Junk Drawer CEO

People want to harp on the junk drawer; look down on the collections of whatchamacallits. But I say, the miasma may just be representative of a full life, too busy for the extra moments it takes to put the pencils in the desk container, the take-out menus on the fridge, and the screwdriver back in the toolbox. It’s like a time capsule I didn’t know I was creating, and I’m not sure there isn’t some sense of pride one can attribute to the Museum of Life Since We Moved In.

And yet.

There comes a day when I need a thing. I rush to the drawer, yank it open, and—THUNK!—something blocks my way. The screws from projects lost to time are rioting, the take-out menus have blockaded the southern region, and a screwdriver has wedged herself in between the dried out highlighters and double-sided tape. A great need has been born of the chaos within the drawer; a calling to a higher being for aid. I have been called: It is time to organize.

I am no Sage of the Order of Organization. I’ve received no training from a grey-bearded witch in the dark wood hidden within the swamp of the realm. And I absolutely—most assuredly—continue to accumulate the aforementioned time capsules. However, I do have a knack for bringing order back to chaos when the need arises. 

I think organizing is really a two-part process and you have to complete one before you can achieve the other. What I offer is the amuse-bouche to a more formal organization plan. 

First, Embrace These Realities. D

ecluttering is stressful. We make the junk mean something about who we are, and who we are not; putting blinders on our good intentions. But I truly believe decluttering and organizing can be therapeutic and rewarding. It is an act of letting go and a commitment to moving on.

This mess is totally okay. And if this mess stays this way for a while, that is okay, too. It is okay that you filled up your junk drawer. It is okay that you bought those supplies and haven’t used them (yet). It is okay that your shelf looks like a curio shop. It is okay that your desk is an archive for the last two years. Whatever your “okay” is, find it. Write it down. Say it out loud.

You have a life. Go live it. You don’t have to organize or declutter right now. You are busy. You have a family, a job, a social life. Good on you! If you are feeling down about the messy space, remind yourself that the clutter represents the moments, hours, and days you have spent giving, participating, learning, doing whatever it is that you do that brings you joy.

Seize the day/Schedule the day. When the time is right, and mercury is in alignment with pluto on the next waning crescent moon, the mood will take you to organize. When that mood arrives, adjust your day and devote time to the task at hand. If you are worried the stars will never align, schedule time.

Distract yourself. This one is specific to certain brain types--you’ll know who you are. I need my “thinking” mind to be distracted. The one that likes to fiddle with things and takes lovely little meandering hikes down memory lane. I entice her with something else, perhaps music I can sing to, an audiobook that I love, and sometimes (though this rarely works for me) a binge-y TV show I’m into.

Next, The Process.

This is exactly what I do, and if you were to ask me to help you, this is the process I would follow.

Make a bigger mess. Whatever your junk drawer is, find an empty hallway or bedroom floor and dump the clutter into a heaping pile; the larger and more complex the pile, the more rewarding the finished product. In fact, why not just go get all of your junk drawers, the craft bin, the items from that shelf over there--the pile is an equal opportunity environment.

Game time! The object of the game is to create piles of similar things. The more specific the piles, the more productive this step will be. DO consider having a “garbage” and/or “give-away” pile, bin, or bag. DON’T dwell on if you use an item or not. At this stage, just get the writing utensils separated from the cheesecloth. 

Elimination Round 1. Now that you have your mini piles, are there any exact duplicates of functionality within a pile. And if so, are both of them fully operational? Get rid of the one that doesn’t work. Donate it, gift it, recycle it. Be responsible, please. 

Elimination Round 2. Within each remaining pile, ask yourself if any of these piles already have a permanent place in your house. Hair ties and nail clippers go in the bathroom, pens and stamps go on the writing desk. Go put them away.

Final Elimination Round. Have you used this item in the last six months? There are some obvious exceptions to this rule (family heirlooms, display items), but try to be honest with yourself about your life activities and tastes. Does the little voice in the back of your head tell you you are never going to use it? Never going to put it on display? Into the Donate, Gift, Recycle pile it goes.

Last, Time to Organize. 

In the event that your “junk drawer” was actually a larger project, like a craft room, I have a few more things to consider once you’ve reached the “put-away” phase. 

Don’t put things out of reach. I’m looking at you, closet top shelf. You will never use them. OR when you do get them out, you won’t likely put them back. Keep items in a closed container that you can easily grab, use, and put back.

Get things off of the floor. Even if it is just an inexpensive shelving unit and plastic bins, getting your stuff off the floor declares intention. This is my stuff. The stuff that I use. I care about these things, and I give them a home.

Keep like things together, and nothing else. Pretty self explanatory, but I think it is the most critical action you can take to organize. Get enough containers so that each type of thing has its own home, and get containers large enough that they aren’t packed full. 

Start with an empty canvas. If you are decluttering a room or shelf, empty it completely. Dust it, clean it, vacuum. Start fresh. Hell, get your sage out and open a window. 

Finally, I offer this Spoiler Alert: Your clutter will likely return. So, if you don’t get the organization perfect on this round, you’ll probably get another opportunity down the road. Your life needs will change, your projects and goals will change. There may be financial limitations to the perfect size bins and all the cute office supplies that combine the joy of organizing with retail therapy. For now, focus on what you can get done--and allow yourself the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a daunting task.