Get Organized in 2025

Now’s the time to plan to make this year your most organized yet

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

 

It’s the best possible time in your life for whipping your home into shape.

Your children are grown (maybe even flown!), you may be retiring soon if not already. And if you’re considering downsizing in the future, getting your stuff tidied will make that job much easier. Area experts offered their best tips for organizing.

 

Tips from Lydia Harrington, owner of Reclaimed Spaces by Lydia in Canandaigua:

• “My number one organizing recommendation is to start with a declutter. It’s key so you’re not organizing too many things. You can even have an organized pile of too many things. It’s an unpopular truth of the process.

• “Another thing to do when beginning an organizing project is to choose the ‘why’ of getting organized. It could be you want a spare room cleaned up or your craft supplies organized so you can get back into your hobby. It helps you make decisions easier. When you’re ‘in the weeds’ it can keep you going.

• “Start small. Go for quick wins so you build momentum and build your capabilities as you tackle bigger projects. Start with just a drawer and get it under control so you can get an idea of the flow of what organizing looks like. Don’t jump right into a whole closet. Hours in, there will be a mess everywhere. You can budget your time and energy so if you don’t have a lot of time, a drawer is very manageable.

• “Remove everything from the space. Categorize the items based on what they are and what’s going back, what goes elsewhere and what needs to be decluttered. Use containers as limitations. The drawer is the ‘bad guy’ if things don’t fit.

• “Ask for help. Organizing can be overwhelming. Ask a friend or family member who’s patient and supportive. They need to know your goals. Don’t go with someone who will talk you into keeping things. Or get a professional. We’re not emotionally invested in the things in your home. We have an outsider’s perspective and can help people make the best decisions.

• “Be gentle and kind with yourself. Decluttering and organizing can be difficult and emotional. You’re not alone; there are other people struggling with the same thing. They’ve gotten through it; you can too. Done is better than perfect.

• “If you do the declutter first, do a ‘loose organize’ and purchase containers last. A lot of times when you declutter, you free up bins you can use in these spaces. You can shop your home once you declutter.

• “Sometimes, that can inspire a partner to hop on board as you’re not frantically hunting for your keys every day. Your partner can naturally get curious. Other times, they have a completely different organizing style. It can definitely be a challenge to overcome.”

 

Tips from Yve Irish, owner of Organizing by Yve Irish in Pittsford:

• “Some do well by creating a plan. Others like to dive in. I usually make sure I have supplies.

• “If you’re purging a room like a spare bedroom or the basement, start with garbage bags, for trash or donations. Don’t buy supplies for organizing yet.

• “Start with half an hour. Say you want to tackle that basement, you can’t expect in two hours to get it ready. This will take me “x” amount of weekends. And just chip away at it.

• “Make sure you don’t leave yourself in too big of a mess. Some people walk in, pick up three things and move things around but get overwhelmed. If you have a box for things that don’t need to leave the house, then categorize them. They need better organization, like all the office supplies and all the clothes.

• “It depends on the space. If it’s just chaos where it’s a dumping zone and things from all rooms end up there, you tackle that differently as you don’t know what each box has. If you have a set receptacle for all clothes go in this bin, then you deal with them once they’re sorted. Make piles of like items that go into each space.

• “If you don’t know what it’s for, why are you keeping it? Unless it’s a priceless antique, it’s time to let it go. A lot of people have trouble letting go because they say, ‘What if next year, I need it?’

• “Electronics you can recycle, even if they’re broken. Goodwill is in partnership with Dell. They won’t take certain things like dehumidifiers or old tube TVs. Those have to go to Ecopark. At least it stays out of the landfill.

• “Keep the things you love and use. Some things we use but don’t love. You need it. Get rid of the rest and don’t look at it as throwing it out. You’re giving it new life. Someone else can enjoy it. Now it will be their favorite thing. Once you’ve gotten rid of what you don’t need, organize it. Categorize it. Have a place for everything. That way it’s easy to find when you’re looking for it and easy to put back.”