This week we’re tackling a popular question from our community: How much time should you set aside for organizing? We get into the factors that influence time allocation and provides a framework to help you estimate how long organizing projects might take. Whether you’re planning a quick refresh, rethinking functionality, or customizing a space to suit your specific needs, this episode will help you set realistic expectations and achieve your organizing goals with efficiency and ease.
We are also sharing what's to come for our annual 21 Days of Holiday Organizing Prompts event starting November 18th and giving you a sneak peek at an exciting event happening in Spring 2025.
Find all of the links mentioned in this episode at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/quicklinks
In this episode we talk about:
- The three categories of organizing projects: Simple, Functional, and Personalized tasks.
- Why budgeting time for organizing is crucial to avoid frustration and ensure success.
- Tips for adjusting your time estimates based on factors like weather, familiarity with the space, and energy levels.
Mentioned in this Episode:
- 21 Days of Holiday Organizing Prompts Event: Starting November 18th on Instagram with weekly recaps in the newsletter.
- 7 Steps to Organizing Almost Anything: A practical framework to tackle any organizing project.
- Contact Us for Questions: Submit your organizing questions via email at [email protected] or through Instagram’s Q&A box.
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The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!
Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast
Join our weekly email newsletter for all-things organizing & productivity delivered right to your inbox https://theorganizedflamingo.com/quicklinks
Review Transcript:
Stephanie [00:00:00]:
Hey, everyone. Welcome to this week's episode. Today, we are talking and tackling a question that was submitted in the q and a box. And the q and a box lives over by on Instagram. So if you messaged us during the time where I asked about, hey. What is a question that you want me to answer about organizing? What is a myth that you want me to debunk or help you figure something out in your organizing journey that you're stuck on? So that's the q and a box. You can also email us if you don't have social media. You can email us at hello at the organized flamingo dot com, and every couple of weeks, I address those common questions that you all submit.
Stephanie [00:00:38]:
Okay. So the summary of the question is, how much time should I set aside for organizing? And you a few of you asked it in different ways. Some of you asked it very specifically about, a certain area. Like, you know, I'm trying to organize a closet, like a pantry closet. How much time should I devote to this? Are you thinking this is a day? Do should I be thinking, you know, a week, a month, or whatever? And then some of you just asked in general. So I decided to do the episode somewhere in the middle. So I'm going to give you things for you to think about so that you can do the math on your own, and then come up with the that magical, quote, unquote, magical number on your own. Because there really is no straightforward answer, that I can address in such a, you know, general, like, episode like this one.
Stephanie [00:01:28]:
So, yeah, I would have to know your very specific situation and what type of stuff you have, where you live, because if you're living in a place where climate is important to that project, then we need to take that into consideration. So what I'm doing is I'm outlining the things I want you to consider, and then we'll go from there. Okay? And then at the end, we will create some, like, a almost like a math problem, like a math equation. So that a very easy one. Okay? Don't worry. This isn't going to be, like, 12th grade math here. We're talking just very general things I want you to consider. We'll add those up, and then you will come up with an effort, like, a number of hours that will that'll that this will take.
Stephanie [00:02:11]:
Okay. So before I continue though, with the holiday season right around the corner by the time this episode goes out live, we are going to be starting our 21 days of organizing holiday organizing prompts event. This is a yearly event that we have, so we've been having for the last few years. And I did listen to your feedback. So we're starting it much earlier because we used to start it on December 1st and then go 21 days. But many of you said, you know what? I mean, overwhelming. Many of you through the years had said, please start it before because there are days like, sometimes I just need to do a catch up day or, you know, I celebrate the holidays on different days, not just if you celebrate Christmas, then I, you know, you don't necessarily just celebrate the 24th or 25th. Sometimes you have your big event with your family or friends or neighbors or whatever a couple weeks before.
Stephanie [00:03:01]:
So you just wanted it earlier. So I heard it. I adjusted it. And so now it starts November 18th, and it goes into December 15th. There are 21 prompts still that has not changed. So there are 21 days. It's just that we have given you some space in between, some catch up days in between, if you need them, and or and or if you need extra time to, you know, to complete one of the days and tasks. Although, quite frankly, all the 21 days the 21 prompts are meant to be done in one day.
