Episode 402 – 10 Golden Rules of Organising your Home

Ingrid: We all want an organised home, calm cupboards, tidy drawers and services that don't make us stressed when we walk past them. But real organisation isn't about copying something you've seen online or rushing out to buy storage. It's about creating systems that genuinely work for your life. Today we're sharing our 10 golden rules of Organising your Home.

The principles we use every single day with clients and members, they're practical, realistic, and based on how people actually live. If you've ever organised the space beautifully, only for it to go back to the way it was weeks later, this episode will help you build systems that truly last.

Ingrid: Hello and welcome listeners. I'm Ingrid.

Lesley: And I am Lesley. Now, if you are here for the very first time today, or you've been listening in for ages, we want to say a huge thank you we have a little favour to ask.

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Well, Lesley, in today's episode we're gonna talk about Organising, which is quite fun because we talk about decluttering a lot. But today's all about Organising, and we are gonna give everyone our 10 golden rules. Oh, I like that. I mean, there's many more, but we had to choose, didn't we?

Lesley: Yeah there's definitely many more It makes us sound very important that Ingrid and Lesley have got 10 golden rules I feel like it's the kind of thing that might appear in a magazine So I'm excited to dive in So we're gonna go

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: five you know real massive golden rules I think aren't we everybody definitely needs in their Organising life And then we're gonna talk about some practical things that are worth thinking about to really add to that extra little layer of Level of organisation So we've

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: to go through We know how much you love a 10 Things podcast but we need to crack on cause these ones typically take a long time So let's

Ingrid: Yeah, exactly. Let's start with number one then, Lesley, when you are Organising your home, rule number one, almost, you need to find a home for everything. And with everything we really mean everything, don't we?

Lesley: Yeah exactly We do mean everything you know because if you don't have a designated space for something how can you put it back And so we go back

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: our favorite quote quotes A place for everything and everything in its place And both of

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: are equally important but without Either that you can't do both of those things that is so important right So

Ingrid: Mm-hmm.

Lesley: will float around Not quite having a home if

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: give it one And so and there's lots of other reason not lots of other ways that we can give things homes but we really need to that needs to be the goal Everything needs a home Everything needs Yeah.

a cupboard whatever that might be for it to go so that you know where to look for it organisation is all about Where to look for something where to find something so that we're not wasting time and effort and energy on our

Ingrid: yeah.

Lesley: time So that's what

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: So we need to have a designated spot that every single thing that is in our house that's the goal

Ingrid: I know it definitely, and I think, you know, for some things that's easy, right? You, because kind of, if you've got a bookcase, it kind of makes sense that books live there. Or if you've got a wardrobe, it makes sense that clothes live in a wardrobe or in a Chester drawers. If you've got, pots and pans, it kind of makes sense that they live in a kitchen because that's where you're going to use them.

But there are so many other often smaller little bits that don't have a home, and that's when you get these little bowls of stuff with little piles of stuff and these little trinket things filled with random bits and books because it doesn't have a place to live. And we often get asked, well. Where is it in your house?

And then I kind of thinking they're like, it's there. And they're like, you actually know where that is? I'm like, yeah, because it's got one place. You need to find one place for buttons for, little, sewing miniatures for. Batteries for working and non-working light bulbs for small coins, for, the safety pins from the dry cleaner laundry.

I mean, the list is endless, right? But it's true. They need to have a home because if they don't have a home, they are everywhere. And then it gets messy.

Lesley: the interesting thing is Ingrid for you and I and we've spoken about this before and we definitely agree on it somebody goes where's that I go it's there And then they go it's not I'm like I have nothing Like if

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: then

Ingrid: Yeah,

Lesley: dunno where that is Like it's gone Like

Ingrid: yeah.

Yeah.

Lesley: so that's the ideal is that it's like it couldn't be oh it might be there or it might be there or it might be somewhere else There's gonna be some things that might have a couple of places Of course there are Do you know what I mean And you need to work that

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: along doing your Organising But we want you to get to the same place that Ingrid and I are which is You know where everything is and

Ingrid: Yeah, yeah,

Lesley: that And so you can find things And

Ingrid: yeah.

