The January Container Trap

This time of year, all the big discount stores and home improvement stores feature organizing and storage products in their catalogs and circulars. For people who have made a resolution to get more organized this year, these products promise to help them meet these organizing goals. However, the reality is that in most cases, you really need to go through all your belongings first, weeding out things that are no longer useful or meaningful, and then sorting the items that are left.

Once you have sorted out items by type and/or placed them in the areas of your home or office where they will be used and stored, then you can assess what types of storage containers or other organizing products may be useful.

I have gone into so many homes to find the homeowner bewildered as to why they are still living in disarray after spending hundreds of dollars on baskets, bins, containers, and shelving units. Really, it comes down to "putting the cart before the horse", or in this case, putting the plastic tote before the clutter.

A professional organizer can help you to effectively assess your belongings and storage needs. Since most of us want our homes to have decorative appeal, the organizer can assist in selecting proper storage solutions that will prevent your living spaces from looking like storage lockers.