I’ve spent in the last few years organizing all aspects of my life. I love tidying, decluttering and organizing my time, social media and spaces. This Friday and Saturday, I catalogued all of my weekly sticker kits. I’ve only lived in my new apartment for a few weeks and already I’ve reorganized my clothes, makeup and skin care multiple times. That’s because I don’t believe organization is ever truly done. Why? Read on to find out.
One thing I’ve found throughout my organizational and minimalist journey is that your system can almost always be more functional than when you first implemented it. Whether it means rotating my acrylic boxes to get my makeup in the best configuration for everyday use or switching out which boxes I use for my under the sink storage – I’m always trying to make things work better for me.
Even something super simple like switching two things on the same shelf for ease of use can make a huge difference. I recently switched my puzzles and the box I keep my hairdryer in. I wasn’t using my hair dryer or straightener as much as maybe I could, partly as a conscious lifestyle choice, but partly due to the fact that it was a bitch to get out of my closet. I’ve dried my hair a whole one time since this change but hey – why have something if you are never going to use it?
Another thing to keep in mind is even people on a minimalist path, like me, are always going to be getting new things. A good example of things I’m always bringing in are the most consumable beauty products – mainly skin care. I’m a little bit of overzealous when it comes to making sure I have back ups to all sorts of beauty and hygiene products – contact solution, moisturizer, micellar water. I need to keep these things organized so I don’t buy too many extras – after all, beauty products have a expiration date to keep in mind.
I also occasionally go on a sort of buying spree – recently, I’ve been making a conscious effort to buy more separates for my wardrobe. What does this mean? Well I need to decide how to organize them. My knits need to be folded but then my new skirts and shirts need to be hung. I like to keep my closet extremely compartmentalized into sections for casual and more formal items as well as lighter clothes moving into heavier winter clothes. As I bring things in, I need to keep tis in mind so my closet is as user friendly as possible. After all, the whole point of separates is to be able to throw together an outfit as easily as throwing on a dress (my traditional way to get dressed).
As often as I bring things in I’m also getting rid of things I don’t actually need. My decluttering passion is real – going from beauty to art supplies to clothes to knick knacks. I don’t want a lot of clutter in my life. When I do get rid of things, it may open up the opportunity for new, clean organization. I kind of see it as a celebration after a declutter. I recently went through all my markers and got rid of those that were dried out. I then went ahead and put everything in order – such a satisfying finale to my chore of decluttering.
The last comment I want to make is that organization is actually something you can find – if not joy – then some zen. This weekend, I was organizing and cataloguing my sticker collection. Sounds absolutely insane – and maybe it is. I just popped on some RuPaul’s Drag Race and went to town. It was genuinely almost meditative if I’m honest. Not only did I reorganize my binders to meet my needs, I was able to see just how many stickers I have so I stop buying them (oh believe me – I know how ridiculous this sounds). Maybe it wasn’t a wild Friday and Saturday night plan but in the end – it was satisfying.
The Minimalist Abroad 