Lesley: of and part of that process is our number two Which is gathering like we'd like Ingrid all of those things that you just spoke about as you were like safety pins from the dry cleaners and light bulbs and spent light bulbs and new light bulbs You know they've all got different types of places A lot of those things would go together as well You might have an odds and sos of stationary where you had paperclips and where you had safety pins from the dry cleaners but that's unlikely to be in the same place as your Used light bulbs and actually your used light bulbs and your new light bulbs ideally are not together cause that causes confusion and difficult cause you keep trying to put the old light bulbs and not sure when they're working and then you've got em You know what I mean So we really

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: think that through And we need to gather light with light I mean gathering light with light when we're Organising It's super important cause it actually Allows us as then as well fine tune our decluttering as well doesn't it Ingrid Because if we gather

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: in the Organising stage then we also have an opportunity to re-look at our inventory and go thought I decluttered everything that I wanted to but actually now that I see it all gathered together like with like I think I can go again And so it's you know gathering like with is a an important principle when you are decluttering and also when you are Organising and then it carries on into your tidy end cause you need to be able to put all those things away so you're still gathering light with light Right And

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: Gathering light with light pervades everything that we teach And it's super

Ingrid: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Lesley: to see what we own We need to see what our inventory is It highlights excess to us doesn't it

Ingrid: Yeah, I think it's interesting because I think a lot of people would think of gathering like with like as a decluttering one, right? Because you use it when you empty a wardrobe, for example. You're gonna put your trousers together and your T-shirts together and your tops together. So people see it in a decluttering context.

But for us, we are also saying you have to then. Also when you're Organising gather, like with, like, it needs to all, you know, there needs to be a place where the underwear lives, so where the pajamas live or where the swimwear lives. So when you're Organising it. You also use the same principle because then in your mind it's gonna go, okay, that makes sense, because they're going to live with their friends.

That's why, you know, in a, in a kitchen, you'll see a cupboard where all the glasses live together and all because that's more organised. You don't wanna have. Yes, glasses live in the kitchen. Yes, you're going to gather them all together, like with like to decide which ones you want to keep and which ones you wanna let go of.

But then the whole idea is of, okay, I'm going to gather them now together. I'm gonna put 'em in one place. So I'm finding a home for everything that's in that same category of like with like, so you can really use the same principles both with decluttering and Organising.

Lesley: Absolutely completely agree and that takes us neatly on then into our number three which is all about zoning So once we have gathered like with that then gives us the opportunity to zone like items together Now zoning is super important everywhere in our home but more than anywhere else in places like garages in places like Loft Basements and all those kind of things because when we are created creating an organised system at home we don't want it just to be a system that works for us it has to work for the entire household and zoning items And so we've got our gathering like we like which is okay let's put all the pencils together let's put all blah blah blah blah blah then zone we have a so say for an example in a loft we would have all of the seasonal decorations together We would have all of the spare household items together so that we've not just got a random assortment particularly at a loft in a basement It can be a bit of a random assortment often but there are clear

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: that we need within of the types of stuff that we put in Basements and lofts and tics and all that kind of stuff And under stairs cupboards and wherever that might be So gathering like with is the first step and then zoning it and Thinking about something what types of things types of subsections then together into a zone And a zone would be a broader category Yeah And so really important to think about zoning when you are Organising as well So there is a distinction between them gathering light we like and then that leads us onto further categorization doesn't it

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: is important

Ingrid: I think you could even, you know, like in a kid's bedroom, Lesley, it can work as well. The zoning, right? When you've got a a, a bedroom, you know, you have probably have one part of the room that has the bed. Another part where kind of clothes lift together. Another part where possibly toys lift together.

Even if there's a desk in there with a bookcase next to it. So because that, this way you kind of, don't have everything everywhere. So immediately when you zone, it's much easier to go, okay, it is in this room. Let me look in this zone, which is already easier than. It's here somewhere, you know, so you're, you're helping yourself when you zone a place.

