With our busy lives, we often don’t have the luxury of spending hours organizing or multiple days to commit to a project. Today we are taking a closer look at what is worth making an investment for in your space.
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A Thank You Worth Saving?
In Episode 36, I gave Bethany a hard time about a thank you note that she was holding onto only because she felt too bad throwing it in the recycling bin.
Surprisingly, that conversion hit a nerve with a lot of people. One of our favorites is an email from Ann,
| “Just had to comment on Bethany wanting to save the thank u card she received. Once when my sister was over, she was horrified to see me open the mail, read a thank you note, and immediately put it in the recycle bin. She thought when a person takes the time to write a note and mail it, it deserves to be displayed for a bit. I completely disagree, however sometimes I do want to keep cards for a bit. They go on the fridge, on the kids bulletin board, or on my little string garland that hangs over my desk. All these spaces get perused and purged about once a month. Cards that I love due to design/art, get put into a decor box, per season, and then usually hang on my garland again the next corresponding season (4 calendar seasons). Cards that have great sentiments (that I may need to copy 1 day), get tucked into my stationary drawer. Bethany, it’s totally fine to leave that thank you card on your fridge for a month! I stopped mid workout to write this—love listening to you girls!!” |
Of course, I totally agree with Ann! In that episode I shared that I do have a keepsake box for special cards and cards my daughters want to keep are tucked away in their school keepsake file boxes.
Of course Bethany can display the card if she wants! However, it is important to realize that not every card you receive needs to be displayed. A card can still speak to your heart no matter where it ends up, in a keepsake box or in the recycle bin.
To-Do List apps
We also checked in on our progress using the task management app, Habitica (iOS/Android), we mentioned in episode 37 Neither Bethany or I found the video game aspect, like buying swords and potions with points earned by completing tasks, to be motivating. I did however, feel my competitive nature kick in when it came to competing against Bethany’s points inside the app itself.
In summary, Habitica is not for us, but it can be a fun way to play while getting things done but you still have to do the hard work.
Also, we received an informative email from Chad about his favorite to-do app, GoodTask 3, which is only available on iOS. He explained his favorite feature “recurring after completion.”
“The killer feature of this app is its flexibility with recurring tasks. I don’t know if either of you have run into this problem, but every other to-do list app I’ve ever seen handles recurring tasks the same way. You schedule the first to-do and set how often it needs to repeat. The end. The reminders happen on a fixed schedule in perpetuity. This works great for things that have a hard deadline like paying rent or taking out the recycling. But I’ve found many of life’s recurring tasks don’t have hard deadlines: change the water filter, get a haircut, give the dog her flea treatment, do a deep clean of the fridge. Of course I’d like to to all of these things on a set schedule, but since there’s no hard deadline they often get pushed back a little longer than I’d like. And that’s totally fine, by the way. Life happens. But unfortunately, now my stupid to-do list is reminding me to give the dog her flea treatment only 8 days later. Wait, didn’t I just do that? This is where GoodTask comes in with their magical life-changing checkbox, “Recurring after completion.” For all those tasks in life without a hard due date, you just check the box, set the frequency, and now your next deep clean of the fridge won’t be scheduled until 3 months after you ACTUALLY DEEP CLEAN THE FRIDGE. No more recurring task guilt. No more wondering if the reminder even applies because you’re off schedule. It’s the best.” |
Chad also said other to-do apps have this feature but Good Tasks 3 makes it straightforward and has a lower price tag. You’ve convinced us Chad! Bethany is going to give Good Tasks 3 a try.
Investing in your space
I recently shared on Space for Living’s Instagram account a closet makeover in my daughter’s room and I’ve been so happy with how it has been functioning for us!
This room transitioned from the nursery, which I shared all the details in this post 4 years ago, to now my oldest getting her own room.
After the room change, it didn’t take long to discover the closet needed better a storage solution than the dresser I was previously using for my youngest. It was bulky without providing much storage.
My oldest also wanted to display a lot of her toys. With a small room, the more vertical storage the better, however, the shelves I had hijacked from another room were taking up too much floor space besides just being awkward right in front of the closet.
After looking at a few different options, like Ikea’s Algot system and Home Depot’s Martha Stewart line and ClosetMaid line, I settled on The Container Store’s Elfa systems which I have used before in a kids’ walk-in closet and laundry room closet.
After the demo of the original closets’ shelves and hanging rod, it was a straightforward install. Now there is tons of space to display toys and a smaller section of the closet is designated for clothes.
In the future, when less space is dedicated to toys and more room for clothes is needed, there is already a plan with this setup to incorporate more hanging and more drawers. But as of now, not all the drawers are even full!