Stephanie [00:03:35]:
That's why they're so simple and quick. They're not meant to be projects. So if you're taking more than one day, I would adjust how you're kind of doing this, but I also understand that sometimes you just need that because everyone's lives are a little different. So if you need that, we have adjusted, and now we start November 18th. On the Wednesday newsletter that goes out every week for free, you can get a recap of the last week so that if you're not on social media, like on Instagram, which is where we're hosting this event, then you can get the recap on, on the weekly newsletter. And then you can just do them on your week like, for the following week, you know, and just do a catch up day. Alright. So that's what's going on for the holidays.
Stephanie [00:04:15]:
We also have a really fun event coming up, in spring of 2025. I can't wait to tell you all about it. And yeah. So, anyway, let's get on with the program today. Welcome to the Organized and Productive podcast with The Organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert. Ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you? Yeah? Well, then let's go. 1st, let's talk about why this even matters.
Stephanie [00:04:46]:
We also we just want to start on the same page, make sure that you understand why this is important for us to do time allocation as accurately as possible. It won't be perfect, but why is it important that we even address it? Imagine walking into a room, feeling instantly calm because everything has a place. That's the beauty of organizing. Right? Like, you just you enter and you come in from a long day, from a, you know, from a vacation, and everything just has a place to go. And it feels really good. It's not just the Purdy aesthetics piece of it, but you know that if you need something, you know where to look. Like, when you're stressed, you know where to go or the area or vicinity, and that's where it will be. It feels really good.
Stephanie [00:05:38]:
So that's the beauty of organizing. It's not perfection, but functionality that makes you in your life much easier. But time allotment does not enter the conversation at the beginning stages for most people. Most people know that that feeling is what they're looking for, and they understand that you have to take some action, you know, to to create that feeling at the end. So you have a vision. Hopefully, you will do the mission, and you get it. Okay. Finally, you're on board with that, and you know that you need to make it happen and do the work.
Stephanie [00:06:11]:
Okay. Great. Check. Check. Fine. And then you have an end game, like, okay. Well, at the end, I'd like it to look like this. Not only do I envision this feeling and envision it looking like this, and I know that this is the work I I need to do and create and budget for financially, and then at the end, I'd like it to look like this picture or semi like this picture.
Stephanie [00:06:31]:
Great. Check. Check. Check. But somewhere in the middle, many people forget that you also have to budget for the time, because every single one of those tasks that I just described take up time. And when we don't properly allocate time or guesstimate, it can get really frustrating because then things start to take longer and it discourages us. It deflates us. It makes us feel like you will never get to the end goal.
Stephanie [00:07:01]:
In organizing, what I've always told people when we do our in person project or, you know, projects and organizing clients is that the one of the first questions I ask is how much time or when do you want to use this room? Or how much time do you personally have? Like, what is your threshold of patience? What if it goes after this time, will you be upset? Do you you know, I really talk a lot about time with clients and with our community. So that's why I'm bringing in this topic to the podcast because we've never really talked about just time. Like, making sure that you allocate enough time that you are conscious of time when it comes to your organizing project, so that you can be as efficient as possible and actually finish, not just prolong the project forevermore and get discouraged. Okay. So through the years, I have found a way to discuss this in what resonates with people, but just a heads up, your situation is going to be very different. It depends on what types of stuff you have. Do you have a lot of little things? Do you have fragile things? Do you have big things that are heavy? Where do you live? Are you weather dependent? You know, if you can't really get into a specific space when it's a certain degrees out, then that may affect your project timeline, etcetera, etcetera. Okay.
Stephanie [00:08:28]:
So everyone's project will be different. We are right now talking about general math problems or time frame problems. And then I just want you to adjust a few hours depending on where you live, and then I'll I'll talk about what what things you should be considering and and what to add when you're trying to budget time. Okay. So there is a method that I love using when it comes to time, when I talk about time. I wrote a blog post about this couple years ago, and it this is one of the the easiest, quickest way I can describe time and organizing. So that's why I it's called a system, but it's not like a step by step. It's just really three ways to look at time.
Stephanie [00:09:13]:
1 is the simple, second is functional, and third is personalized. So your projects will will most likely fit in one of those three categories, a simple project or system, a functional project or system, whatever you wanna call it or projects, some of you call them projects. And the 3rd is a personalized system or project. It's a way to tackle the projects based on how much time you have, but also what you want the end result to look like. So the simple tasks, let's start with that one. The simple task is going to be the quick wins. Think of them as projects that you can wrap up in less than an hour, give or take. This might be organizing a desk drawer, sorting through your event files, you're putting away your seasonal items.
