I teach clients to use my CPR process, which is an acronym for: Categorize, Purge and Re-arrange. So many times I have met with clients who know what needs to be done, but they just don’t know how to go about organizing in their home. Sounds simple enough, but you wouldn’t believe how many people start by re-arranging or buying containers before they have categorized and purged. Whether it’s a closet, a drawer, a room or a category of items you must follow the CPR process!
1. CATEGORIZE
Let’s take a closet for example. First, make sure you have a clean surface on which to lay all your categorized items. If you’re dealing with clothes, a clean sheet on the ground or a bed works well. In order to categorize everything in a closet, you must empty out the contents. Make sure you have a box or garbage bag handy for all those clothes you want to donate to your local charity or consign. Then begin to make categories such as: dresses, pants, shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, belts, bags, shoes and exercise clothes, etc.
2. PURGE
You may chose to purge as you go, identifying clothes that don’t fit, are out of style or those that you simply don’t like any longer. Another option is to wait until you have seen how many items you have in each category, and then decide what to purge. For example, if you have several pairs of black pants, you may be able to pare that pile down to the best two or three pants. If you don’t know where to donate, try the local Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
3. RE-ARANGE
Now that you are left with an empty closet and nice neat piles of all the clothes you love, begin to re-arrange your closet for optimal functionality. At this point you may realize you need to change the configuration of your closet. If you have lots of folded clothes, you may need more shelf space, or if you have lots of accessories and shoes, you may need special racks and hooks! If you have a lot of clothing to hang, you may need more bar space. Make a list of what you need or consult a closet designer. Do not forget to put your clothes back in a temporary container until the closet re-do is ready. If you need to pack up the out-of-season clothing, plastic containers with sealed lids work well and come in a variety of sizes. In my opinion a cedar closet is the best place to store them.
Doing this exercise twice a year will help you keep track of what you have, refresh your wardrobe at the change of seasons, and keep our closet nice and tidy. Even if you get rid of a few items each time, you will be able to have room for any new clothes that you buy! Remember to “subtract before you add” which is one of my absolutes of organizing!
Debbie Lillard
Professional Organizer
NAPO-GPC Professional Development Director
Author of "Absolutely Organized"
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