How Organization Saves You Time - 6 simple tips

Being organized can make a huge difference in your daily life. It can save you time, reduce stress, and help you stay focused and productive. We compiled a few of our favorite tips for getting and staying organized:

1.     Start with a clear space. Take some time to declutter and get rid of things you no longer need or use. This will help you see what you have and make it easier to get organized.

2.     Create a system that works for you. Whether it's using a planner, creating to-do lists, or using a digital tool like Asana, find a system that works for you and stick with it.

3.     Avoid Clutter, nick nacks and things that create clutter in your space. Toss it, recycle it, donate it.

4.     Use storage solutions to stay organized. Whether it's bins, baskets, or shelves, having designated places for your things can help you stay organized and avoid clutter.

5.     Stay on top of maintenance. Regularly clean and maintain your space to keep it organized. This might involve setting aside time each week to tidy up or doing a deep clean once a month.

6.     Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you're feeling overwhelmed, don't be afraid to ask for help from a friend or professional organizer. They can provide valuable insights and support to help you get and stay organized.

Being organized takes some effort and discipline, but the benefits are worth it. By implementing these tips and finding a system that works for you, you can create a space that is efficient, productive, and stress-free.

Once you have a system in place take 5 minutes out of every day to ensure you maintain it. This way you keep on top of things and are not faced with another project.  Remember 5 min each day is all it takes to keep the order once your system is set.

 You got this!

Has your family looked at you sideways when you enthusiastically brought up the idea of getting organized?

Imagine being able to find everything once and for all.

Has your family looked at you sideways when you enthusiastically brought up the idea of getting organized? To them it might sound like another cleaning expedition. Have you tried to show them the Marie Kondo fold, or the vertical fold as Calm Order has always called it? Maybe you think your family will laugh or roll their eyes at your attempt to organize, but Allbright doesn't think so. "I find introducing new organizing systems is most often met with a sense of relief because the family often feels over-burdened by their stuff. The want help" says Karen. "But you want the family to USE the organizing system so it needs to reflect how they move through their day naturally."

Calm Order was moving an executive and his partner to their new home in Calgary. They were moving from their family home of 25-years and in the interest of time, did not plan to purge or pre-sort their belongings until moving into their new place. They brought everything with them. When Calm Order conducted a pre-move inventory of their belongings, they quickly saw a challenge with the volume of clothes compared to the closet and drawer space in the new home.

One of the partners was an avid runner and kept every race t-shirt he had earned over his lifetime. And, after 40+ years, that is a lot of t-shirts! He was adamant he would wear his race t-shirts regularly so did not want any placed in storage or out of daily reach. As Professional Organizers helping the partners move into their new home, it meant acknowledging his appreciation for the t-shirts. The Calm Order team needed to develop an organizing system considering the closet and drawer space available. HIs partner called him a collector, we consider him an achiever. A collector does not make regular use of their treasures, they display or store them. And that requires a completely different organizing solution.

The runner laughed out loud as we vertically folded and colour sorted all of his t-shirts and put them away in his drawers. "How am I going to keep that up?" he sighed. The vertical fold organizing approach increases storage capacity significantly and more importantly, makes it much easier to see (and of course wear) each individual shirt. After seeing the drawers completed, he was on board and eager to keep the organizing system in place. A Calm Order organizer showed him how to do the vertical fold, and to help him maintain the organizing system, installed fabric drawer dividers.

Calm Order views organizing as a puzzle to be solved. Karen gently cautions clients not to be too hard on themselves. "There is an organizing solution that can respond to and support almost any behavior. Flat-out laziness excluded of course", Allbright adds with a smile. "It is important to take a step back and try to understand why an organizing system isn't working. If you are starting fresh with a move or just because the time is right, before implementing a new organizing system, ask yourself how you and your family are going to live in the space. Look closely at each member's daily routine and implement an organizing system to support it. That is the key to maintaining organization and minimizing battles within the family."

Phase 6: Start implementing the move!

It’s time to unpack to organize! We’re following a moving and unpacking story of one of our clients through its many stages. So far, we’ve made a plan, starting unpacking boxes and sorting items, purchased the right organizing products and implemented them, and most recently, looked at how our clients were able to use some of their previously owned items instead of purchasing new ones. Now it’s time to take the items we’ve sorted and place them in their new homes!

First, we discussed with the clients what their priority areas were in their new home. In this case, our clients identified their priority areas as the master bedroom, en-suite, and kitchen. At Calm Order, we like to work with our clients to figure out what areas are the most important to them in their new home. Organized unpacking can take time, and we want to make sure that the rooms you need are the first ones that are ready for you and your family to use when you move. The clients, who were moving from outside the city, were unable to assist us with the project so it was important for Calm Order to make sure that everything was set up in the right way for when the clients arrived.

During the initial planning phase, Calm Order was able to get a sense of how our clients used their home and space, so we could come up with a plan to know where to put what items. We were also in regular contact with the clients to determine what their ideas and thoughts were for their new home. As a result, we had a good idea of their needs and wants so we could set up their home for maximum function and flow that fit their lifestyle.

The kitchen, master bedroom, and en-suite were the priorities for our clients, so we made sure all their kitchen supplies were unpacked, sorted, and put in the appropriate place. We had dividers and tray inserts ready to put utensils into drawers. A few of the cupboards required organizing units to hold other dishes, spices, and small appliances, so we utilized those to make sure all the items fit nicely in their space. For the bedroom, we made sure all the furniture was set-up and placed in the most intuitive way. Calm Order also made sure that everything from knick-knacks to lamps and extra blankets were all unpacked in the bedroom based on the client’s specifications. We even made sure the bed was made up with fresh sheets! Lastly, we unpacked the client’s toiletries in their en-suite bathroom and included all the essential items like toilet paper, towels, soap, tooth brushes, and more.

The clients had packed an overnight box packed with all the essential items they would need, like chargers, important documents, change of clothes, and supplies for their morning coffee. This way, other areas of their home like the living room, laundry room and spare bedrooms did not need to be completed immediately – Calm Order could take the time to make sure the entire house was unpacked and organized properly. We want everyone to be able to live in their homes right away, in a space where everything has a place and no items or boxes are left unpacked – this case was no exception! 

Our team isn’t done yet though – we always want to make sure that the job is done right, and sometimes that goes beyond the move-in date. Stay tuned for the final phase in our organizing journey.