And of course, indeed, especially in a, an a attic, a lofted garage, because these are normally larger spaces that it helps even more, but you even in a small bedroom in your house, this works as well, this whole principle. Now, of course, once you've decided on a zone. You are like, right, I've got the zones.

Now it's time to buy the boxes. Right? We see it all the time. Les, what do I need to buy? What kind of storage boxes do I need to buy to get more organised? First question, nine out of 10 times, what can I buy to be more organised? And we always say nothing in the beginning. In the beginning, you can't. Buy your way out of getting more organised.

Unfortunately, you're gonna have to let go of stuff first. Well, unfortunately, for us, fortunately because we love decluttering, it's much easier to organize less stuff. So those boxes that you so desperately want to buy and think will give you more organisation actually will need to come later.

Lesley: It's definitely it is a whole process and it is quite a complex process Sometimes it's like a jigsaw puzzle isn't it When you're trying to

Ingrid: Hmm.

Lesley: a room a space a drawer whatever that is it is completely like a jigsaw puzzle and all the pieces of this need to fit together which is why we're talking about these golden rules today Super important And so you know cause we've said it so many times on the podcast as Ingrid says don't go rush out and buy storage until you really know until you've Gathered like with like until you've thought about your zones until you've thought about where those things need to be At that stage you can then buy appropriate storage you need And so we don't want is for organisation to just be putting your clutter into a box Yeah We want organisation to be okay This is what suits my current lifestyle at the moment this is what is left and that may go down over time as you get used to having less stuff Typically what happens is people learn to live with less learn to enjoy having less learn about all the positive benefits that come with decluttering And slowly but surely over time we'll learn to live with less and we'll declutter more to get there But for now we need to look and say we've decluttered we've gathered like we'd like we have an understanding of inventory we have an understanding of what we've got to store Then we go out and buy storage Okay Until then and people might say I need a box to sort my stuff out Use some temporary boxes We you know often when we are decluttering with clients we use temporary boxes cause often there is not storage for us to do the Organising or the decluttering in a house but we can use Bags for life We can use cardboard boxes We can use collapsible crates that come in over and over again And so sometimes you need temporary storage We can use iPhone boxes we can use Tupperware containers All those things are gonna help us until we get to the stage where we go okay now we're concentrating on the aesthetic of a home and foremost we need to look at the practical things We need to look at function over form every single time and so it's important for us to wait until we work out the functionality of something and what we need for an Organising system to work for us And not to look

Ingrid: Mm.

Lesley: but it's important to have things looking aesthetically nice you know if you've got something if you've got storage That looks lovely It makes a difference you if

Ingrid: Mm mm.

Lesley: organised room where everything is contained I recently did my utility room and put all the same boxes in It's now to me a thing of beauty whereas before it was a bit of a mishmash of a load of different boxes Still 100 functional not really decluttered anything much It's still got the same stuff in there but just having the nice boxes makes a difference And so we're not trying to take away from the aesthetic or from the form part of form of a function but it's important to know when that needs to come in Don't rush out and absolutely do not organise your clutter into a nice box

Ingrid: Now, Lesley, we talked about find a home for everything gathering like with like zoning and that you need to buy storage later. But let's be honest, number five on a list of golden rules of Organising. Less is more. Don't be afraid of the space that you're going to create.

It's okay if not all of your drawers are absolutely chalk a block with stuff. It's nice to have a bit of space. It's nice to be able to. Move your hanger a little bit in your wardrobe. It's nice to be able to grab something out of a drawer and not having to nearly take everything out to find the thing that you need and then put everything else back.

But I think people who have lots of clutter are just not used to space. Right?

Lesley: It's interesting isn't it Ingrid cause this question's come up a couple of times in the last

Ingrid: Mm.

Lesley: in our q and As and our inner hub like I'm freaking out here cause I've got all this space and it just doesn't feel like my kitchen We're like that's okay one of our members is like I thought I needed some kind of therapy cause I was losing the plot didn't she And so it's but it's but we know that it takes a bit of time to get used to it If you go

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: on decluttering and you're learning all these Things and you are letting things go because you understand the emotions that sit behind them that will undoubtedly open up space And space is something that as cluttery people we've not been used to So it's a big psychological change that we need to transition into and get used to So

Ingrid: Mm-hmm.

