Before You Organize
A thoughtful guide to clarifying what truly belongs in your home
Before You Organize helps you step back and clarify what actually belongs in your home before you try to organize it — so the systems you create later are simpler, more intuitive, and easier to live with.
This isn’t about getting rid of as much as possible.
It’s about making intentional decisions so your home supports how you actually live.
Why I Created This Guide
I created this guide because I’ve seen the same pattern again and again with my clients.
Many people who hire me have already tried to organize their homes. They’ve tried to declutter. They’ve bought containers. They've used color-coded labels. And for a while, things look better.
But it never quite sticks.
It’s very common for organizing efforts not to last when the crucial first step is skipped: thoughtfully curating belongings to make sure you’re not holding onto things you don’t actually need or use.
When systems are built around these unnecessary belongings, they tend to feel clunky and difficult to maintain.
This guide exists to create a pause before organizing — a moment to step back and ask a useful question:
What genuinely belongs here?
What You’ll Learn Inside
You’ll be guided through a set of thoughtfully designed categories that help you identify items that are often kept out of habit, guilt, convenience, or uncertainty but aren’t actively supporting your life.
Each section includes:
clear examples
a gentle decision-making prompt
and reassurance that this process is about alignment, not perfection
What This Guide Is (and Isn’t)
This guide is:
Thoughtful and practical
Grounded in real-life decision-making
Focused on clarity, not minimalism
Designed to support long-term ease
This guide is not:
A checklist of what you “should” get rid of
A push to declutter everything
A system or storage plan
A one-size-fits-all approach
There’s no pressure to move quickly or make perfect decisions. The goal is simply to become more intentional about what stays.
Why This Comes Before Organizing
Organizing works best when it’s built around items you actually use, enjoy, and value.
When this clarity comes first:
systems are easier to design
storage decisions feel more obvious
routines flow more naturally
and maintaining order requires less effort
This guide prepares your home — and your mindset — for organizing that actually works.
Who This Guide Is For
This guide is especially helpful if you:
feel overwhelmed by clutter but don’t want extreme solutions
have tried organizing before and felt it didn’t “stick”
want your home to feel calmer and more supportive
value intention, quality, and thoughtful design
are ready to make decisions — but want to do so with clarity
