Are Your Limits Set?

You’ve followed the steps of the SPASM™ acronym – SORTED (putting like with like), PURGED (concentrating on keeping ONLY the things you love, use and that enhance your life on a regular basis), ASSIGNED homes to each item (thinking logically using zones) and now are ready for step 4 = SET LIMITS!!

Setting limits is a fun step. A lot of people do this step first. They buy the attractive, cute organizing products and think the products will help them get organized. Instead, they add more clutter to their life and find the containers do not even work!

KNOW WHAT YOU NEED 

I never suggest that you go out and buy products until you have completed steps one through three.  Now you know exactly what you need. For example:

• A 10×12 basket on the top shelf to hold card games
• A 4′ x 7′ set of 5 adjustable shelves to hold the photo albums and your books you’ve purged down to 10 feet (you measure so you know they will fit on 3 – 4′ shelves)!

SHOP YOUR HOUSE 

I LOVE to try and use what people have. You save the earth AND you save $$. Shop your house first. Then, go on-line (Pinterest or such site) to get ideas on how to give what you have a makeover! Once you know what containers, shelving and products you need HAVE FUN making your space look just like you want it! 

A NATURAL LIMIT

What these parameters do is give you a natural limit. Once your basket, drawer, shelf or area is full you know that you need to purge before you can bring in another thing! One of my clients loves books. She already had these great shelves that we used. We purged down her collection until they all fit on the shelves. Now the shelves have reached their limit. They are full. This is a natural indicator to her that if she is going to bring another book in she must purge a book first.

Step 4 when organizing is to SET LIMITS. The secret to setting limits is to WAIT until step 1-3 are completed. Then measure and have fun finding just the right “product” to set the limit!!

ACTION: What limit do you need to set? How could a container help you do that and keep your items contained and organized? Shop your home and decide on an item you will repurpose. Share!!

Next time we will talk about Step 5 = Maintain. We don’t want to waste all your hard work! This will take effort but I have a secret that will help! Stay tuned!