Hi there, Reader!
Have you ever spent hours organizing a space in your home only to find that it doesn’t quite work for your family? Maybe it looked great for a day or two, but somehow it just didn’t stick. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? That’s because organizing isn’t about making a space look like a Pinterest board -- it’s about designing it to actually work with the way your family lives, especially when life is unpredictable and full of little ones.
In our home, my husband and I have found that function always comes first. (This isn't surprising for two engineers, honestly.) This shift in focus has been a game-changer for us, and I think it can be for you, too. When we organize, we always keep a few key principles in mind:
0️⃣ Start Small. No, Even Smaller.
I start with number 0 because this step is about mindset, not action. As busy working parents, the time and energy for big organizing projects are few and far between. Whatever organizing task you're thinking about tackling, make it smaller. Getting a small thing done is so much better than leaving a bigger project half-finished. For example, if you want to organize the kitchen, start with one drawer or even just one corner of the counter. It's progress, and progress feels good and propels you to more progress!
1️⃣ Identify the "Jobs to Be Done"
In product management, the "jobs to be done" concept focuses on understanding what specific tasks need to be accomplished by a user using a piece of software. This same concept can be applied to how families use our spaces. What does this area need to do for us? For example, a huge portion of my family's kitchen counter is all about breakfast prep, because mornings are often our most hectic time of day. It also has to support our slow cooker and instant pot basically always being out, since we use those for the majority of our dinners. But if your family cooks every evening or uses meal kits, your space might need to be set up totally differently.
2️⃣ Solve Problems, Not Just Spaces
Our family always starts organizing by solving a problem, not by thinking about the space itself. If breakfast chaos is the biggest issue, we focus on making that smoother first. It’s about practicality. You’re not just organizing for aesthetics -- you’re organizing for your sanity.
3️⃣ Embrace Your Organizing Style
Here’s where things get a little more personal. I’m a visual organizer, and I’ve learned that I need larger bins and baskets to make things work for me. My husband is the same way. If everything is tucked away out of sight, we forget it’s there! I highly recommend taking the Clutterbug quiz to figure out your style. We’re both “Butterflies,” which means we need to see our things at a glance. Knowing this has helped us organize in a way that actually lasts.
A Quick Action Plan:
- Pick a Problem Spot: Identify one area in your home that stresses you out regularly. Now take that area and make it even smaller.
- Define Its Job: What needs to happen in that space for it to serve your family better?
- Tackle It Today: Make one small, functional change that solves a problem you face frequently in the space.
- Find Your Style: Take the Clutterbug quiz to better understand your organizing habits.
At the end of the day, organizing isn’t about perfection—it’s about making your home work for you. Functionality should always be the priority, and the aesthetics will follow.
Cheering you on,
Leslie Newell
Founder, Bright Violet Home
P.S. What ideas does this spark for you? What’s a space that could use just a bit of organization love? Reply and let me know, and I can offer some advice and encouragement to make organizing manageable. You can always start with a tiny job to be done and go from there!