Five Organizing Tips That You Need to Stop Doing

Stop Doing Everything the Organizing Gurus Recommend

Marie Kondo. The Home Edit. Cassandra Aarsen. All have popular TV shows, books and social media channels, and all have great organization tips. But are their solutions the only solutions?

Absolutely not.

In many cases, the systems touted by popular celebrities and influencers are based on what works best for them or a particular type of client, rather than what works best across the board. That’s according to Darla DeMorrow, owner of HeartWork Organizing.

Sure, it’s OK to take celebrity advice or use their tips. But don’t force yourself to use methods that don’t work for you, says Jeffrey Phillip, a professional organizer based in New York. It’s entirely possible to be impeccably organized without employing any trendy advice you see on TV.

Do this instead: Instead of convincing yourself that there’s only one way to get organized, pick and choose the guru tips that resonate with you. Then forget the ones that lack appeal. You can also take tips from non-gurus, like an ultra-organized friend.

“(I recommend) customizing your organizing solutions to the way your house works, the way your family thinks and the way your family operates,” says DeMorrow, adding that’s going to look different for everyone.