Get Motivated to Get Organizing

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I had a reader email me and ask me “how do I get in the mood to get organizing?”  Personally I love organizing once I’m “in the mood” but I understand that sometimes it can be hard to get motivated.  For me, not getting organized, comes out in the form of procrastination, so how do we conquer procrastination?  Pinterest.  I know that might seem crazy but here are the steps to follow to conquer procrastination and get organizing!

Step 1:
Determine what it is you want to organize.  For this post let’s say we want to organize the linen closet.  Then, looking at your linen closet you immediately get overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.  Procrastination sets in.  You start thinking, maybe you should start with a smaller project… the excuses pile up… I know you know what I’m talking about. 🙂

Step 2:
Stick with the goal.  You’ve decided to organize your linen closet and organize it you will!  But first you need to get inspired so you have an idea of what you want yours to look like in the end.  It can be super overwhelming to organize if you don’t have an end goal, what you want your space to look like when it’s finished.  That’s where Pinterest can help!  So since you’re procrastinating you might as well go on Pinterest.  However you must go on Pinterest to only look at linen closets!  Don’t get sucked in to recipes, crafts, etc., ONLY look at linen closets!  If you don’t know how to search for a specific topic on Pinterest here’s how you do it:

 

Step 3:
Create a Pinterest board with inspiration linen closets.  It’s important that you don’t choose an unrealistic goal.  If you know you don’t have a large linen closet, then don’t choose inspiration pictures that are of large closets.  If you keep your inspiration pictures realistic it will be much easier to accomplish your goal.  Here are a few inspiration pictures I chose for this example.

Fox Hollow Cottage

 

Blissfully Ever After

 

Ask Anna

 

Goodbye House, Hello Home

Step 4:
Go shopping.  Since we are still “procrastinating” let’s go shopping!  After finding your inspiration pictures on Pinterest, make a list of what you need to buy to organize your closet.  Usually bloggers will tell you where they purchased the supplies for their makeover, so if you like a certain basket or storage container, click over to the blog post and see if they mention where they got it.  If they don’t say in the post, then leave them a comment and ask them, bloggers love answering questions like that. 

Before you head to the store, take a minute to measure your closet so you know what size baskets/organizing containers to buy.  Write down the measurements and then toss the measuring tape in your purse so you can measure the baskets at the store.  If you buy the wrong size it will only extend the procrastinating because then you’ll end up having to return them!

Once you’ve made your list, and taken the measurements, go shopping.  But remember, you are shopping for organizing items so don’t end up in the nail polish section!  Look through all the baskets, and organizing containers and get inspired.  For me just looking at baskets makes me want to go home and organize!  After you’ve found what you need, and measured it to make sure it will fit, make your purchases.

Step 5:
At this point it’s time to do some organizing.  So far we’ve done a good job at procrastinating, we’ve been on Pinterest AND we’ve been shopping, that’s a good day!

Start by taking everything out of your linen closet (or whatever space you are actually organizing).  It’s important to take everything out to give the space a fresh start!  As you are taking things out of the closet make sure to toss/make a donate pile, of stuff you don’t use anymore.  There’s no sense in keeping things that only serve to clutter up your space! Once the closet is empty, wipe down the shelves, give it a fresh coat of paint/shelf liner, etc.  The point is to make it feel new, if you click over and look at the before and after pictures of some of the inspiration pictures, you’ll see what I mean.

Once the closet is cleaned up and looking “new” start putting your stuff back in, only this time use all the cute stuff you bought to organize it as you put it back.  Once you start you’ll be inspired and you’ll have fun doing it.  I usually get giddy when I start organizing a space and see how cute it looks all put together with my new baskets!

And before you know it you’re done!  So it turns out that the key to getting motivated to get organizing, is procrastination!  Haha, I bet you never thought I’d say that!  Purposeful procrastination can actually be fun, and a very important part of the process.  The most important thing is to stay on task and not get distracted (like when you’re on Pinterest or shopping). 

 

Now I want to hear from you!  How do you get motivated to get organizing?