Four Steps to Organize Any Space

Hello again!

Do you need to organize?

One of the great challenges of managing any program, like a band for example, is keepings things organized. One of the gentlemen I met this past semester, who goes around and sees many band halls, said to me, "The only time your office will be organized is on the first day, and after that...."

Indeed, particularly when you walk into a situation where things are a giant mess, it is difficult and time consuming to sort through it all and get it organized. Even after it's organized comes the challenge of keeping it organized. I understand.

My wife and I live in a small apartment, and at one point we had way more things than we had space for. We still do. But at a certain point I was getting stressed from the clutter. So I went out and bought a book, as I always do. This one was called Organizing for Dummies. This book will tell you how to organize everything, from your work desk to your desk top to your time, to any space you can imagine. I got to work, and one space at a time, day by day, the apartment transformed.


I recently had the chance to apply these skills again in a band context. A friend of mine asked me to swing by his band hall and help him get some things organized. I enjoy helping out, and I'm still young and everything, so I agreed. I dare not say where this was, only that it was a challenge and much more time consuming that I initially anticipated. But we got it done! In the next blog I will talk about the daunting process of organizing a music library, but first you're going to need to know the process of organizing any space in general.

What I hope to do is use this blog as the introduction to a series of blogs related to organizing spaces in band facilities, which I can gradually add to over time as I encounter these kinds of jobs.

Organizing any space involves applying the same four steps to any space.

1. Throw Away What You Don't Need

Everything you keep, and I mean everything, is going to need a home. So throw away everything you don't need. Sometimes deciding what to throw away can be difficult. Some people have a tougher time with this than others (as anyone who has seen the show Hoarders will know). Ask yourself, "Is it worth keeping?" "Will I every realistically use this again?" Remember, you don't have to throw it out - you can also donate it. There are plenty of programs that are under funded. But you need to get rid of as much as you can. Doing this will instantly reduce the clutter and make the sorting process that much faster.

2. Group Similar Items Together

This is what will take the bulk of your time. First thing's first - you're going to need some space. The more you're organizing, the more space you need. Clear a space.

Next, group things together. Think in terms of families, if you like. Paper clips go with the paper clip family. Cups belong with the cup family. Pens with pens. All of your shirts go with shirts. This part isn't difficult, but it is time consuming. Try not to get frustrated if it becomes tricky to remember where your piles are.

You may or may not have a container yet. Frankly, I would advise against putting things in their place just now. If you do, you'll spend a lot of extra time running back and forth, or opening and closing compartments. Focus on grouping things first, and once you have everything in those piles or groups, you can put objects in their place all at once. This comes later, though.

3. Give Your Groups a Home

This step requires a little forethought. Ask yourself, "Where do I use this?" That will give you a good idea as to where you want to put it. You want easy, instant access. When I say easy access, I mean within reach of where you use it. 

Think about your night time routine. You take care of your teeth, possibly clean your face, maybe shave, or whatever it is you do right before bed. Where do you keep the tooth brush and tooth paste? Within arm's reach of where you stand in front of the sink! It wouldn't make sense to keep your dental care items in the bedroom, right? Otherwise you'd have to go back and forth. Use that same logic with whatever you're organizing. At the end of all of this work, you want to be able to do as little moving around as possible to accomplish whatever it is you do in any given space. You're spending time now to save time later.

4. Keep It Contained

This final touch helps you to keep things organized down the road, as well help everything look nice and neat. Here is what I mean by containing items. If you're organizing your desk, you can choose to put all of your writing utencils in a row next to eachother. That's given them a home, grouped together, within arm's reach of where you use them. But do we typically do this? Of course not. We keep all of those things in a cup, or some kind of container. You can find containers for everything. Your paperwork shouldn't be in a giant pile, but should be grouped together and placed in cabinets. But not only will you place them in cabinets, you'll contain them in files. 

So whatever it is you're organizing, find a way to contain it. Think of silverware, for example. Most people have a container for silverware that lets you sort them into compartments classified by type: knives, forks, spoons, etc. These little bins cost money, but they help you keep things so well organized that you'll have a much easier time keeping things in their place, and finding exactly what you need without wasting a bunch of time. Next time you're at a store (dollar store, Walmart, whatever), look around for containers. Walmart typically keeps containers for related items in the same isle that you'll find the item to be contained. Even if you don't purchase these specific containers, it can give you some creative ideas.

The final step is to label your containers. As a tip, try to use a label that is easy to change or replace later. This small step can be powerful in that it lets your memory take it easy, and on the other hand, when you see the label, and know you have stuff scattered around, it will motivate you more to get it back where it belongs. 

Optional - Check Your System for Effectiveness

This should only take a few moments. Stand or sit in the space that you've just organized. Think about what you do in this space. Now imagine yourself doing those things, and ask yourself, "Can I get everything I need without moving my feet (or with minimal movement)?" "Can my placement of items be changed for increased efficiency?" Don't be afraid to make changes as things come up. Sometimes your needs change, or you think of better ways to do it, and occasionally improving your system can save you that much more time.

Alright, well I hope this gives you some ideas! Also remember that organizing can be a daunting task, and it can take some time. Take small steps. Start with one small space, and just do one thing at a time. When I was organizing our home, it only took a day to organize our bathroom. With the kitchen, it took 2-3 days. And this was going all in for a handful of hours at a time. Pace yourself, and only worry about one space at a time. 

Was this helpful? Do you have any other questions? Are you going to try to tackle a project at home or where you work? I'd love to hear about it in the comment section. Thank you for reading, and until next time, take care!

Musically yours,

Mr. Cooper

Continue to: Organizing the Music Library!