There is an old proverb that says, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Most of us have heard our parents and grandparents say it from time to time. The question is this: is it really true? Is there really a place for every single possession a person owns?
The answer is found in understanding why we own things. We buy all sorts of things that are both consumable and non-consumable. Things in the consumable category do not require long-term storage for the most part – unless a person buys in bulk and then is slow to consume what was purchased.
As for non-consumables, they are a different story. They require a proper ‘place’ by virtue of the fact that we will be hanging on to those things for an extended amount of time.
How Often It’s Used
When we assist a client with decluttering, one of the first things we discuss is how often things get used. We might talk about clothing. Most of us have different clothes for different seasons. So we tend to store away those clothes that are not in season at the moment.
Winter clothes go in the back of the closet during the summer. Come winter, we make the switch. We naturally have a place for all of those clothes because we use them regularly. Likewise, there are plenty of things in the kitchen we use almost every day. The coffee machine on the counter is a good example. But what about those things we barely use?
You might have a juicer or waffle iron you barely use. You want to keep it – because you do use it when the grandchildren visit – but you don’t use it often enough to leave it out. So now you need a place to store it. It needs its own place so that it isn’t taking up valuable counter space.
This where organization helps. Being able to organize your possessions in such a way as to make them accessible without being in the way may not be the easiest thing. In fact, that’s why My Divine Concierge exists. One of specialties is organization.
When Stuff Becomes Clutter
We can generally help people find a place for everything in their homes. But the difficulty arises when stuff becomes clutter. In other words, we might help a client whose house is cluttered to the point that most of the shelves, tables, and counter space is full of stuff. When that space is full, clutter starts making its way to furniture, and then floors.
When stuff becomes clutter it gets more difficult to find a place for everything. Why? We run out of room. The shelves are full; the drawers cannot hold any more; the closets are bursting at the seams. This is a situation that screams, declutter!
Find a Place for Everything
In the end, we have to agree with the old proverb. There really is a place for everything in our homes. The trick is finding that place or getting rid of the excess. Many times it comes down to creating innovative storage solutions. Other times it is a matter of using existing storage solutions better.
We get that finding a place for everything is a tedious and challenging task. But we also know that getting the home organized and uncluttered can be life changing. We have seen time and again how people weighed down by a disorganized home enjoy a new sense of freedom when there’s a place for everything and everything is in its place.
If you need help finding a place for your stuff, give us a shout. We know how to make the old proverb work.