While it's true that keeping an organized home takes a lot of work, what are the chances that you are making organizing harder than it has to be?
Here are 6 organizing blunders you should quit right now by Apartment Therapy:
You don't immediately toss unimportant stuff
Avoid throwing in all your mails in one basket to look at "later"; we all know what that "later" means. So instead of having that pile of mostly unimportant mails, place a recycling bin next to your mail box or a shredder next to your door. The moment you get your mail, toss what you don't need, shred personal info-marked things you don't need, and then immediately file what you need to file.
You emotionally hold on to stuff you know you don't need
It is common to attach memories to objects, but we need to define what we mean by "objects". Sure you can keep that sweater that your best friend gave you for your 30th birthday, but how about that pair of hiking boots that you have no intentions of using? Remember the golden rule of decluttering and organzing, less stuff, less problem.
You've convinced yourself you don't have enough room, and so have given up hope
Keeping organized is already harder than it is, and a small space doesn't at all help. But leave that defeatist attitude to the curb; there are plenty of solutions to combat lack of space. Make use of that 3-inch space under your bed. Why don't you add more hanging rod in your closet? There sure is space for extra shelves above your door. But remember, you are making room for legitimate things you have, and not "future" stuff.
You haven't given yourself the right tools
One of the best solutions is to find the right organizing tool that works for you. Find time to sit down and observe; give yourself a week or more to really find out where the clutter collects. Are junk drawers your habit? Why not get dividers so you are forced to stick to a system. Do you usually end up tossing clothes around your room when trying to find what to wear and never re-hang them? If you are not the kind who plans their outfits, then maybe you could switch to drawers.
Your filing system is too complicated and so you never stick with it for long
Don't come up with an organizing solution that is too complicated for you to really commit to. While arranging things in alphabetical order is a legit trick, it's useless if you can't keep up with it for more than a day. Find a solution that you will find easy and natural to do; like how being too specific with labels can work against you - when you come across something that doesn't perfectly fit into a label you end up not putting it away and a pile gets started.
You're not asking for help when you need it or setting boundaries
If you are sharing the place with somebody else, then you should consider asking them for help when it comes to keeping things in your space organized. Work with them on showing them the organizational methods you've put into place and tell them it's important they follow them, too.
