My husband and I moved into our rental house about a month ago, and there are still a few things I need to unpack/organize. We are getting there though! Just this past weekend we finally got our office set up and it is so wonderful! It is so good to have it done and the space is lovely. We got a great desk, chair, and shelf from the Warehouse Stationary and finally we have everything off the floor! It was also great to be able to move some stuff from the lounge bookshelves to the ones in the office. Now I can make the lounge bookshelves really pretty and the ones in the office can be the more practical ones.

Mount Manaia from One Tree Point

So let’s go!

1. Declutter If you are wondering why you even have something, or you see it and go ohhh I forgot I had that! It’s probably not necessary. Having too much stuff can be overwhelming! My husband and I both hate clutter and love organization, which makes it easier for us because we don’t have tons of stuff. Be harsh on yourself. Do you actually use it? Do you really need it? When are you going to use it next?
2. A Place for Everything Come up with a plan. When you know where something goes, it is easy to clean up, and easy to find things when you need them. Do what seems logical. For example, in our office we have office supplies on a shelf that is at the perfect spot for you to grab what you need when you’re sitting at the desk. We store less used items in the footstool of a rocking chair that is also in the office.
3. Daily tidy Every day just do a quick tidy to keep things from getting disorganized.
4. Weekly clean Once a week clean your space. Vacuum, dust, and make sure everything is in the right place. Also use this time to go through your junk drawer.
5. Junk Drawer Yes, you can have a junk drawer! But don’t let it become a permanent home for anything. During the week if you aren’t sure where to put something or you don’t have time, a junk drawer is perfect for keeping things tidy. But you need to go through it during your weekly clean and put everything away! If you don’t you’ll eventually have an overflowing junk drawer… guys trust me. I have organized drawers and then gradually things just pile up, and before you realize what’s happening you have a huge mess again! Staying on top of it is the way to avoid clutter.

Office supplies

Business books and paper

And… don’t forget that we’re all human. It’s okay when your space gets messy! Don’t feel defeated. Just take a deep breath, remember every day is a new day, and start again.