts of life.
“Until you’ve found a place for each of your things, every time you tidy it becomes a problem solving exercise.” Well that hits the nail on the head.
Interestingly, post-COVID lockdowns we made a decision to move across country and it was yet another disruptive decision in a world-gone-mad era. We wanted to minimize how disruptive this disruption was. Our house sold within the same day as the only open house but we'd not found one at our destination yet. Yikes, do not recommend this approach. lol. However, in the spirit of minimizing disruption we ended up finding a house quickly that was almost our exact house we sold, but smaller. So, to the punchline (at last lol). During this time I was so emotionally discombobulated. My husband said I lost my mojo. But one thing I did well is that I set this new house up EXACTLY like the old one. Same place for stuff in the kitchen, same artwork and little ladder shelf with beach goo-gaws in the powder room. Same stuff in the same places is was at the old house. This was a somehow a soothing, security blanket for our senses. We settled in faster than I imagined to our new HOME. Looking back it was the best thing I could have done to give a visual hug to my family during this highly stressful time. Now, now I'm retiring soon and the FIRST THING I'M doing is purging and reorganizing this house to match the way we live now, not how we used to live. It's time to move on. Thank you so much for the 5 S's. It will be of great help to me in the coming months!
We call it the Sharpie test in our home! With four teens who are very into crafts and art projects, we made a point of having ONE place the Sharpies go. Not in a pencil cup, not on a desk, not crammed in with dried-out acrylics and edge stampers… There is one box in one drawer where Sharpies go. It was a great start to get the kids in the habit of helping us keep everything organized!
Last weekend I was helping my partner organize a section of his kitchen and applied this same principle. I could see there was a sense of where he felt his kids' school snacks, lunchboxes, and bags SHOULD go, but the entire section had just become a dumping ground and was serving no one. So we did away with not just the random items that had found their way there, and the clever-seeming organizing bins in the cabinets below (which MAY get repurposed in the pantry, when we do that section) but we embraced the countertop as a "drop zone" for bags, papers, mail, etc. We moved the snacks up to drawers (because who wants to crouch down and use the bins in the cabinets below? it was clear no one did because that had become another chaotic toss and drop zone; now it's a place for rarely used larger items) that are easy for him or them to pull open when he's packing their lunches or when the kids want a snack when they get home. I've observed its use this week and I'm optimistic that the system seems to be working. He has (diagnosed) ADHD and I think "clutter represents unmade decisions" would really resonate with him. It's fun to help try to generate some of these systems with him, but the real test is whether they work for him --if they don't, then we'll have to reconsider!
Great problem solving! And I totally agree the real test is to watch and see if the system is working before declaring the issue solved. Iterating and refining is an often forgotten part of the job.
When thinking of where to store an item, @iorganize on TikTok frames it as “family, cousins, or coworkers.” Family = the same item, like putting bath towels on the same shelf with washcloths. Cousins = similar items, like putting the beach towels in the same closet as the bath towels. Coworkers = what items go with it, like putting your giant sun hat in a bin next to the beach towels in the closet.
There’s one problem with the “where should it go” quick decision making - when your family doesn’t have the same instinct! My husband and kid are often asking me where stuff is, and I think it’s because they haven’t bothered to learn “the system” but it might be because MY system isn’t obvious / instinctive to them.
In my experience they ask me no matter what so the system might as well make sense to me 😂. Also, labels sometimes help reinforce with everyone where things go.
This is one that I need to think about! With a specific problem in mind, actually. We store crayons and markers in mason jars in our kitchen, above the table, because that’s where the kids draw. We stored them up high on that shelf because we wanted to be in control of when they came down! However, now the kids are tall enough to try to (unsafely) stretch up and get the jars themselves. We need a new system! It was working…except now it’s not! Close to the table still, but safely within their reach. Hmmmm. Thanks for the post! :)
Oh I relate! You could always do the classic parenting "wait it out" system where you suffer until eventually they're mature enough to handle their art supplies. That's an oldie but goodie when all else fails ;)
Hahaha. So true! Only I don’t want them breaking a glass jar in the process!
This is a very late response, but it seems like shifting from mason jars to plastic or metal cups (or similar) could be an easy interim solution.
I always appreciate your hacks. This is a great one! Yesterday I found something I'd been looking for. It SHOULD have been in my jewelry box, which is where I kept expecting to find it. No, it was in with my envelopes (in the living room). I have no idea why. So of course I moved it to my jewelry box. I do have a place for everything, but sometimes not everything is in its place.
You could probably credit Dana (K. White) for the 'where would I look for it' question.......
Yes, she uses it too! If I recall correctly, she even takes it a step further and asks "and if I needed this item, would I think to look for it?"
I first came across this idea in "Getting Things Done" in the early 2000s -- he uses this question to figure out how to file your papers (under what word) and I love how adaptable it is to other parts of life.
I sometimes just put the item *somewhere* so it's not hanging around. Then if I hate that placement I can try again!