This acronomyn is what I live and work by!  It is easy to remember and if you follow it for any organizing project that you undertake, it will guide you right through the clutter!  If you are getting ready to tackle a project, remember the golden rule…everything has to come out of the area that you are working on.  Now, what does S.P.A.C.E stand for:

S=Sort.  As you are pulling everything out of the space that you are working on, remember to “sort” all of the items into “like” piles.

P=Purge.  Purge as you go.  Create three piles:  one to donate, one to consign (or put into a garage sale) and one for TRASH!

A=Assign a Home.  After everything is sorted and you have discarded what you are not keeping, it is time to start assigning a home to your items  (by like category).  What is important to remember is that you need to decide what needs to be at your fingertips, what you need to get to periodically and what you need to get to very seldom.  This should dictate how the items get placed back into the space.

C=Containerize.  This is your opportunity to go shopping and purchase some organizational supplies (do not purchase anything until you get to this point)!  You should keep a list as you go through the process so you are ready to go.  You can also see what you can re-purpose in your house.

E=Equalize.  What this means is that you may need to tweak placement of some of your items based on how you are using the space.  Or if you make a new purchase and you need to find a new “home” for that item.  Either way, it is important to maintain your hard work so that you don’t go back to where  you started!

Remember, organizing is a “system” that you create that will work with your habits and lifestyle.  No two people will every organize in the same manner.  I don’t even organize the same way for my clients.  By the time I am organizing for my client, I have established what works for them, what doesn’t work for them, and have looked at their lifestyle to determine what makes sense for them!  There are a lot of variables…but then, that is the fun part to put all of the pieces back together in a manner that is helpful and practical for them!

Give the system a try…and let me know what you think!

Happy Organizing!  Bridges