In the article The Truth Is In The Closet, I wrote “There is something so magical and ethereal about coming home to a beautiful and organized home.  But cringing when you open a closet door just kills the tune.”  This statement emphasizes the importance of having organization in all areas of your home, not just what others easily see.  The appearance of your closet can really effect how you feel as well as your productivity throughout the day.

Closets are one of the most challenging areas of a home to organize often because we see them solely as storage units.

If you think about your closet as an active and very functioning part of your home, you will approach how you arrange it much differently.  Although outsiders may not see the contents of your closet, you do everyday.  Having my closets organized not only allows me to find what I need quickly, but it keeps me in a positive mindset versus criticizing myself heavily for procrastinating.

Disorganization is usually a HUGE sign of long term procrastination.

We currently live in a one bedroom apartment with three closets.  (You can see a tour of our home and a few modifications in decor since having our son here.) One is our coat closet in the entry way, the hallway closet is pictured above, and our bedroom closet which I’ve shared photos of in a few of my capsule wardrobe articles.  Although none of these closets are very large, they all have the ability to store excessive items that we don’t need if I allow it.

Keeping our closets organized is no small task, yet let me share exactly how I do it.

1. Downsize, Downsize, Downsize

It just makes sense.  The less you have overall, the less needs to be put away.  Since beginning my minimalist journey, I’ve greatly minimized my personal and our shared possessions in our household.  I’ve witnessed the amazing benefits of living with less firsthand.

If I don’t love or use something, I get rid of it.  How many of any one particular item do you really need?  Being honest with yourself while letting go of the unnecessary will save you a lot of time and space.  I’ve shared countless articles on decluttering which I’m sure will help jumpstart your process if you’re interested.

2. Create The Space Before You Are Ready

I like to create the energy in a space even before I am ready to maintain it.  In other words, I remove everything from my closet, and only put back the use and loved items that will make my closet look exactly how I want it to.  The rest of the items get consolidated in the corner of the room to sort through.

Now mind you sometimes it takes me a few days to declutter the mess, yet I can already see the end result ahead of time.  This keeps me extremely motivated to really attack the chaos.  It also keeps me on track from keeping too many things which would ruin the tidy end result.

3. Donate & Recycle

Whenever I declutter, I usually fill a few bags for donating.  I also create a stack of paperwork for recycling.  I find that it is better to get all of these unneeded items out of my home as soon as possible.  If I don’t, they usually end up back in the closet which defeats the purpose completely.  Having perfect closets isn’t necessary.  Yet when you are very busy, being organized just makes it easier to get things done efficiently.

Living with less is living light physically, mentally, and emotionally, and this includes your closets.

(Image by Dawn Michelle)

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