Stephanie [00:10:08]:
You don't have to do much preplanning. Okay? They're really simple, hence the name, simple tasks. For instance, another example could be, you could grab, you know, some drawer dividers or organizers, listen to a podcast, and get the done and get the job done on the go, like, in one go. Like, it's just very quick. You put on your podcast. Hopefully, you're listening to us. But whoever it is, there's some music. You get the dividers for the drawer.
Stephanie [00:10:32]:
Take everything out. Clean it up. You go I mean, hope maybe you use our 7 steps of organizing almost anything. Right? You sort through things, you tidy it up, you declutter, you find a home for anything, everything. But it's a it's a 1 hour. You were listening to something, you were watching your favorite show, and then you were done. These types of tasks are great for those busy days, those rainy days when you just want to boost a little boost of productivity without committing too much time. And most importantly, you can almost do them in your sleep.
Stephanie [00:11:04]:
That's why they're called simple tasks. And by sleep, it doesn't mean you like them. I didn't say lovable tasks. I said simple tasks. The task that you can very quickly you could be daydreaming, and you can do these. Okay? So, again, you will be putting those in that category. If there are projects in those categories, those usually will take about an hour per project, per space. And some of you don't always know how to consider what's a space.
Stephanie [00:11:37]:
Like, what k. Well, I mean, a space can be an entire closet. K. But, no. I what it it's really each each space has subspaces. So, for instance, you'll have your closet, but then each section, so let's say the place where you hang your clothes, that's one area, so that's one project. The drawer will be another one. Every single space within the main space is considered one task or one project, and that's where a lot of people get overwhelmed and confused.
Stephanie [00:12:08]:
They'll say, oh, well, I'm just organizing one closet, but a closet a closet of, like, 10 by 10 is very different than a 4 by 3 feet. You know, they're very way different, way bigger. Some of them are you know, some of you have the walk in closets. I mean, that is not a one day project, and if it is, it's a full day project. Another way to look at these simple tasks are the ones that you would not you're not you won't get overwhelmed by. Or by the time you finish, you could do another one. And then you want to be left hanging. You want it's almost like a tease, like, oh, I could do another.
Stephanie [00:12:47]:
Oh, this builds some momentum. Those are simple tasks, and those take about an hour of your time for each of them. Okay? Alright. Let's move on to the functional tasks. Functional tasks take a bit longer because they're functional. Meaning, you have to think about them. Think about the function of the space. They're not you can't really do it on do them on autopilot because you actually have to think about how you use a space.
Stephanie [00:13:17]:
And those take a little bit longer. They usually will take give or take within 4 hours, so 1 to 4 hours of each section of each task. So think of projects like organizing your bathroom cap cabinets or gathering all the paperwork and to do list for a big event or something like that. These tasks require more focus because you're thinking about how each item serves a purpose, and it fits into the space. You have to be very thoughtful about how it will function in your life. Another example are bathroom cabinets. You're likely sorting by categories. Right? Like skin care, hair care, daily essentials, etcetera, etcetera, and arranging them so that everything is accessible and and clutter free and all that.
Stephanie [00:14:05]:
Well, functional tasks have a bit more impact on in thoughtfulness that you that it will require from you because you have to think, well, what what do I do in the mornings? What is within reach versus what is back stock for instance? Like, there's just more questions to how that space will function, which is why we call it the functional task that you have to think about. And they take a little longer because of that. Yes. Of course, you can still be listening to your audiobook, watching a show in the background, talking to a friend, but this one, these types of tasks require you to stop, regroup, think about how it's all working, do you need to declutter more so so that it fits the way that you want it to fit? And that's why it takes a little bit more. It there's a little bit more frustration too, because you may not like how it's looking, because you have to work with what you've got. Some of you that have, let's say, kitchens that are very narrow, and you're trying your best to find the most counter space and put all of those big appliances on your counter, but you don't have that much counter space, and they don't really fit in your pantry or cabinet. They're too small, let's say. Like, the areas, like, the shelving might be too small for what you're trying to use.