Lesley: We just need to get used to the change You know change is a difficult thing for a lot of us isn't it And so we definitely go down the route of less is more We definitely go down the route of worry about empty spaces You can have an empty shelf You can have drawers in your spare rooms with nothing in them at all You can choose to spread your stuff out a little bit if you want or you can choose to have empty drawers one thing is for sure the fewer items you have the easier the organisation becomes You know it

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: That's just a fact right It's easier to

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: less stuff and that's the goal here isn't it

Ingrid: Yeah, and I think as well, if you leave a little bit of space in your drawers on your hanging rail in your cupboards, if you then buy one thing or get given one thing or a couple of things, you don't need to go immediately. Right? I need to do a whole like. Hours of decluttering. Again, it can slot in and then you'll return to that drawer at some point anyway, you can go, okay, all right, I got that.

Nice thing. Now I'm gonna take that. Another thing that I haven't used in a while out. So it's not immediately that pressure again, because if something doesn't fit in cupboards, drawers, or wardrobes, it stays out. Because it can't go where it's supposed to go, and when things get left out, it immediately is cluttery and messy and too much stuff.

That's why it's so important when you're making a loop back to decluttering. If you're decluttering, this is the reason why you need to start with your wardrobes, for example, first, you can't start with the clothes that are outside in the laundry on piles, on, on, on the bed, on the floor, on on your exercise equipment.

Because the wardrobes are full and they've, so the, the items have nowhere to go. So that is also why it's nice to have a little bit of space everywhere, so you can just put stuff away. And that's what, when you're doing laundry, it's so much easier to put the laundry away when it's folded or when it's dry because it's got somewhere to go and not everything is bursting at the seams.

Lesley: Nothing more frustrating than trying to put if you know if you do ironing or you put laundry away there's nothing more frustrating than having to try and stuff it in stuff Your newly

Ingrid: Yep.

Lesley: folded stuff into an over full cupboard you know it's so

Ingrid: Yep.

Lesley: you spent all your time and effort ironing something only for it to stay out or for it not to be able to fit in or for it to get super creased because there's no space for it And so really

Ingrid: Yep.

Lesley: So So yeah there we go So that's our first five goals and rules of Organising I'm not even gonna ask you for a tally Ingrid because they're golden rules And so if we didn't do this then we've

Ingrid: Yep.

Lesley: we can

Ingrid: Yeah,

Lesley: we do all of these things and we don't need a tally today There's no finding something out about Ingrid that she's doing on the sly So let's Bob to a break and let's come back with some other ideas about Organising that are gonna help you on your Organising journey

Ingrid: Hi everyone. Welcome back. We're hoping that you're loving our 10 golden rules of Organising so far. We did five before the break. Let's keep cracking on Lesley with number six, and that is accessibility, absolutely key. When you are Organising, you need to think about accessibility.

Lesley: Yeah we need to have the things that we're using most often somewhere where they're easy to get to You know we don't

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: out of reach we don't want this is all about barriers isn't it Ingrid And so we talk a lot about The barriers that stand in our way of putting something away You know we talked right at the start of this podcast about finding a home for everything no point in finding a home for everything that is not useful versatile accessible because if even if you've found a home for it if it is difficult to put it away then we're not gonna do that because we're human beings we're Creatures of habit and we'll go that's even subconsciously our mind will go that's too hard We're gonna leave it for later So that's where procrastination kicks in And so we need to think about something we need to make things accessible So you know we don't need to go out on about this too much You know what accessible means It means something that you can reach easily We need to put heavier things where we can pick them out easily without you know breaking our neck going upon ladders things need to be accessible And just going back to what we were talking about before the break a overstuffed wardrobe means that your things are not accessible They're difficult to

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: They're all squashed together so you can't see the inventory of your clothes that you've got And so you then the same things over and so

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: is all about making the things that you

Ingrid: Yeah,

Lesley: frequently accessible and choosing which things

Ingrid: yeah,

Lesley: to be as accessible

Ingrid: yeah. I think this goes for every room in your house. Honestly. You know, it, it. For example, if you, are somebody who, has got a cleaning cupboard and you want to regularly, for example, I don't know, Hoover, your downstairs floor because you've got pets and you feel, okay, that's something that I wanna do on a regular basis, that Hoover needs to be accessible and not, okay.

