During the next several weeks, we’ll be writing a series about how to de-clutter and organize each room in your home. However, this week we want to discuss the steps for beginning a home organization, including being in the proper mindset, making a list of your goals, and throwing away any items just occupying unused space.  Make a List of Your Goals Before you get lost in a sea of clutter, make a plan. Having a plan will make it easier and less chaotic as you begin organizing your home. Draw a map of your home, with all the rooms. Label them with marker, green, yellow, or red, with red being the most cluttered and in need of work. This helps you prioritize what needs to be done. It’s often helpful to further break down each room into smaller projects, such as finding a cabinet to fit craft supplies and then purchasing containers to fit in it. Be realistic with the length of time needed to complete each room. Contain the Clutter Overflowing clutter often happens when there is no designated space for an item. Take time to consider if you need these items, such as extra wrapping paper or all two coffee mugs.  Sort through these items, deciding if you need extra storage, such as baskets or totes, or if it’s time for certain items to just be thrown or given away. Make four piles: a keep pile, a throw away pile, a donation, and a resale pile. Decide What to Do with Overflow Items Decide what you want to do with the overflow. If you have many bags of trash you may wish to actually rent a dumpster to make it easier. If you have boxes of gently used items, such as toys, clothes, or shoes, you have options. You could donate them to a local charity or sell them to a local thrift store. You also could have a garage sell, as long as it’s within your neighborhood’s guidelines. It allows your neighbors to see your overflow, and you can earn some cash. Prepare Your Mindset and Get Started Once you have your list of goals, it’s time to get out of your head and get started. This is not the time to keep adding to the list or be thinking of the goals to be done in the next room. Focus on room at a room at time.  If you need assistance, the professionals at Refresh Organizers can help by looking at your space. They’ll help you in deciding the best goals and plan to organize your home.