TL;DR
It does not matter where you start organizing, only that you start. Tackle one room or one drawer at a time: pull out what does not belong, group like with like, cut the extras, divide what is left so it stays sorted, and keep only what you use, need or love.
Want to get organized but don’t know where to begin?
Here is a big secret: it does not matter where you start, it simply matters that you do start!
Many of my clients are frozen and stuck in the muck of their organizing projects. Overwhelm and inertia is a common phenomenon. It often comes from wanting to make your home, life or workspace perfect, or it might simply be caused by not knowing where to begin. It really doesn’t make a difference where you start, it simply matters that you DO start!
Should you tackle one room or one drawer at a time?
To begin in a room, take an empty laundry bin into that room and place everything that does not belong in that room into your basket. This is step one. When you have removed all items that don’t belong there, take a trip through the house and return those items to their proper homes. If you get to the room they belong but can’t find a place where they should live, don’t worry. This is step one, Simply place them somewhere inside that room or cupboard. Even if they don’t yet have a proper home, getting them into the right room is one big step in the right direction! And the room they were in to begin with is now a bit tidier. Organizing is all about baby steps and every space affects another during your organizing process.
If you decide to tackle a drawer instead of a room, start by emptying out the drawer. Empty the entire contents and begin sorting ‘like’ with ‘like’. In other words, create groupings of items so you can see what you really have inside the drawer and how much of each item there is. You will be surprised how much stuff can fit into a drawer!
Once the contents from your drawer are grouped together, begin to eliminate the extras and the old and crusty or singles without a mate if you find them.
What should you ask before putting things back?
Before you automatically put items back into your drawer, or out to another area in the house, ask yourself these questions:
Is this the best drawer/ place for these items to live?
We often place items in storage areas without much thought and in reality there might be a better location. For instance, the drawer you emptied was the top drawer of your dresser and it contained hosiery. You rarely wear hose anymore but it is taking up your best real estate within the dresser. You might want to consider moving your hose to the bottom of the dresser and perhaps your undies to the top! You also might want to eliminate almost all of your hose and keep only a few pairs for that super special occasion when you might possibly need to wear them. See what I mean?
Can you keep these items grouped together using box lids, plastic containers or dividers?
If you have spent the time dividing and organizing the contents, why not put a system in place to keep them organized? This can be a simple as using a box lid to separate the white socks from the dark, or the rubber bands from the paper clips. Think about how you might best partition your drawers to maintain the categories you have created and your organizing systems will be more sustainable.
Do you actually use, need or love these items?
Back to the hosiery example. Many women no longer wear hose. If you are one of these women, you might consider getting rid of almost every pair and keeping only a few for the once a year times when you might need them. Don’t automatically keep anything you find.
How do you learn to let go?
Always ask yourself, do I use it, do I need it, do I like or even love it. You can use the Marie Kondo method and ask yourself – does this spark joy? I know that my hosiery do not. They are uncomfortable and I am glad to get rid of them – Good riddance!
There is no one or perfect way to organize anything and it really doesn’t matter that much how you do it. The key to organizing is to get started. Start with small tasks that you can and will finish and keep moving through your home.
If you get stuck or need to move through your home more quickly, a professional organizer can help you get things done fast and create sustainable systems that you and your family will enjoy for years to come.
Organizing your business, too? A Business Logjam Session with Kathi finds what is slowing you down and clears it.
Keep reading
- Want to get organized but don’t know where to start?More ways to break the overwhelm and take the first step.
- Embrace These 5 Ideas If You Truly Want to Get OrganizedFive mindset shifts that make organizing stick.
- 7 Insider Truths About Getting Your Life and Your Home OrganizedWhat professional organizers know that most people don’t.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start when getting organized?
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Anywhere. Kathi’s big secret is that it does not matter where you start, it only matters that you do start. Many people freeze because they want the result to be perfect or do not know where to begin, so pick one room or even one drawer and finish it.
How do I organize one room at a time?
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Take an empty laundry basket into the room and put everything that does not belong there into it. Then walk through the house and return each item to the room where it belongs, even if it has no proper home yet. The first room is instantly tidier.
How do I organize a single drawer?
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Empty the whole drawer and sort like with like so you can see what you really have and how much of each. Eliminate the extras, the old and crusty items and singles without a mate, then decide whether this drawer is the best place for what remains.
How do I keep a drawer organized after sorting it?
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Put a simple system in place to hold the categories you created. A box lid, plastic containers or drawer dividers can keep white socks apart from dark ones or rubber bands apart from paper clips. Partitioning the drawer makes your new organizing system far easier to maintain.
How do I decide what to let go of?
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Ask yourself whether you use it, need it, or like or even love it. You can also use the Marie Kondo question of whether it sparks joy. Letting go is a muscle you build with practice, so do not automatically keep anything just because you found it.
Originally published on Organized and Energized on May 28, 2025. Moved to addSpace and updated November 7, 2026.