I need to open the door, take five things out before I get the Hoover, put five things back. Then it gets hard work, right? It's with everything like that. If you want to wrap a present, but you first have to climb on a ladder to get your wrapping paper, and maybe you are somebody who absolutely loves the gift gets all the time, you wanna have that wrapping paper and sell a tape and scissors and possibly a card to put on the present accessible if you are a board game family or a puzzle family.

You want to have this in a living room next to a table so you can easily grab a board game when you fancy one on a Sunday afternoon, for example, if you like cooking and you've got your favorite pan, you don't want it to be in a top shelf that you can hardly reach and you need to get a step letter out to grab it.

It needs to be there and then open cupboard, get pan out, ready to get cooking. This actually, really this accessibility is. Important in every room in your house, and you will make your life so much easier for yourself.

Lesley: Exactly and that leads us very neatly onto number seven which is very closely interlinked with accessibility which is visibility If you can't see

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: forget about it unless you've got really stringent systems in place And so we really need to think about Visibility Can we see what we need They're so closely linked but it's worth talking about Different accessibility is about being able to find things and get things and visibility is about being able to see things So really the sort of slightly different but they're so closely linked You know the interesting thing is Ingrid you know a lot of I think I've shared on the podcast before my daughter's bought first home and we're having fitted wardrobe I say we like I just think it's like my house as well but it's absolutely not But I've been helping I've been helping her with it And so she's if you can imagine in her bedroom she's got this quite deep space There's a kind of over stairs bulk bulkhead and there's a space which lends itself perfectly to A fitted wardrobe and that's what's happening but it's the space is much deeper than a fitted wardrobe So a lot of discussions at the beginning What do we do with that space which is probably 8 9 10 inches deep a little bit more actually than that but it will be at the back behind where her clothes will go So do we then just Stop the wardrobe lose the space completely behind that which we could easily do We could just

Ingrid: Mm-hmm.

Lesley: Or do we put some shovels behind it that we could use you know for things And I don't think she really needs it now but I think in the future if she has a family or anything like that extra space is gonna be useful for things that she does not

Ingrid: Mm-hmm.

Lesley: the time sentimental

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: all of that kind of stuff that you need to store but you don't need to use very often So we honestly the amount of time I was like oh I'm that's Bothering me cause it's not accessible and visible But we need to compromise on these things and we need to future proof and we need to look at that So

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: when she moves into her house she will either not use those shells at the moment which I think is probably what's gonna happen and come back to them later but they will be there for her to use should she need them later

Ingrid: Yep.

Lesley: but it's interesting when you've got these spaces and you do have to compromise Ingrid you know we can't all have

Ingrid: Yep.

Lesley: storage solutions We don't all have perfect homes with exactly what we need in an abundance of space We have to make do with

Ingrid: Mm-hmm.

Lesley: had And we but we have to think it through don't we Suddenly we're not

Ingrid: Yeah,

Lesley: which It could easily be oh that's where my shoes could go I could put why would you put a shoe all the shoes behind the clothes cause that just doesn't make sense Do you know what I mean And so we've gotta

Ingrid: no.

Lesley: different So I've got it earmarked for something but it will undoubtedly be things like sentimental items maybe Christmas wrapping if she doesn't need that anywhere else in the house those kind of things So yeah so no

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: and

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: in that wardrobe but it's about that compromise

Ingrid: Yeah, definitely. And I think as well, you know, when you are using, when you're working on your visibility, you know, containers and labels and that kind of thing can really, really help just to be able to lift something out from, From a, a higher shelf, if you can't really see it, then something gets stuck behind.

