There are so many tools for getting organized for success in school, your job, and beyond. From planners, to apps, to self-improvement books, there’s no doubt that resources are abundant and varied. But have you ever thought about how your home itself can contribute to or derail your efforts to be more organized? Intentional home design is about thoughtfully creating living space that supports your bests goals and ambitions.
Changing what you see at home can be the first step in getting organized. We consider some people more “visual” than others, and not without cause. I once lived in a house where the previous owner’s bedroom had sea-foam green carpet, mint green walls, and grass green trim. The person lived there for 15 years, but “got used to it” rather than repaint!
All that being said, I’m going to go out on a limb and bet that we’re all impacted (at least somewhat) by the sights and colors around us. You can use practical visual tools to stay organized, and you can also choose paint and furnishings based on color psychology. Examples:
True clutter is, in itself, disorganized and may even affect mental health. As such, it’s an enemy to doing our best at school, work, and in the family. Taking control of clutter means moving into a place where we control our belongings, not the other way around. Tackle one cluttered area at a time and start by decreasing the amount of stuff through these 5 steps:
If clutter is an issue, chances are you aren’t a “neat freak” to begin with. Don’t try for an unreasonable degree of tidiness, but have a place for everything and give the room some curbside appeal. For example, if you pile a bunch of stuff on your shelves, they will still look cluttered even when you’ve “cleaned up the room.” Instead, make it look good – for example, glass shelves lined with bins allow you to quickly clean up and keep the shelves looking neat and trim. Likewise, you might have cupboards with clear door fronts that make you feel bad about your soup cans not being organized by color. (I joke!) These can be replaced with cabinet glass that is frosted or patterned to obscure what’s behind it.
We’ve talked about organizing belongings, and – while difficult – this is fairly straightforward: get rid of some stuff and put everything else away! For many of us, organizing our time is the more pressing challenge. After a few moments reflection, we can all probably identify the main way we waste time, whether it’s scrolling through social media, going on YouTube video binges, searching for belongings (which we can fix by de-cluttering!), watching too much TV, or something else.
Identifying where we waste time is only one side of the coin, though. Next, think about what you want more time to do. Have you been planning to set aside time for prayer or meditation? Maybe you crave more quality time with your kids or date nights with your spouse? Perhaps you want the opportunity to enjoy a favorite hobby or learn a new skill.
Bring into focus what you’d do with the “extra” time you could gain by being more organized. Then tweak your home as needed to help make this a reality. For instance:
If your intentional home décor plan includes custom glass or mirror installations, we invite you to contact family owned and operated ABC Glass & Mirror to set up a free in-home consultation and estimate – (703) 0257-7150.
