I’ve had people ask me before how I organize things when I work with someone. Or often people think it’s the type of skill you either have or you don’t. Nay. After working with several clients I realized that I had a very specific and linear process for organizing people’s clutter. Next time you are cleaning out your closet, garage, kitchen or office, try these steps yourself!

1. Designate exactly what you want to organize. Set aside a pile, select a room or cabinet. Stay within the confines you have set for yourself and don’t get distracted by other things you want to organize as well. Save them for another time.

2. Once you have selected what space and/or materials you wish to organize, it is now time to deconstruct. Yes, deconstruct. Anything that is contained in something, take it out. The goal here is to not miss a single item. You want to have the opportunity to evaluate what you have and whether or not you want to keep it or trash it.

3. Now it’s time to sift through everything. Here you will need a trash can handy, maybe even a recycle bin, and lots of open counter or floor space. One by one, go through the contents of what you have set aside. Create two piles: 1. Keep 2. Trash. Be very specific and DON’T HESITATE. Go with your gut instinct. If you haven’t been thinking to yourself “man where is that ____” then you can probably trash it.

4. Now it’s time to divide and conquer. Start categorizing things based on their similarities. Essentially you are taking your larger “keep” pile and creating smaller piles where items are grouped together.

5. Storage. Here’s where you can get creative. Take your smaller piles and decide how and where you want to store them. A plastic storage box, on shelving, in a filing cabinet, you name it. The possibilities are endless. There are two important things to remember here. Keep it simple and keep it functional. It’s easy to get carried away in the container store, Walmart or Target. Keep a realistic mindset, and you should do fine.

That’s it! Now get to organizing! And if this seems too tedious, complicated and boring….hire me

Welcome to Ashley’s Services daily blog! Here I will share my perspective on various topics and situations that arise throughout life. My goal as a business owner and organizer is to reduce stress and help you to become more productive and efficient. Blogging is a healthy way to release stress, organize your thoughts and relate to others. Organization doesn’t just have to be about “stuff”. Instead, think about it as a means to organize your life so it seems and feels less chaotic as is common for many individuals. I do not intend to limit my scope of blogging to organizing, fitness and concierge work, however those topics will surely arise frequently as those are things I practice weekly. I DO however wish to address any topic that is a negative influence in our lives and to shed light on it in a positive way. Stay tuned!