Getting Organized This Fall

Quick Tips for Getting Organized This Fall

By Kelli A. Wilkins 

Hi everyone, 

It’s been said that “You don’t know what you own until you move.” Well, one of my friends just bought a house and she was faced with the daunting task of sorting, purging, and packing decades of belongings. 

She said the process was overwhelming and she wanted some tips or advice on where (and how) to start. I told her my neighbor was organizing his attic and basement and had recently asked me for similar advice. (I guess I’m an unofficial expert!)

Over the years I’ve helped many friends and relatives purge/sort their possessions so they can free-up their living space, have a garage sale, or move. And I always seem to be sorting through my own stuff. (No matter how much I get rid of, the house never seems empty.) 

I put together some tips/advice for my friend. It’s mostly common sense, but if you’re getting ready to move or just want to get organized ahead of the upcoming holidays, you may find it helpful. 

* First, put on some music! I find that cleaning/organizing is more fun if I play music. It keeps me motivated and time seems to fly by. 

* Next, decide which room/area you’re going to organize. Pick one wall and start sorting/going through everything on/against that wall. For instance, if a dresser is against that wall, sort through the clothes in the dresser, then move on to whatever else is on the wall (shelves, decorations, paintings etc.). Keep going wall by wall until you’ve made your way all around the room. Sort everything into three categories: keep, toss, and donate. 

* If you have sentimental “treasures” you think your relatives or children would like to have, put them in a box with their name on it, and ask them about it right away. If they want it, arrange a date for them to pick up the box. But beware of letting your house become a storage unit for relatives. My neighbor’s sister said she wanted several things from the attic, but she never seemed interested in actually taking them. After waiting for months, my neighbor dropped the stuff off at her house. Now she has the items and can decide for herself if she really wants them. 

* Don’t try to do too much in one setting. If you have a particularly overwhelming task (if you’re sorting an entire basement, for example), work in fifteen or thirty minute sessions and take a break when you need to. 

* As you sort, ask yourself: 

• If you didn’t own it, would you buy it for yourself today? 

• Do you love it? 

• Do you use it? 

• If it vanished would you miss it? 

• If you’re moving, do you want to bring this with you into the future? Does this fit the new life you’re making for yourself? 

If the answers are no, then get rid of it. 

* Be ruthless. 95% of what you get rid of you won’t miss or even remember you had. 

Now that we’ve moved into autumn (my favorite season) I do my second sort/purge of the year. Most people follow a routine of spring cleaning/organizing; I do one in spring and fall. (I like going through my possessions at each transition point of the year.) I also change out my summer decorations for Halloween ones, so it’s a great time to sort what I have. 

I start with the leftover summer stuff and go through the beach/pool towels, suntan lotion, flip-flops, umbrellas, candles, flower pots, gardening tools etc. If there’s only a little bit of suntan lotion left in a tube, it can go. Ripped/faded towels can be donated to local animal shelters or cut up into cleaning rags. Cracked/broken flower pots and planters might as well be thrown out/recycled now. And I take all those books and magazines I’ve accumulated all summer and put them in a basket for my winter “to-read” pile. 

 As the season changes, I swap out my summer décor for Autumn/Halloween. I bring out the bins of Halloween decorations (I have 9 bins), and sort through everything. Each year I find a few items I can let go of: decorations I’m not in love with anymore, things given to me last Halloween that aren’t my style, outdoor inflatables that leak air and cannot be saved, etc. (I have a friend who also loves Halloween and is thrilled to take any leftovers I have.)

Getting organized and sorting through accumulated stuff isn’t always fun or an exciting way to spend a day. But after you’ve let go of what you no longer need, want, or use, you’ll feel a sense of freedom and liberation. When we’re not weighed down by what we own (and most of the time never use) life can get easier and less complicated… and don’t we all long for that? 

Happy Halloween! Until next time, Kelli. 

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 20+ romance novels, 8 horror/mystery ebooks and 7 non-fiction books. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror stories. Her newest release Surreal Escapes (a collection of 7 speculative stories) was published in August 2024. Visit her website/blog for a full title list and social media links: www.KelliWilkins.com