|
Being organized is the key to productivity and ends much hair pulling, waste of precious time hunting for a tool, and blaming others for not being able to find something we know we have. The benefits of organizing are enormous.
Analyze your storage needs and then have the proper tools and storage available. Go to the local home center and buy peg boards, plastic containers, cabinets for the proper storage. If you don't have the proper storage you will have nowhere to store what you want to keep. It won't have a home live in and will end up lost or just another part of the clutter.
Here's a tip: buy more than you need. Buy every little interesting accessory you see and bring it back with you. Save your receipt. Use the ones that work and return the ones that don't. It is better to have extra storage materials on hand and not need them than vice versa.
Now take everything out of the area you are organizing. This shows you how much space you have to work with and gives you a clean area in which to work. You will probably find some things you never use that you can toss or give away. Then start building your storage space.
Hang peg boards on the wall and with hooks or nails hang everything that can be hung up on this board. Then with a permanent marker outline each tool so you will always at a glance be able to put it back where it belongs. Hang the tools you use most often within easy reach.
Use small drawers in storage units made for nuts and bolts and label the outside of each drawer. Use larger plastic boxes to store tools you can't hang or sort. Tool boxes are also great storage containers and are portable.
After finishing a project or using a tool put tools away immediately. When tools are always put away in their place it is easy to find that tool at any time. If others borrow your tools have a bin or box in the garage or workshop for them to return it in when they are finished using it. The ideal situation is for them to put it back where they got it, but if that doesn't happen because they don't know which tool box it goes in or where to hang it you will at least have borrowed tools all in one place. This saves time and frustration in finding tools helter-skelter on the workbench, floor, or in tool boxes where they don't belong.
If you live with a woman and she has her own tools, leave hers alone because if one turns up missing you will get the blame.
Now that your workshop is organized and you can find all your tools and accessories doesn't that feel good?
Marilyn Bohn's Bio
Marilyn is a creative organizer who has been organizing for over 20 years. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and is working towards becoming a Certified Professional Organizer. Professionally she has been organizing homes and offices for two years. She holds a bachelors degree in Social Work. She has reared five daughters and currently lives in Utah.
Go to her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find free organizing tips and interesting blogs and helpful articles on organizing. Download her free report on organizing a bedroom closet. |
tweet this!