Have you heard that one? Welcome to Day 6 of my 7 Day Organising Challenge. You gonna LUVVVVE today’s step(s).
If you’re just joining us… hooray! We’re so glad you made it. Keep scrolling to read the tasks for the previous Challenge Days in the posts below which outline the path we’ve followed to get here:
Day 1 – Choose one area to declutter & organise over the next 7 days
Day 2 – Create a vision for how you want that space to be
Day 3 – Declutter
Day 4 – Organise
Day 5 – Containerise & Style
Today we’re up to
Step 6.
Labelling. Depending on the area you’ve been working in, you may or may not require labels. The reason I’ve given this process a whole day to itself is because very few people I work with get to this point on their own and some areas REALLY need it. So if that’s true for you, read on! If not, you may want to read on anyway because… CHAMPAGNE.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
So, if for instance, if you’ve been working on your underwear drawer this week, you’re probably good to go. But if you’ve been dealing with paperwork, your pantry, digital files or a myriad of other areas, it really is worth taking the time to label things properly.
First, decide whether you need to label.
Second, decide the best way to label. Would a printed label on the top edge of a drawer work for discreet labelling? Or would you prefer hand written labels that are quick and easy to add to moving forward? Or maybe your pantry would look fabulous with customised labels from that online Etsy shop you’ve been stalking?
There are lots of options, none of them wrong. The main thing is you do the labelling.
Top Tip: When sorting offices, I find it helpful to use a pencil and paper to give my proposed categories and labels a trial run. You can play around until you’ve gotten it working like a well-oiled machine, and then switch to more permanent, robust or designer labels.
Try to keep things simple. Don’t overthink, oversort or overcategorise your stuff… you just create more work for yourself and ain’t no-one got time for that! When it comes to categorising and labelling, it’s best to channel your inner Goldilocks and settle on a label that is just right.
A label that is too general is meaningless. A label that is so specific that you need thousands of them is equally pointless. For example, a tab inside a folder labelled “Miscellaneous” might as well be no tab at all. Likewise, having labels so specific (e.g. Jane’s Birth Certificate) that you need 1,783 of them in a folder to cover the variety of items you’re storing there is also not advised.
Once the last label is applied, I want you to take a moment. Step back and take in your handy work. Celebrate your newly tamed and beautified space and don’t forget to take the AFTER photo and compare it with the BEFORE photos you took on Day 1. (This is where the champagne comes in, if you’re wondering).
So, if you were able to skip this step, lucky you. If you weren’t, let me know how you get on. When people call me, it’s often at this point where they get in over their heads and simply can’t decide on what system they need to organise things most efficiently. Having a Professional Organiser to help set this up in the first place and show you how to do it in the process is something they have found to be often life changing, and money well spent. And I offer both virtual and in-person appointments, so it doesn’t matter where you live.
Now you may also be wondering what Step 7 could be if we’ve already celebrated on Day 6. Make sure you come back tomorrow to discover what our last Day of the Challenge entails.
Enjoy your glass of bubbles!
