Getting organized at home has become a fascinating trend ever since Marie Kondo came out with her first book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” Now everyone is eager to spruce up the organization of their home, if they haven’t already. However, is home organization just a trend or is it actually worth your investment? Any investment we make is normally based upon our understanding of the cost vs. benefit of the decision at hand, and for most, the cost vs. benefit of organizing your entire home is simply unclear. If you have ever wondered if you should get organized or not, you’re in the right place! I have decided to clear the air and share with you key information to decide for yourself once and for all.
Do I have the TIME?
THE COST
When estimating the time it will take to organize your entire home, there are a few things at play; access to help, the amount of stuff you own and the scope of your project. Do you have a supportive friend, family member or professional organizer to help you? Having someone there to help support, guide, keep you accountable and keep you on track will speed up the process immensely. How much stuff have you accumulated over the years?
You will gain the most out of going through everything you own one by one and deciding if you’d like to keep, trash, donate or sell them. If you keep your momentum up, decisions will get easier and faster along the way because you will have instilled a rhythm and deeper understanding of personal preference.
Lastly, are you creating organizing solutions among things you already own, creating a shopping list of organizing accessories to buy, or planning to build and install custom home upgrades? This decision is purely based upon what solution will best serve you and your home. It will also determine if a little extra time will be added to finish your project or not.
THE BENEFIT
Once everything in your home is aligned and organized, you will gain back all of the time you spent getting there, plus more than you know. Let’s break it down. All the time you used to spend looking for things, running late, re-buying items you’ve lost or don’t even know you have, and trying to partially organize spaces time and time again is now time gained. The time it takes you to finish the laundry, tackle a home project or tidy up is streamlined for you and now only takes a fraction of the time to complete. You will have a familiar cleaning checklist, such as the one found here, making maintenance easy and efficient. There are no loose ends, nothing without a home and no room for confusion – which, might I add, leaves a very productive, time-saving, and happy you.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “for every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” This is a timeless truth we all have the opportunity to experience.
“How much MONEY will it all take?”
THE COST
You are absolutely in charge of how much money you invest in getting organized at home.
No budget? No problem!
- Find inspiration from your favorite online sources and invite over someone you can trust to help. You can find household items along the way you can repurpose or recreate to help you get organized, like sturdy shoe boxes for bins and mason jars for containers. You’ll have to get crafty and think outside the box to avoid spending a dime, but this might just be the perfect way to add a personal touch to your newly organized home!
If you have a budget, you have a few options!
- The least expensive option is to find a DIY plan to buy online if you have the time, the drive and some trusted help.
- The next step up would be to schedule virtual coaching or in-home organizing sessions with a professional organizer to get you started and finish on your own.
- Lastly, a larger budget would allow you to hire a professional organizer to help take care of your entire home, with or without you. If you decide to hire a professional organizer, you are paying a premium for their expert advice, efficient hands-on work, and specialized support.
I highly suggest scheduling a consultation with a professional organizer if you have a budget and aren’t quite sure which direction is best for you.
THE BENEFIT
As a direct result of organizing your entire home, you will develop money saving habits that will come in handy for the rest of your life. No more overspending on things that simply never get used because you’ve` refined what you like, what you don’t like, what serves you best and what doesn’t. No more money wasted on buying things you cant find or don’t even know you have because you know exactly what you own and where to find them. No more overspending on unnecessary bulk purchases because you will know exactly how much you need and where to put them away.
The most important money saving habit you will acquire from getting organized is a new perspective on your belongings and their value. You will start to only buy things that align with your home and are worthy of your care. As a result of being more selective, you will be more inclined to maintain and care for everything you own. This will maintain the quality of your belongings, allow them to last longer than before and save you, yet again, more money.
All of the money you could save yourself in the future will surely surpass the amount of money it will take you to get organized. Not to mention all the actual money you’ll find around the house will top it off quite nicely.
“I don’t know if I have the ENERGY.”
