3 Easy Habits for Sustainable Long-Term Organization at Home

In a recent poll, I asked over 2,000 people what their intentions were for 2024, and the results revealed that an organized home remains a top priority for 2024 (this made me do my happy dance). 41% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with their current home organization despite multiple attempts to tidy up. The good news is that they are open to embracing a more sustainable approach to home organization in the coming year.

I will be the first to tell you that organizing your home will take effort, but it shouldn't feel like a tedious chore. The key is to adopt a long-term perspective. Let's dive into the first tip that will not only help you break free from fleeting trends but also cultivate lasting organization habits.

Tip #1 :Shift Your Mindset Towards Sustainable Organization

 The journey towards an organized home begins with a shift in mindset. Start by setting your intentions. What does your ideal life look like? Envision a typical day and how it feels when you return home. Once you have a clear vision of your life's priorities, organize your time and energy to align with your goals. With a bigger picture in mind and long-term priorities in order, you can easily decide how to structure your daily routines.

It might seem like a lot, but the goal is to transition from an all-or-nothing mindset. At Modern Steward, we often share a valuable motto with our clients: "Progress, not perfection." While it's tempting to get caught up in the allure of Instagram-worthy transformations, we encourage you to join the 59% of those individuals polled who have put in the work to create genuine habits and maintain an overall organized and easy-to-tidy home.

Tip #2 :Plan Ahead for a More Organized Life

 Here's a hard truth: even if an expert team (like ours) organized your entire home today, the responsibility for maintaining it would still fall on your shoulders. Developing habits that enable you to preserve the organization you've worked hard to create is the secret sauce!

Over the past decade, I've observed that our most successful projects involve simple and easily accessible organizing systems. Let's illustrate this with an example. Building upon Tip #1, let's say you've set the intention of cooking dinner at home during the week. What systems do you need in place to ensure your success? Perhaps a kitchen command center can help eliminate counter clutter, or an organized spice rack can make ingredient retrieval a breeze.

Remember, organization becomes sustainable when it's made easy and accessible.

Tip #3 :Consistent Practice for Organizational Mastery

Take a moment to acknowledge what you're already doing well. It doesn't have to be a monumental achievement; even the tiniest habit can serve as the foundation for a great routine.

Have you heard of habit stacking? It's a powerful productivity technique that assists in developing new habits by linking them to existing ones. These existing habits can be small, daily routines that you might not even think about, like loading the dishwasher every night. Your current habit becomes a cue for the new one, making it easier to remember and practice.

Returning to our example, let's say your new habit is prepping necessary dinner ingredients for the next day:

1. Make it measurable: Commit to prepping dinner ingredients by 7 P.M.

2. Be specific with your stacking cues: Do it right after starting the dishwasher.

3. Start slow: Begin with twice a week.

Remember, organization extends beyond merely tidying up your space; it's about bringing order to your life and home. Consider your family's routine and how you utilize your home. Integrating these habits will lead to lasting home organization.

For my skimmers- Here's the Conclusion:

Achieving sustainable long-term organization at home is not just about decluttering and tidying up; it's a mindset shift, planning, and consistent practice. By embracing these three easy habits and focusing on progress over perfection, you can transform your living space and create a home that reflects your best life. So, make the commitment to prioritize organization in 2024, and let's embark on this journey together!

Got Questions About Home Organization? We're Here to Help!

Do you have any questions about organizing and maintaining your home? Feel free to leave us a comment below; we're passionate about sharing our expertise.

Until next time,

Kimberly