Have a little container that you can lift out, but label what is in that container. So it's like, oh yeah, that, that's, it's gonna be nine, you know, 19 outta a hundred. It's gonna be there. So. It's more visible. So yeah, I think that's a really good one. So let's move on to the next one, Lesley. that means going vertical when you're Organising because of course often we have these ideas in our heads that we want to maybe put something on the, on the ground, but we never really think about putting up shelves or using the height of a room in a kitchen or whatever.

But there's lots of space there as well. So if you're struggling for space, going vertical might be the thing for you.

Lesley: Yeah so as Ingrid says you know going vertical is absolutely critical If you're starting to struggle for space you need to think a little bit outside the box You know we there are so many

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: of furniture that sit at kind of waist height and then what we need to do is think even sometimes above eye height but Particularly for decorative items or stuff that we don't need that often use that vertical space You know think about

Ingrid: Mm.

Lesley: that goes all the way to the ceiling maybe not all the way to the ceiling that goes higher on that shelf and not just to

Ingrid: Yep.

Lesley: height you know think about CX units in ikea which we absolutely love which go high You know what I mean a lot of people will have them at a low level We can go high you know maximize that space use space vertically We get used to what we have and sometimes we just need to think differently and it will open up a

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: op additional opportunities Wrangler So go vertical is an important one particularly if you are struggling for space And the nice thing as well about going vertical sometimes is it balances the space out nicely as well Rather than having everything at the same level we need to have you know from a design per Perspective It's nice for us to put things a little bit more sporadically around the room

Ingrid: Yeah. Yeah. Very good. Very good. Now then let's go onto number nine, which is storage containers. So at the beginning of this book, 'cause we said don't buy storage, but once you actually get more organised and things start to find a home and it's in the right zone, and you're like, right, these are the things that I want to keep having storage containers.

Of course is really helpful, but what really what we see a lot is that people kind of go, oh, I've got a basket here and a basket there and and, but then it starts to look messy. So having similar types of storage can really help then almost wear more aesthetically as well. And it just looks calmer as well.

We see it a lot mishmash of different containers. Different fabrics, different materials, different sizing, and then you're like, it's really organised, but it's still is very busy for the eye. That's often because there's no similar storage.

Lesley: Absolutely And we talked before about I need to get this the right way around form over function and we really need to think about functionality always comes first right So

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: would rather that you have a mishmash of containers than no containers at all You know it's more important to have

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: through things containerized and you can use what you have But then when we're trying to add a little level onto that from an aesthetic perspective when we're trying to think about form you know look at the size of container don't necessarily go for round con There are some things that lend themselves to round containers we're struggling for space if we've got a lot of clutter if we've got a lot of things that we need to organize for example think about things that have got straight sides rectangles you know those are typically not always better storage for the types of things that we need to store So because if something is round if something is oval then you're losing space within that Not always but square and rectangle Rectangular tend to be better than round when it comes to storage containers One of the things that happens as

Ingrid: Mm-hmm.

Lesley: when you buy storage from like shops and stuff they come which is always a bit of a pain You'll get three storage containers all in different sizes R grid they're like they just give you three different sizes which are known cause actually what you want is the same size most of the times Do you

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: I mean So yeah just think about that as well So storage containers can really add value Same with similar hangers as well You know we are big fans of flock hangers because they're space saving and all that The aesthetic upgrade that gives you in your home when you are Organising is really Big isn't It's a huge upgrade

Ingrid: Yeah. Yeah.

Lesley: to all the same hangers The same with all the same but not

Ingrid: Mm.

Lesley: boxes cause that's not gonna work depending on the storage that you've got But is an aesthetic upgrade but it's not essential That is not gonna make or break the organisation in your home It's just gonna make it look better and it's probably gonna make you feel better And that's what it's about

Ingrid: Yeah. Yeah. And of course, you know, we can have a whole discussion and I'm sure we've done another podcast about the type of storage container that you need to buy because different rooms and different stuff needs different kinds of containers. Some containers need a lid, some don't. some need. Plastic and others can have, either fabric or whatever.

