This year it seemed like everyone was in a decluttering frenzy. 鈥淪park Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up鈥� brought folding to a whole new level.
Kondo鈥檚 philosophy to only keep items that 鈥渂ring joy鈥� made the minimalist lifestyle all the rage.
Pinterest hacks for DIY projects that would help make your spaces look aesthetically organized and Buzzfeed listicles with weekly tips to sort out various areas of your life were plentiful.
There were even that tried to unpack the psychology behind the tidying up craze.
But if you didn鈥檛 jump on the tidying up bandwagon in 2016 and you still want to get your life together, Professional Organizers Canada president, Stephanie Deakin, gave CTVNews.ca some of her top tips on how to get your home organized and keep it organized in 2017.
1. MAKE A PLAN
鈥淭he number one thing I tell my clients is to make a plan, not just a resolution,鈥� she said.
So whether you break down your organizational tasks into different rooms and items or make a vow to clean something every Saturday, Deakin isn鈥檛 fussed.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter what the plan is, it just matters that you have one.鈥�
2. DON鈥橳 GET DISTRACTED BY POPULAR FADS
鈥淚 mostly see the people who鈥檝e spent hours and hours on the internet and they have a big file of Pinterest pictures but they haven鈥檛 actually done anything.鈥�
While Deakin doesn鈥檛 deny that some fads or hacks could be valuable for the right person, she emphasized that one shouldn鈥檛 try and make something work just because it was in a book or blog post or because everyone else seems to be doing it.
Whether it鈥檚 Marie Kondo鈥檚 method, a filing cabinet or a Pinterest hack, Deakin advised that it has to feel right for you.
鈥淸Marie Kondo method] is really nice if you鈥檙e 22 and live in Japan,鈥� said Deakin, 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not going to work so well for a family of six.鈥�
3. JUST START
Once you鈥檝e got a plan in place the next hurdle is to actually commence the cleaning-up process.
Deakin has noticed that people often get stuck trying to figure out where to begin. They either procrastinate starting because the task seems too daunting or they find other things to do that may seem more pressing.
But she told CTVNews.ca: 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter where you start, just start,鈥� reminding that it鈥檚 silly to expect to accomplish everything at once.
4. SPOT TROUBLE AREAS
Deakin suggested looking for areas in your home where things often pile up or are constantly in a state of disorder.
She gave the common example of the front entrance, which is often cluttered with shoes, bags, coats, mail etc.
鈥淯nless there鈥檚 a place for things to go that鈥檚 always going to happen,鈥� she said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no use decluttering if the underlying problem is still there. So think about systems as your decluttering.鈥�
In other words, find a systematic solution that will help manage those problem areas and keep them from becoming messy.
Again, Deakin stressed that the solution needs to work for you. Don鈥檛 just go buying things that you know won鈥檛 work in your household.
Giving the examples of filing cabinets, she explained: "I鈥檝e been in so many offices that have piles of paper everywhere but the filing cabinets are empty!鈥�
5. KEEP THINGS MOVING OUT OF THE HOUSE
Once it鈥檚 been decided that you no longer need a certain item, Deakin advised to get it out of the house.
鈥淭here鈥檚 two reasons for that,鈥� she explained, 鈥淚t stops people from second-guessing themselves. Once the box is gone to Goodwill there鈥檚 no getting it back.鈥�
The other reason is for the positive reinforcement of seeing things getting less cluttered, which in turn helps keep the decluttering momentum going.
6. ASK FOR HELP
Finally, if it all seems too much for you to handle on your own, get help.
鈥淗elp is out there,鈥� said Deakin, 鈥淒on鈥檛 give up! If you can鈥檛 do it by yourself ask for help.鈥�
One Google search for professional organizer brings up a host of websites offering their services, some charging expensive rates.
But Deakin told CTVNews.ca that hiring a professional organizer doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean you have to pay thousands of dollars.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a wide range of help out there from telephone coaching to motivational or accountability services,鈥� she said.
Deakin recommended using the to find an organizer in your area.
However, Deakin cautioned that whatever you do don鈥檛 ask your mother, friends or significant other for help.
鈥淵our family and friends have a degree of emotional investment and they鈥檙e not professionals,鈥� she explained.
Although she suggested that you make sure they鈥檙e on board with your decluttering and organizing plans if they will be affected.
