storage bins - the container store; dress - free people

Never mind Times Square or the London Eye, when I went to the Container Store on New Year’s Eve it was clear this was the place to be! The check-out lines were long. The aisles were packed. And the shelves where the storage containers should be - largely empty. Clearly, lots of people had resolved 2020 was the year to get organized. Are you one of them? Brilliant! Certified Pro Organizer Kat Ong says being organized “makes life easier by helping you flow better in your day, in your home, in your work.” Kat, who is Manila, Philippines’, first certified organizer, typically helps people whose clutter is literally and figuratively getting in the way. But even if you just want to be able to find your keys in the morning or get ready faster, Kat has tips for you. Here are her five principles to organize by.

1. Make it a date

Organization requires focus. And it’s hard to focus when the laundry, kids or work are calling your name. Kat recommends you “book organization like you would a doctor’s appointment. If you have to hire a sitter just to get things done, do that,” she insists. Back before I had kids, I Kon Mari-ed our entire house over a series of weekends. Ha! Today it’s hard to find 30 minutes when somebody doesn’t need something immediately!!! If your life lacks alone time, an appointment can provide breathing space. Or you could book multiple chunks of time – say, weekday evenings after the kids have gone to bed or you’ve finished with work.

2. Start with what ails you

LINEN CLOSET AFTER — LINEN CLOSET **AFTER**

As you go through your day, do you notice a part of your house that frustrates you or slows you down? That’s a great place start organizing. Kat says it’s different for everyone, “closets, the mudroom, the kitchen – organizing the place that pains you the most can make a big difference.” Our linen closet had become the bane of late-night runs to find cough suppressant or fever reducer for the kids. It was so chaotic, not to mention dark, we could never find anything! That’s why I was at the Container Store on New Year’s Eve. Kat had taken one look at the sorry space and prescribed a receptacle reorg. With the out-of-date medications and baby supplies (yes, our youngest is now five) out, and a set of matching, labeled, well-lit storage containers in, the space now makes us smile – not recoil.

3. Be a merciless editor

jacket - iro, belt - veronica beard, jeans - rag & bone

Imagine if your home contained only things you use or love. Ahh…Don’t you feel calmer? These are the criteria Kat counsels us to use when deciding what to keep and what to toss. “Things are meant to serve you, not the other way around,” she muses. Let’s say you’re trying to tackle the ‘closet-full-of-clothes- yet-nothing-to-wear’ conundrum. You might take out each piece, try it on, and ask:

Do I use this? Does it fit my lifestyle?
Do I love this? And does it love (fit/suit) me?

By keeping only what meets this test and selling or donating the rest, you’ll be able to get dressed faster and more fabulously. Ditto with cooking in a well-curated kitchen or making the bus from a meticulous mudroom. Kat suggests making editing a family affair. “Ask the kids to edit at birthdays or after they get new things for Christmas. We must be vigilant about anything that comes into our homes – whether it’s given to us or we buy it. Decide: is this something I need, love and will use? If not, pass it on.”

4. Find your organization groove

Once you’re freed from things that don’t serve you, you need to organize the things that do. “You have to create a space with a system that is customized for your lifestyle,” according to Kat. “Put things where they make sense – not just where you can squeeze them in.” So, the trash bags could be in or near the trash bin, kitchen supplies grouped together, sheets stored in sets. “The system should be easy, efficient and intuitive,” our organizer insists. “Keep things where you use them. Having to go upstairs or open an awkward cupboard can be one step too many.”

In our house, we’ve tried to make clean-up easy with child-height bookshelves and art supplies. Kat is also a big fan of labels. “You can’t expect people to maintain a system they don’t understand,” she warns. Labels (in picture form if needed) remove excuses for kids… and grown-up housemates!

5. Don’t clean and organize at the same time

“Either clean before you organize or after you organize, but never at the same time,” advises Kat. Why? “Organizing is quite intense because it’s analytical and physical. You are constantly making decisions about what to keep and what to toss, where to put things to create the best flow – not to mention constantly being reminded about all your “to do’s! Cleaning is also physical, so cleaning while you organize will make it harder to finish setting up any one area.” And what do you get when you finish? “You’ll feel your space supports you rather than getting in the way of your daily living,” claims Kat. “It’s somewhere you can rest and relax – that rises up to meet you and the life you want to live.” Perfect for helping you reach those other 2020 goals!

Is getting organized one of your wishes for 2020? Do let us know what you’re planning and how you’re doing with a comment! If you’d like some expert help, Kat offers virtual pro organizing for international clients. Find out more on her website or on Instagram at @spacetworks.

Hope this was helpful and here’s to enjoying your harmonious home!