“I’m so overwhelmed, I don’t even know where to start organizing!” I hear this daily from clients. And I’ll let you in on a little secret…sometimes I feel that way, too! That’s why I’m sharing with you the SORT and Succeed! System to Get and Stay Organized.
The SORT and Succeed! system is what you’ve been waiting for. It’s a simple step-by-step method to help you start and stay on track with any organizing project.
I wrote a whole book to help you get through this, but since I know you’ve come to this page NOW to find some help on that project that you want to do TODAY, I really, really wanted you to have these tools.
First, let’s define exactly what a system is. A system is a way to do things, the same way, every time, so that you work through from start to finish, and you don’t have to spend precious energy reinventing the wheel every time! Who has the time for that?
[bctt tweet=”System=do things the same way every time from start to finish, without reinventing or wasting energy. #Organize #getorganized” username=”DarlaDeMorrow”]
When you’ve organized a space or a room in the past, you might have felt like you’ve done it so many times before, maybe like you are constantly organizing the same spot. You might have felt like you’ve done it wrong. You might have felt like you spend so much time throwing things out, and yet you still can’t find anything! You might have felt like if someone could only tell you HOW to organize it, you could finally get through it!
The SORT and Succeed! System is your key to success.
The SORT and Succeed! System can help you succeed where you never have succeeded before.
The SORT and Succeed! System is ready for you right now, with just 5 simple steps! I’m introducing them here, and we’ll be going over and over them for the rest of this month, so the system will start to become second nature to you, through the projects that we cover. Stick close to me, and we’ll succeed together!
SORT stands for the first four steps in the organizing process:
- Start
- Organize by group or category
- Reduce, Release, Reset
- Tweak
The fifth step in the process is so often overlooked, but it can propel you on to even more organizing Success: celebrate!
Here are the steps are in a printable download (click the image).
(Click here to save some ink with this black and white free download organizing printable.)
As one of my clients said, “I’ve read all the books. I’ve become an expert in every major organizing system. But my house is still a disaster.” Why would the SORT and Succeed! System make a difference for you?
The SORT and Succeed! System is different because, you’ve got me and my team, no matter where you live. Have you ever actually reached out to any of those authors that you’ve read? No. But I answer EVERY SINGLE EMAIL. I answer every single phone call. I am available to you, along with a lot of other smart people who are working on organizing solutions, in a free Facebook group. You are never alone with the SORT and Succeed! System. Oh, and yes, we will come to your home or business and actually work side by side on your own organizing project, if that’s what you decide you need!
We’ve been doing this for over 12 years. Longer, in fact, because I was building processes and running projects for the corporate world for a dozen years before that. My team and I looooove organizing and solving problems, and we know what works. We know what works in a one-story, two-story, or three-story house. We know what works for those who have kids and those who don’t. We know what works if you have more than one property, or a tiny apartment. We know what works if you have a bunch of time to organize, or none at all. We know what works if you have plans to go into space, if you are searching for a new job, or if you are moving overseas (all true stories). Did you know that some of those other authors have never organized any home but their own? What works for them may not work for you. But we’ve seen it and done it all, and we’re still searching for the best ideas that will work for you.
What doesn’t work? We know that organizing doesn’t happen on it’s own. We know that the other people living with you have to know about your organizing systems. We know that some people can’t focus for more than a few minutes. We know that kids make messes! We know that Pinterest is pretty, but you and I don’t live inside the pages of a magazine…and we never will.
We also know that you aren’t thinking about organizing 100% of the time. At least we hope you aren’t! We want you to be out loving life, gardening, visiting with friends, traveling near and far, and making a creative mess at home if that’s your thing. We want you to go away, snuggle in, cheer on, chill out, get fired up, train for the big race, or do whatever you were meant to be doing, without one little twinge of guilt, knowing that your home or office is as organized as you need it to be.
Are we on the same page? Let’s get organized!
SORT and Succeed!
Step 1. Start. Yup, pretty simple. But one thing’s for sure. If you never get started, it’ll never happen. Surprisingly (or maybe not), this is where most projects fail, before they ever get started. But that won’t happen to you, because you have the SORT and Succeed System!
Step 2. Organize by category. If you are trying to get organized in a space (like your desk or a closet) or even in a whole room, just organize things that are similar together. Don’t overthink it. Just put pens together. Put shoes together. Put all the t-shirts together. All the stuffed animals together. You can do this!
Step 3. Reduce, release, reset. Now that you have grouped similar items together, you can decide which ones you really want or need. Reducing your things is much easier when you see them all together. Releasing them is also an important part of the process. Decide to remove a few things, and send them away immediately. Usually we put them right in the car for donation drop-off, but there are other options, too. And the fun part…reset what’s left. Do you want to put things on a different shelf, different drawer or in a different room? Now’s the time. Move the furniture if you want to. There are lots of other possible “R’s” in this step, by the way. Refresh, restock, rehang…you get the idea. We’ll revisit this in the future. This is also usually my favorite step, because this is where you see the biggest changes, and you realize that you are over the hump, but you aren’t quite done yet. You can do this!
Step 4. Tweak. Yup, that’s a technical term. Getting organized once doesn’t mean you are done forever. You can either maintain your space little by little, or you can improve upon what you’ve already organized. Either approach will need some work, but usually not as much as in the earlier steps. This step can also be a lot of fun. Do you want to swap out your storage baskets for a different size? Do you want to spray paint a bunch of bins the same color so they look nice together? Do you want to add some pretty backing paper? Do you want to trade up to some “adult” furniture? Do you want to bring in a family heirloom and make it a useful part of your daily routine? Making small changes here can really take your space from nice to WOW.
Step 5: Succeed! At some point, you’ve got to call it a day and pat yourself on the back. This is where you silence your inner perfectionist and say, good enough is good enough. Once you’ve organized a space or a project, take time to celebrate your success. This is so difficult to do in our always-on, high-pressure society, but it’s so important. Celebrations can run the gamut from showing off your work to your spouse or on social media, all the way up to rewarding yourself with a weekend at a spa for a bigger project. Whatever you choose as your reward, you’ve earned it! Pay yourself for a job well done. Reward that nasty little perfectionist voice that lives inside your head, and it’ll be more likely to help you get started with and succeed at the next organizing project. You’ll love seeing your progress!
So what’s different about this approach to getting organized?
You start.
You succeed.
We celebrate!
There’s more to come. We know you are going to love it. In fact, I’m thrilled to announce that the SORT and Succeed! book will be out soon. If you’d like to be among the first to read it (or maybe even be offered an advance copy), then make sure we’ve got your email here:
If this is your first time on this site, then welcome! You’re thinking, where do I start? I have more resources for you. Join our free Clutter-Free Facebook group, and tell us what organizing project you are working on.
Also, here is one of my favorite large organizing projects and one of my favorite small organizing projects so you can get some inspiration on your projects right away.
Click here to get the new free online mini course for SORT and Succeed.
Ready to stop decluttering and get organized for real? Click to get the book and you’ll have what you need to finally SORT and Succeed in just about an hour.
Hover and PIN this for later to your Pinterest board on how to get organized:
