“What’s working for me? What’s going well?” Those aren’t relationship questions. Those are spring cleaning questions related to certain areas of your house, and here’s why you should ask them.
Jodi Virgil of Organize Solutions Bermuda (OSB) is a believer that our outer environment often reflects what is happening within us and within our lives. “This is why our solutions are customised to meet the realities of our clients,” she explained.
When it comes to spring cleaning, or even getting organized in general, it can seem a momentous task. Where do you start? What do you keep? Should you try and sell anything? Jodi provided some guidance on how to take on this daunting, but necessary, process.
“By asking what’s working for the client,” she explained, “it allows us a baseline of success, which is the first step in inspiring and motivating our clients.”
The next step is to inquire about which part of the house bothers the client the most – the space that’s most annoying to them. That gives an idea of where to start because most people want to solve a problem and feel good about it – and that’s what the organizing professionals at OSB want, too!
TIPS FOR DECLUTTERING
“When it comes to decluttering, start with items that are less sentimental,” Jodi suggests. “This allows you to build your decluttering muscles and get used to the process a bit, to build up to the bigger items that might be a bit more sentimental.”
If you want to do a cleaning and organizing blitz yourself, here is Jodi’s top ten list of least sentimental items to throw out or donate:
1. Expired foods
2. Expired medications
3. Broken items – Furniture, bags, glass
4. Old wires and electronics
5. One-at-a time items (cutlery, mugs, towels, sheets)
6. Old decorations
7. Appliances no longer used
8. Shoes that are no longer comfortable or safe
9. Clothing that does not make you feel fabulous!
10. Old pens, markers that do not work anymore
JODI STILL USES THE “OSB METHOD” IN HER WORK. Perhaps it could work for you, too!
O: OBSERVE
1. Step back and figure out why YOUR clutter is developing
S: SET THE SCENE (Declutter)
1. Sort: Figure out what you have and place “like items” together
2. Keep, Donate, Dispose (Declutter)
3. Find a place (Organize)
4. Choose organizational solutions (Organize) (Storage Tools)
a. Functionality first (fit space? Large enough?)
b. Aesthetics (colour, texture, material, transparency)
B: BREAKTHROUGH – How do we KEEP the system?
1. Find a time for maintenance – think of if it like a car
2. Do you work best daily or weekly, or both? Mornings, evenings, or both?
3. Block out longer times for larger projects, like for a tune up or full service
When asked if she encourages any services or platforms in Bermuda to utilize while going through this process, Jodi answered enthusiastically, “We have such an engaging and vibrant thrifting culture in Bermuda. There are so many thrift stores, donation-based organisations, and second-hand stores that give folks opportunities to share their abundance with others.”
“We have also seen an upsurge in ‘fast fashion awareness’ to help encourage folks to make different decisions when purchasing items and move away from the ‘one and done’ philosophy when it comes to clothing.”
“There has been a higher focus on environmental considerations as well which can cause us to make different consumer-based decisions. And if someone chooses to sell their items online or in a consignment manner, I think that is great!”
If you need a boost in your cleaning and organizing efforts, why not give her a call at 704-3725?
