When Organization is Good Enough
Sometimes it’s hard to get started on an organizing project. You have good intentions, it’s on the to-do list but you haven't quite gotten to it yet. Sound familiar?
THE DREADED CLOSET
I have had my office closet on my to-do-list for 6 months. Yep, no kidding. 6 months of good intentions. I kept putting it off until this past winter break. And even then, I didn’t want to do it.
It’s been a catch-all for years. I was avoiding it for several reasons. One, some of the contents were going to be hard to part with. Two, in my mind, I didn’t have new beautiful bins or storage containers to create that Pinterest worthy Norwegian style that I love. And three, it wasn’t the most exciting organizing project.
These thoughts were preventing me from getting started.
EMBRACE GOOD ENOUGH
I embraced the “Good Enough” mentality and got the organizing done. Even though this was going against my perfectionist organizing tendencies, this closet needed to be decluttered. It has been a catch-all for my hobby supplies, my kid’s school memories, seasonal items, and even sentimental items from my college days.
The biggest challenge was relocating the endless number of craft, art, card, and scrapbooking supplies. They needed a new home out of my closet. I found a better space in the basement.
Another concern was not spending money. I usually set aside a budget for my organizing projects. But I didn’t want to spend anything on this project right now. Instead, I used what I already had.
IT’S OKAY TO COME BACK LATER
After spending several hours going through the closet, I discovered some categories had to be dealt with later. I wasn’t going to be able to tackle everything to get the organizing done.
Some of my more personal items like mementos, family photographs, and childhood memories take more time to go through. It's okay to allow yourself to come back later for items that are time-consuming and harder to make decisions about. It’s better to start and go through what you can. Then at a later date, when you have more time, finish the difficult categories.
IT’S ORGANIZED, AND IT’S GOOD ENOUGH
It’s not perfect but it’s good enough. Yes, there is still work to be done but my closet is a big improvement from where it was. I was able to get rid of things I’m not using or no longer interested in. I recycled mounds of paper and magazines. And I donate gently used items too.
AN END GOAL
My end goal is to go through every category, purchase new bins and shelving from Ikea and get that completed look I imagined for my closet. I love Ikea’s simplistic Norwegian style. Best of all, their inexpensive products and easy to assemble furniture make it easy to get a fresh look at a great price. So for me, it's worth the wait.