10 Easy Steps to Organize Your Garage

Our garages can be a blessing or a curse! If we remember that a garage’s main purpose is to house our vehicles and not to be a junk collection site, we are well on our way to reaching our goal.

Step 1: Why do you want better organization? What is the goal that you want to achieve? Maybe you want to move the cars into the garage (finally) or at least one of the cars. Maybe you are trying to find something “you just know that you put in there” but haven’t seemed to locate. Maybe you are moving and you know that you don’t want to take half this stuff to your new home and maybe you don’t even have a garage there. Or maybe you are just embarrassed every time you open the garage door. You pray that your neighbors aren’t driving by just in time to see your “unorganized” garage. Whatever your reason or reasons, get them straight. Knowing this will help you focus when you want to quit or just want to keep everything after all.

Step 2: Prepare to wrap your mind around what you are trying to accomplish for the day. Picture yourself in your car, pulling into your freshly cleaned garage. See yourself giving away any unused items that you are saving for that “someday”. You know when that day comes you will want to buy new or start fresh. Visualize your reward!

Step 3: Take “before” photos. This is important. Sometimes your mind doesn’t quite remember how much you’ve accomplished. Things look different from a photo’s perspective a as well.

Step 4: Chunk it Down! Set bite size, manageable goals. Don’t think that you have to clean or organize the entire garage in one sitting. Maybe you do one section, one wall, or a few boxes. Maybe you just organize the Christmas decorations this week and next time maybe it’s something else. Don’t over whelm yourself so that you dread tackling the next organizing project that comes up.

Step 5: Be prepared with supplies! This is very important. At the very least you need boxes or bins. These will organize what you want to keep. Also you may need a box (or many) for “give away” items.

Here is a short list:

Boxes or lidded storage bins

Trash bags

Bubble wrap

Masking tape or Painters tape

Sharpies

Water

Entertainment - (see step 6!!)

Step 6: Make it fun! Cleaning out and organizing doesn’t have to be a J.O.B - why think of it as WORK? Storing it was probably effortless that’s why it’s in this state but organizing should be regarded as fun! Just remember back to your “why”’ and visualize your reward. And think of all the interesting things you will come across that you forgot you even had! Turn on the music! Dance! Invite a friend to help you with the task. Listen to a podcast or talk radio…you are accomplishing something at the same time as feeding your brain!!

Step 7: Give yourself a break. This is a mental break as well as a physical break. Drink plenty of water. “Take five” to assess how far you’ve come. Make a mental note of the percentage you have left to do (this always helps motivate me!) only 50% left? Yaayyy! I accomplished half already! Also if you start to get discouraged, think “at least I made a dent or at least it’s better than it was yesterday.” Don’t ever beat yourself up. Talk to yourself as you would if you were encouraging a good friend!

Step 8: Label bins, boxes, shelves & drawers. (See photos) When you are keeping things stored in the garage it’s so useful not to have to go through every bin, box and drawer to find what you are looking for. Group like items together. This means that you won’t have 5 places to look for the crystal vase that your aunt gifted you. Your Christmas decorations won’t be shoved in with the Halloween decorations and the bicycle plump. Here is an opportunity to give yourself a break…if you can’t decide whether to keep it or not, label a box “TO BE DETERMINED” - it’s fine just to know that that box is full of things that have to be sorted through again. Ummm…and every box should not be labeled “TO BE DETERMINED”.

Step 9: Take an “After” Photo. Remind yourself how far you’ve come!

Step 10: Reap the rewards of your accomplishment! That reward that you visualized in step 2…now is your time to realize it. Drive that car right into the garage without worrying about hitting anything! Go shopping for those new picture frames because you cleared out the old ones that don’t match your decor now anyway! Go to your favorite charity and drop off those things that you’ve been storing that you don’t need and that someone else will be blessed by because of you! Yesss! Doesn’t that feel good!

TO RECAP:

10 Steps of Organizing the Garage (or any room):

Step 1: Know why you want to organize the garage or any space.

Step 2: Picture your reward or the results you are going for. Visualize the outcome.

Step 3: Take “before” photos. You may not feel like you accomplished much but photos will show you the hard work you’ve done.

Step 4: CHUNK…IT…DOWN…don’t push yourself to accomplish a huge task in one sitting. Take manageable bites.

Step 5: Be prepared with tools, supplies etc

Step 6: Make it fun!!! Put on music you love. Make it into play, not work.

Step 7: Give yourself a break, if you can’t make a decision on somethings it’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up.

Step 8: Label binss & boxes so on your next sweep through you should already have a good idea of what is in there.

Step 9: Take an “after” photo! Remind yourself of how far you’ve comes!

Step 10: Finally reap the reward of this accomplishment!