I spend a lot of time organizing inside people’s homes. Which makes sense because most of our time (especially during Oklahoma summers) is spent inside. Our bedrooms, closets, pantries. We use those areas every day. But have you organized outside your home? What about your shed? Your back porch? Your front porch? These spaces can tend to be neglected. It’s outside, so who cares? Out of sight, out of mind. But just like indoor clutter can affect your mood/motivation so can outdoor clutter!
Just like inside, try implementing effective organizational strategies outside. Like these in your shed:
Declutter.
Definitely do not skip this step. Every time I go to organize my shed, I am able to get rid of SOMETHING. The less you have, the easier it will be to maintain whatever system you set up. So get rid of anything you no longer need or use.
Sort like with like.
If you’re working in a shed, try using bins and/or shelves to put all gardening things together, all kids toys together, all lawn equipment together, etc. This step will probably take a while, but your future self will thank you! It will make finding things and clean up a breeze!
Use labels.
In spaces that are used by everyone in your family, try labeling things. This helps keep everyone accountable and helps your family to remember where things go, especially when they are not in that specific space very often.
Give your family a “tour” of the space when you’re done.
If your husband walks into the shed to put something away and sees everything is moved around, he may be more apt to just set it on the ground and say, “she knows where it’s supposed to go”. Which is true! You will know where it goes. But you don’t need to be the designated “put awayer” of the family. Once you have an organizing system in place, show your family around! Tell them where everything goes. Show them how easy it is to find things. This will set everyone up for success and take some of the work load off you.
Don’t forget about your porch!
Your front and/or back porch can easily get cluttered with the smallest of things. A couple pairs of shoes, a broken water sprayer, random kids’ toys, leaves and sticks. Yes, even an excess of leaves and sticks can make your space look cluttered and might prevent you from wanting to spend time outside. Try dedicating an afternoon to clearing out and putting away all these items. Wipe down your outdoor table and chairs, sweep the porch clean and enjoy your outdoor space without having to look at the clutter!
Put as much thought into organizing your outdoor spaces as you do your indoor spaces.
Yes, it makes sense to have your indoor spaces functional and organized. And I would suggest getting those areas in order first. But once that’s complete, don’t stop! Go outdoors and make that space functional too. And of course, if you need some help in this I would be more than happy to do so! I am passionate about creating calm and functional spaces in and outside people’s homes because I know what a HUGE difference it can make in your day-to-day life. Get outside, and get to organizing!