THE COST
In order to create a home organized just for you, you will need to make thoughtful decisions about what to keep and what organization serves you best. With that said, the only energy absolutely necessary for you to exert is mental. It is completely up to you how much physical energy you decide to put into your organizing project. Whoever it may be, know that someone will need to get down n’ dirty to relocate belongings, move furniture, fill donation boxes, take out the trash and set organized spaces.
Be honest with yourself and decide what form of help would set you up for success. With a little bit of mind over matter, a solid plan and hands-on help, you will be able to accomplish more than you expect.
THE BENEFIT
After going through the process of organizing all of your belongings, you will need to exert less energy in life period. Once things start to click and habits become second nature, your ability to manage, organize and gain control over your life will become easier and more streamlined. Your productivity and ability to problem solve will improve inside and outside of the house, saving you time, money and energy. The energy you used to exert tirelessly in a disorganized home is now better spent enjoying life and everything important to you.
To top it off, all of your belongings, ready to serve you in their nicely organized homes, will naturally radiate a sense of positive energy that is motivating and revitalizing. The energy you will save and acquire from this point on, will be a simple product of you and your home working together in perfect harmony. You got it, cue music.
“It all sounds so EMOTIONALLY DRAINING.”
THE COST
Everyone responds to organizing their home in their own unique way. Just like anything that challenges you to grow, getting organized will cause some discomfort or even pain and will leave you feeling accomplished, better off than you were before and void of any regrets. What if it’s too stressful and overwhelming to address my entire home? What if going through everything brings back bad memories and triggers emotions I’d rather keep down?
These are all valid concerns rooted in fearing the unknown. I encourage you to organize with trusted help so you can find comfort in stepping into something that could be emotionally challenging. With the proper support, these seemingly unsettling occurrences won’t be project-ending disasters, but breakthroughs worth addressing.
THE BENEFIT
The list of emotional benefits of getting organized is what really drew me to the profession of home organization. I love being able to help my clients transform the look, feel and function of their homes for the better, but when I begin to witness a distinct shift in their spirit and emotional well-being, I’m truly fulfilled.
Everyone has their own unique responses to getting organized, however, it is common to experience a refined sense of self and self-trust as a result of all of the decisions made throughout the project. From your gained decisiveness, comes a higher level of self-awareness and confidence that can very well help elevate and balance your mood. Amidst all of these positive self-improvements, your day to day stress and anxiety levels are likely to diminish as well.
If you let it, organizing your entire home can act as an introspective journey and open up a door to exponential self-growth.
“I don’t handle CHANGE that well and really don’t want to get rid of anything.”
THE COST
While change is a major component of organizing your home, it’s the type of change that should just feel right. Yes, it will take a period of time to become accustomed to where everything goes and to acquire new home habits, but it will take absolutely no time to fall in love with your beautifully organized home. Imagine your home filled with only the things you love organized in a way that will only work for you and never against you. Your new home sanctuary will be a cinch to get used to. The only obstacle you might be facing is being able to welcome the change, rather than run from it. You are the only person who can decide if you are ready or not.
If you are still on the fence, understand and trust that you will be in complete control over anything you get rid of or change along the way. Whether a professional organizer or not, it is never anyone else’s right, but yours, to make the final decisions. We might guide and advise, but at the end of the day, it is your home and you call the shots!
THE BENEFIT
Good news! Getting organized is a slow and steady process, completely in your control and rather nice and easy to adjust to. The changes you will experience throughout your organizing adventure are simply magical. You will finally get to experience a home filled with only things you love, gain control over your household, share your new perspective on value and organization with other parts of your life and continue to gravitate toward the people, things, places and experiences that align with who you are at your core.
Home organization can essentially serve as reset button and allow you the time and opportunity to become attuned with your values, align your actions and refine your next moves forward in life. With the right game plan and the appropriate support, organizing your entire home once and for all can truly change your life in the best possible way.
Well there you have it! It’s a clear shot, slam dunk, home run if you ask me. The benefits of organizing your entire home completely out weigh the costs.
You will gain more time, money, energy, peace of mind and self-aligned direction after investing what it takes to get organized. Yes, I might be a bit partial to the subject, but my intentions are simply to share my expertise and encourage an organized lifestyle for everyones benefit.
So what do you think? Is getting organized next on your list?