The pandemic shifted us all to spend more time at home. At first, the extra time at home seemed like a dream come true. After days turned into weeks and weeks into months, we are now here one year later. The combination of working from home and home-schooling, along with limited leisure, has left many of us unorganized amongst congested and cluttered spaces.

How do you keep your work and personal space separated and organized with minimal clutter? We've got some ideas for you!

Create a routine

Establish a time for cleaning and organization that has minimal distractions. Working from home means constant calls and interruptions. Children at home means… well, we all know what that means! Set aside time in your schedule where you can be free of phone calls and kids to focus.

You could start by going through your shoes and determining which pairs you no longer wear and which pairs you are ready to donate. Once you’re done with shoes, you can then move onto accessories and so on. Starting small and setting realistic goals allows you to see consistent progress and keeps you motivated to continue the process.

Identify Problematic Areas

You’ll need to identify the areas that bother you most. And if it is your whole house, break it into manageable chunks. Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all.

Maybe your desk always has a few coffee mugs on it, or your kitchen counter is the landing spot for everything from keys to mail; whatever the issue, mark it down. For every problem, there really is a solution. And identifying problems is one of the most important steps to staying organized.

Start prioritizing by making a list of what you’d like to get done. Set realistic goals by keeping in mind the amount of time you have available. Stay focused by writing down 2 or 3 short-term goals for each space. For example, you may want to tidy up hats, gloves, and scarves in the mudroom and give each their own proper location, or keep shoes off of the floor and out of plain view by storing them underneath a sitting bench or behind cabinet doors.

Create a Place for Everything

No matter the room, it’s important that everything has a home so it doesn’t get left on the countertop, floor, or bed. For example, if you noticed that your kids’ school bags and your laptop bag sit on the floor near the side entrance each day, add a heavy-duty hook to the wall or a cabinet to house your school bags. Or if your shoes pile up at the bottom of your closet, making it difficult to find a left and right in the morning, add cubbies or shoe shelves.

Think Before You Buy

Staying organized is not just about routines, it’s also about how much stuff you have. Before buying another pair of jeans or set of tools, think about whether you need it and whether you have room for it. If you need help organizing your finances or keeping track of your spending habits, check out the free LMCU Budget Tool.

Keep Up The Good Work

Clearing old paint cans from your garage and taking them to a disposal center is a one-time project, but putting your shoes and coat away is a maintenance task, as is filing away mail. Rather than letting all of these little organization chores build up, look at them as tasks that take a few extra minutes each day. Involve other members of your family and assign daily organization tasks to each person. By building this time into your routine, you’ll have a much easier time staying organized long-term.