You might be wondering why a blog for business women is talking about organizing and decluttering. First, it’s top of mind for me because I’m starting this process in my own house and in my business. It’s that time of the year when we think about spring cleaning, changing out clothing from warm winter clothes to spring and summer (in Texas we call those seasons cold and hot).

And second, I’m doing this because an organized house helps part-time working moms. Yep, for those busy working mamas out there, you want to have your home organized. And, who wants to be organized if things aren’t clean too? This go-round, add in a dash of spring cleaning into the mix and maybe pencil in deeper cleaning time about once a quarter or every other month.

Let’s talk why this is important and why it came up in countless interviews with more than 110 professional part-time working moms.

Why organize or declutter?

Need some motivation to get started on organizing and decluttering? Of the many reasons, here are a few. For starters, it makes things easier to find later. Less time looking for stuff later equals more time to do other things – something fun with family, exercise, self-care, learn something new like a hobby, or, practically speaking, even getting a bit more work done.

Second, you can save money. You won’t lose bills and pay late (yes, some people get hard copies of bills). You won’t get duplicates of items you already have. You find that sweater you wanted to wear for the presentation you’re doing next week? Time to get a new one. Your kids can’t seem to figure out where their water bottle went? Oh well, grab another one at the grocery store – again!

Third, it’s distracting, especially if you work from home. Some moms can tune out the clutter and stuff everywhere. I’m not one of those moms and I don’t know many either. If stuff is everywhere, especially in the places I’m usually walking past, I will get distracted, especially if I’m working on something I’m not-so-excited about. If things are in their usual spots, I don’t have to think about putting them away.

And finally, it’s not based on a professional opinion that I found during my research, but it seems like organizing helps increase satisfaction. Don’t you feel satisfied when you’ve done some organizing and/or purged? I certainly do!

Different places to find information on organizing and decluttering

There are a lot of resources for getting your organizing adventures started and keeping things that way. There are books (check out Marie Kondo’s). If you want more of a summary on her book, take a look at this segment from the Today show. There are loads of magazine articles, especially in the spring – I feel like Real Simple in particular has articles all the time on getting organized. There are even websites dedicated to getting and staying organized. We will be having a special guest post from one of those organizational gurus, so keep an eye out for that coming up. I’ve posted a few checklists on the Mompowerment Pinterest page to try to give you some easy resources on different rooms in your house.

What will you do with all the stuff when you’re done?

All of the articles and approaches seem to be slightly different. The consistent message in almost everything I’ve read or every podcast I’ve listened to says to make sure you know where things go after they leave your possession. After all, organizing isn’t only about putting things into their place.  Some things simply need a new home away from yours.

• Ask friends or neighbors if they want/need anything you’re removing
• Take items to the non-profit(s) of your choice
• Sell them – you can simply use Craigslist or about a kajillion websites that might even specialize in what you’re trying to get rid of (e.g., kids’ clothes, designer clothing, etc.)
• Make sure to not let the stuff pile up that you’re trying to remove. (That seems to be my challenge – getting the stuff out the door.)

What’s working for me

I don’t usually give advice on getting organized because it’s something I struggle with, but I will share what has started working for me as a part-time working mom with two young children:

• I read in Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project that you should put things away that will take a minute or less, so we do that. Everyone in the family does it with shoes, jackets, backpacks, etc. Even with toys before we leave the house. It saves times (and hopefully tears) later.
• Find a place for everything. If it doesn’t have a place, figure out if you actually need it and then find it a logical home.
• Organize in small increments of time. With two kids in pre-school in the morning, I don’t have a whole weekend or solid days in general to dedicate to getting organized. I try to do a bit each day. Have a goal, though, whether it’s a room, a type of clutter, or whatever (e.g., clean off X type of clutter on your desk for 30 minutes).
• Put hard copies of bills and anything important you must hang on to temporarily in designated spots (e.g., event tickets, invitation to an event, etc.). If you have everything you need on your calendar, take a picture and toss them.
• Throw stuff away or recycle circulars, junk mail, etc. immediately. It adds up quickly and it sucks to go through bunches at a time.
• Stay on top of your wardrobe. Get rid of things that have holes, stains, don’t fit. No need to keep things around. Period.
• If you can only organize and declutter every once in a while, set a schedule (e.g., once a month).  It can quickly overwhelm you if you let it go too long.
• And most importantly, figure out what works for you, regardless of what a book, article, or friend says.  Not all approaches, whether for purging or keeping things organized, work for everyone and that is OK.

It’s Friday and no one wants to organize or declutter, but it’s worth it. Take 20-30 minutes and let your significant other watch the kids for a short while, preferably outside or at least away from what you’re specifically working on. Get your short organizing project done, and feel some s-a-t-i-s-f-a-c-t-i-o-n as your weekend starts.

Have some tips or an approach to spring cleaning and organizing that has really worked for you?  Is there something specifically you struggle with when it comes to organizing?  I’d love for you to share in the comments.