Tidying up: Where and how do I best start? Easy Expert Tips!

Do you know the feeling: you want to sort out and organize your things, but don't know where to start, feel overwhelmed and therefore prefer to leave it all at all?

Overview

Every beginning doesn't have to be difficult - because there are good and simple tricks with which your project will succeed! Tidying up expert and coach Gunda Borgeest reveals which steps lead to success. Did you know, for example, that mucking out and tidying up doesn't start with sorting out, but much earlier?

1. The right questions

Ask yourself what you want to achieve and change. What is your idea of ​​order? What should your apartment look like in the future?

2. Inventory

Take an inventory. Go through your apartment with a lock on writing and write down everything that needs to be done. What exactly do you want to sort out and reorganize?

3. Planning a project

Do not write: "Clean out the closet", but:

1. Sort out socks,
2. underpants,
3. … ​

and so on.

The smaller the cleanup projects, the easier it is to get done.

4. Create a schedule

Estimate how long it will take you to do each category (e.g. dishes: three hours, supplies: two hours) and when you can find time during the week or weekend.

5. Fixed appointments

Make appointments with yourself using entries in your calendar and work through your to-do list step by step. Set priorities.

6. Scheduling goals

Formulate a realistic, stress-free time goal for yourself ("I would like to be finished in three months" or "I would like to be halfway done by Christmas").

7. Ensure sustainability

Research where you can take the items that are in good condition. Is there a thrift store or other charitable organization near you that accepts donations in kind?

8. The right equipment

Get your tools - tear-resistant garbage bags and stable, medium-sized moving boxes for sorting and taking away.

9. Structure tidying up

Work according to the "six box principle":

A Gift

Everything you want to give away to friends, neighbors or relatives belongs in this moving box. Take pictures of things. Send these to the people who want to gift them and ask them if the things are actually needed.

B Repair

Put broken things you want to keep in this box. Repair things in a timely manner or bring them in for repair as soon as possible.

C Sell

Here you collect all items that are to be sold via the Internet or otherwise. Keep in mind: Selling is often a lot of work and takes time. Don't get bogged down in order to maybe only redeem a few cents.

D Rearranging

Everything you want to store in another room ends up in this transfer box. Think about the space available there and don't overload the box, because you want to sort out more than keep it.

E Donate

Use this box for anything you want to donate to a charity. Arrange for the box to be removed as soon as it is full.

F Maybe

Here you "park" everything whose whereabouts you want to think about again. Be careful not to put off too many decisions! The box should not be too full.

Where do I start?

The most important rule for effective sorting is: proceed in categories! That means don't tidy up individual drawers or cupboards, but take care of all your CDs, all shoes, all backpacks and bags, all books, all glasses, all sweaters and so on. You will be surprised at how much of a strain you have, and it makes letting go that much easier. Who needs 4 black backpacks, 20 winter coats or 5 tape dispensers? By doing this, you know exactly what you have and what you no longer need. This is the only way to achieve the feeling of "deep cleaning".

Gunda Borgeest has been an organizational coach for six years. She helps people tidy up their homes and often their lives as well. Her credo: Order is something very individual. Her book "Order by the way: Sorting out, tidying up, sighing" (Stiftung Warentest) gives helpful tips on how to finally start your own tidying up project, how to stay tuned and then how to maintain the overview and order that you have gained over the long term. (Photo: Konstanze Wild) .

How do I start?

And this is how it works: For example, put all the shoes that are in your apartment, basement or storage room in a sufficiently large space, for example in the living room. Then sort the shoes first into winter shoes, sports shoes, sandals, pumps, slippers and so on - preferably for each member of the family. The next step is to look at each of these subcategories. For example, if you find that you have a lot of winter boots, sort out what no longer fits you, what you no longer like, or what is worn and broken. Always think about how much space you have for your shoes and how many you can easily store.

If you are going to deal with the topic of "office supplies", put all the paper supplies, envelopes, pens, hole punches, folders, paper clips and the like from the entire apartment onto a large table. Again, sort things by subcategories first. Bundle up all your felt-tip pens, crayons, pens, and pencils. Then reduce the pens per subcategory to the number of favorite pens that you can store well. When you're done, put the remaining stationery in a single closet if possible. That is, don't scatter things back to all the places you got them from. At the end there is a well-stocked, clear material cupboard from which all family members can help themselves if necessary.