Know What You Have

I helped set up a kitchen last week after a move. We got the shelves, drawers and pantry looking absolutely perfect. Like Instagram worthy. Just when I thought my job was done, the movers realized they missed a ‘kitchen’ box and it wasn’t a little box either. It had a little bit of everything for the kitchen in it.  We no longer had a picture perfect kitchen set up, now we had to find places for more stuff. Although it was completely by accident, it was a good reminder of how important it is to know what you have, what you need and what you actually use before you try and organize.

There’s a reason Marie Kondo became such a sensation with her concept of only keeping things that spark joy. There’s a reason Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer’s company is called The Home Edit. Before we can get organized, we have to declutter.  We often don’t know what we actually have until we pull the like items together and see what we’ve got. Instead of running out to get plastic storage bins, the first thing to do is sort and purge.

The bins and labels come after you’ve evaluated what you have and honestly answer if it’s worth its space in your home. If you find yourself with three bottles of Balsamic vinegar because you’ve grabbed it at the store, unsure if you already have some, it’s safe to assume you can get rid of two of those bottles. I’m going to go through my lip balm today because I have a tendency to grab a new stick each time I forget mine. I’ve learned from experience that if I don’t go through them and pick my favorites, most of them will dry up before I get to use them. So, today I’ll weed out the mediocre ones or ones I don’t just love to make sure I have room and get to use the ones that I love.

There’s something amazing with decluttering. It feels so good once you get started, that just the act of doing it motivates you to do more. It’s like a muscle, our decluttering muscles grow the more we work them.  Usually the hardest part of any workout regimen is just getting started. Whether it’s going for a walk or getting yourself into the gym, the hardest part is starting, by far.  So, start small. Go through your medicine cabinet or a shelf in your linen closet. If you’re looking to get more organized, wait on the storage bins and just get some things out of your house. It feels amazing and is contagious.