So there's a lot to it. But one thing that's crucial is when you are going on the lookout for storage containers, make sure you measure the space. What is the depth? What is the height? What is the width of the shelf that you're going to put these containers on? Because that will really help you in determining.

Is this the right storage for you? And yeah, really it can be really a game changer. If you've got nice looking storage, the whole room can be honestly lifted. Or when you open up a cupboard, you're like, oh, this looks so nice. It looks so much more organised. But. Temporary storage containers first. Nice, matching perfect storage containers later.

Definitely. And then the kind of neatly brings us into number 10, right? Lesley? You need to organize for you, not for anybody else. Goner. Rule number 10, create a system that works for you, not because you think it looks great or everybody else thinks it's perfect. You need to be able to live in your house and find things.

Lesley: Exactly and I think you know this is our number 10 and I think we put it here because we really want to reinforce this idea because we are all victims Is that the right word or influenced by social media let's say And we look at the end Product which is an organised aesthetically pleasing home And we want that so badly that we skip all of what comes before without doing the thinking without thinking about accessibility and visibility without thinking about whether we can go vertical without zoning without all of the things that we've spoken about we can be forgiven because people on social media make it look Super easy Do you know what I mean But typically the people that are putting those Organising solutions on social media are people who are either in the industry have done it driven by a beautiful aesthetically pleasing home and always have been And so we need to think about Their system and their ideas are not necessarily what's gonna work in our home So we need to saying come off social media because that's a place where we do a lot of learning where there is a lot of education but we also know there's a lot of insta perfection in there and we need to avoid that And we need to take out the noise a little bit and go okay

Ingrid: Hmm.

Lesley: I'd love to have that further down the line but we really need to think about whether that's sensible for us Is it really sensible for us to decant washing pods in our laundry room Is it really sensible for us to decant all our spices or is that way too complicated Are we already overwhelmed with the that we've got in our house which means that we're not gonna be You know how have the time who's got time Have you got time to decant stuff when you come in from the shopping Or is it good enough to just have it somewhere that you can find it We may be working towards that Insta Perfect scenario Of course we might work wanna work towards that but maybe now's not the time And so it's all about evaluating your current system It's about evaluating your

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: what being realistic what's gonna work for you and not being overtaken by the noise and not jumping 10 steps ahead when you've got all the groundwork to do with your Organising

Ingrid: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. And I think it's really important that you figure out how is this. Going to work for me and my family. Where would I look for this item? What makes sense? I mean, of course, you know, some things absolutely make sense. You know, pulled some pans, kind of belong in a kitchen. That makes complete sense.

But there's also a whole raft of other items. You think, well, I'm not completely sure. And I think the, then the question is, where would you look for it? What would make sense for you? And lets them work on that area, or that room or that cupboard and make it make it work for you. That doesn't mean you have to, you know, you can skip the 10 steps ahead and go, right, I'm gonna, I've seen this online somewhere.

I'm gonna buy those exact containers. And then you find out, oh, but hold on a minute. I've got other bits and books now that. Don't go with these sets, and the things don't match my sizing because I've got completely different configuration of shelves and things like that. So you can get yourself into a model.

So first and foremost, think about, okay, what would work for me and take that and, and build on that. So yes, that was number 10, Lesley. 10 Golden Rules of Organising. I've enjoyed it.

Lesley: I know Golden I love that golden rule like super important yeah there are loads more that we could talk about in terms of organisation Lots of ones that we have missed So if you think that we are missing any please let us you can tell

Ingrid: Yeah.

Lesley: put it in the comments and help Other people with your golden rules of Organising things that have worked for

Ingrid: Mm-hmm.

Lesley: the years And so because this is certainly not a complete list it just fits nicely into our 10 things podcast doesn't it Ingrid

Ingrid: Exactly, exactly. So listeners, we hope you've enjoyed our 10 golden Rules of Organising. like Lesley, you said, leave us a comment, post a review while you're at it. Hit that follow like or subscribe button, and we will see you next week for a brand new episode. Thanks for being here.