Most of us are creatures of habit, and some of those habits we could certainly do without. When the urge to organize only comes in waves, it’s not uncommon to find ourselves cleaning up messes. With these four organizational habits, you can effectively beat back the mess before it begins.

Keep The Accumulation In Check

People have the habit of tossing items into a drawer, in a box or on the top shelf of a closet. Although these little storage areas are necessary, it’s important not to let them multiply. Don’t let one drawer of mess turn into two, for example. When the miscellaneous storage areas become full, empty them all and go through the mess. Never adopt an additional storage area!

Don’t Just Talk About Yard Sales

Everybody talks about having a yard sale, but few people actually do it. When the time comes, we’re too busy, too tired or we’re simply not motivated. The best solution is to place an ad in the local newspaper. Once you’ve committed yourself to the public, you’ll make certain to get it done. Promise yourself and your family a reward for having the sale. Take every dime and do something fun for the whole family. The promise of reward is a wonderful motivational tool.

Spring Cleaning & Self Storage

Treat spring cleaning for exactly what it is: a real event. A little extra dusting on a warm day doesn’t mean you’ve done your spring cleaning. Schedule a weekend when you can open up the house, air it out and spend time organizing, cleaning and throwing things out. Renting a storage unit from A-1 Mini Storage or one of the many options out there is the perfect way to get seasonal items out of your home or things whose fate has yet to be determined. See what your living room would look like without that 15-year-old recliner. Bring your seasonal decorations to the storage unit, and get them out of the house. Do some real spring cleaning.

Commit To A Cause

Volunteer to oversee a clothing drive or neighborhood yard sale. Doing this type of volunteer work makes you feel good, and it will force you to clean out your own closets. When the leader of a clothing drive comes up empty handed, it never looks good. Much like the newspaper ad for the yard sale, committing to someone other than yourself is a great way to get things accomplished.

We’re all guilty of bad habits when it comes to organization. While we often joke about it, clutter is usually a sign that something other than your home is disorganized. Changing those bad habits is much more than simply cleaning up a mess.

About the author: A recent college graduate from University of San Francisco, Anica loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here.