I also added a two narrow shelves above her desk to create even more places to display toys and keepsakes.
Creating a space for all her keepsakes gained back the coveted floor space in this small room AND I was able to lose two large pieces of furniture while gaining a more functional storage system. A total win-win in my book! Definitely worth the time and money investment.
So when do you decide if it is worth the investment?
Money Investment
There are a few questions you can ask yourself to see if an upgrade to your space is worth it.
- Is there too much Stuff in the space?
Many times the problems of a space is caused by just too much stuff. It could be a matter of declutting and deciding what is worth keeping before deciding to invest in storage solutions. Check out our episode 3 Things To Do Instead of Buying Containers.
- Are there smaller tweaks I can make?
If an organizational system isn’t working for you, it doesn’t always mean you have to scrap the whole system and start again. Are there small changes you can make to help it work better for you? Check out our episode Clear your Paper Pile in 5 Steps to see how Bethany made a few small changes to her inbox without completely reinventing her system.
It can also be as simple as living with a space for a time but without investing in a more long-term solution, yet. When we moved in to our current home, I wanted to work in my kitchen for a while and tweak the drawer as I went, changing things up as I learned how I used the space in everyday life. Once I felt satisfied with how the drawers were set up, I was ready invest in nicer drawer dividers.
- Will it save me time?
This can be as simple as hiring someone else to do it for you, like a professional organizer (I have virtual services too!), or hiring out handyman services.
It can also save time by streamlining the space. No more hunting through a cluttered closet in the morning! A true time saver.
- Will it improve the aesthetic and/or functionality of the space?
In my daughter’s closet the answer was, “YES!” But sometimes we just want to make things prettier even if it doesn’t improve the functionality! I believe aesthetics play a huge role in organization! Incorporating design into organization motivates us to maintain a well-organized space plus is just nice to live in.
Time Investment
We all know money doesn’t have to factor in when it comes to getting our home organized! Repurpose food storage containers can make great drawer dividers. However, there are also spaces where you have to actually put in the effort and time!
If it is a task you are dreading and find procrastination is getting the better of you, there are a few options:
- Start small
You don’t have to do it all at once. Start by working 10 minutes at time. So often, once you start working you realize it won’t take you as long as you thought or it is not as bad as you thought. My husband and I were dreading tidying up the garage but an hour and half later we were so happy we had taken that small amount of time out of our Saturday. And we reaped the rewards of that small investment everytime we pull our car in!
- Call In Reinforcements
Sometimes we all need help with trouble spots. Whether it is a spouse, friend, or organizer, an extra hand or voice of reason can be all you need to jump start your organization project.
I can’t tell you how many time a client has sent me a picture of another space they tackled after the success or our organizing session together. It is one of my favorite parts of the job! I even benefited from an outside “voice of reason” in episode 37 when I decide what to do with a box in my garage that has almost been untouched for 10 years!
- Focus on the “Why” Behind the Task
Whether it is as small as putting clothes away or as big as teaching your kids chores, focusing on the “why” behind the mundane, and so often, inconvenient task can shift your thinking and attitude.
Your “why” could be as simple as thinking of your future-self, less rushed in the morning with clean clothes nicely put away. It could be focusing on the many, many life skills you are teaching your children while muddling through with consistency and firm resolve with less than enthusiastic children as you train them on household tasks.
The “why” can be focusing on the joy of small breakthroughs that are often few and far between like this in action shot of my daughter teaching her younger sister how to vacuum. The headphones are my daughter’s creative solution to the loud the vacuum.
Family investment
With all this talk of organizing and taking on big projects, it is important to focus on why you are doing all of this in the first place! For me, it is to spend more time with those that matter most, my family. But sadly, many times we can get so caught up in the project!
There are times when we can’t do it all and maybe the most important investment to make is in your family. This could look like leaving a messy house and going to the park or beach with your kids. It could look like leaving the laundry unfolded and going for a run or taking a nap so you’re in a better mood. The laundry will be there tomorrow still unfolded without much fanfare but it is hard to take back grumpy words or declining health. There are times we need to choose relationships over chores.
I know how unnerving disorganization can be and how frustrating it can feel to think your are never getting ahead. I have a true passion to help overcoming the mentally draining clutter. BUT who you are, your identity, is not defined by the state of your home.
The warmth of your home is not determined by cleanliness or how organized your cabinets are. No one’s home is suppose to look like a magazine at all times. Who wants to live there? We might think we do but a loving home needs the freedom to be lived in. We all need the space for living!
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