Stephanie [00:15:24]:
And so now you're just getting frustrated. And so now you're looking up. You're going online, maybe on Pinterest, maybe on a big like an Amazon or a Walmart or whatever, targets. And you're looking up organizing solutions. Right? And then you go in and you look at your or you look at your favorite influencer, and you, you know, go look at ideas, and that takes time. So now you got distracted with that. You're looking to get creative with the space. What do I do? You maybe message us.
Stephanie [00:15:50]:
Maybe we book a call together. That all requires time. And that's why we need to adjust a few more hours for that. So if there are spaces where you really have to be thoughtful about the function, those will take you more like 4 hours. Now one can argue that every project in your organizing journey should be functional. Of course. Yes. That's that's the point, but some require more than others.
Stephanie [00:16:18]:
Okay? Your junk drawer, or the pencil drawer, or, you know, the one cabinet in your bathroom where you have, you know, your hair tools, like, those are already, you know, organized or put together in a grouping of some sort. You can do that very quickly. You're really just clearing it out, cleaning it out, reorganizing it really quickly. And, yes, it's part of your of how you will be functioning in the space, but organizing that and then organizing the your entire cabinet to how you do your daily routines, they're, you know, they're just they're just gonna take longer. So you have to think about them more, is why we call them the functional tasks, and those take up to about 4 hours. So allocate about, give or take, 4 hours for those sections. Alright. So the last one is we call personalized tasks.
Stephanie [00:17:07]:
These tasks require at least 4 hours. We like to say 4 to 8 total hours. It might have to be 2. So 4 hours one day, 4 hours next the next day, depending on what your patient's level and your ability or, however you want to break it up. So it doesn't mean it continuous. It just means allocate that amount of time. These are the projects where you're creating a tailored solution that works for your very specific needs. So for example, if you run a small business, let's say that ships products frequently.
Stephanie [00:17:38]:
K. I'm just gonna use a business as an example. I know many of you have small businesses here in our community. Your shipping station. Right? Setting up an efficient shipping station can save you time and stress in the long run. Great. Check check. But what you'll need to consider is the storage for the boxes, the packing materials, and the workflow that helps you track the orders and where does the incoming mail versus the out, you know, mail goes and all that.
Stephanie [00:18:03]:
Okay. So a personalized project like this is unique to you, and it requires thoughtful planning from you, you know, out of you. So it's not really a boxed solution. The how you do this is really specific to you and how you ship and and are you left handed? Are you right handed? Do your boxes go to the, well, you know, to the right side of you? Whatever it may be. You're a label maker, whatever it may be. It is super specific to you. In this example, it's to your business and to your hobby, to whatever you do. I'll give you another example that is not business oriented.
Stephanie [00:18:36]:
This is very particular in kitchens. You know, this is very personalized to you. Like, if you are more of a baker, your baking stuff will need to be in a certain location where you can grab it much easier with, you know, maybe close to the oven or counter space or however the flow of your baking goes. It is very specific to your, the way that you cook, the way that you bake, the way that you handle all of your, you know, your cookware and whatnot. So it is, like, super specific, and those are called personalized tasks. Those are projects that take just longer because you are trying to make something fit to your very specific needs. There might not be products that are made for that task. So you might have to even go outside, you know, think not to be so cliche, but think outside of the box.
Stephanie [00:19:32]:
You might need to use something that is advertised for, you know, bathroom organizing, but you will use it in your office. You will use it in your kitchen, you know, etcetera. So it's very personalized. You might have to have someone make it for you, and that will require some time. So for those types of projects, allot yourself at least 4 hours. And now remember, each of these is by section. So if you it's it's by section of your space. So if you are if you're a baker let's go with the kitchen example.
Stephanie [00:20:06]:
If you were a baker and you love to bake and you're trying to organize your baking section, it's that drawer. It's like that one section. I'm not talking about your whole kitchen. I'm talking just the section that is targeted towards that task, like, that you are trying to be more organized in and more efficient in. I mentioned the shipping station. So I'm not saying organizing all of your products. I'm saying your shipping station. And that mean that we have so many again, so there there could be so many examples to this conversation, which is why I don't wanna get so so meta.
Stephanie [00:20:41]:
If you have a specific questions about your needs, just let us know, and then we can obviously talk obviously talk about it. Just allocate more time, at least 4 hours for that section. So how much time should you allocate to your project? Well, it's going to depend. How specific, how personalized do you want this space to be? The more specific and personalized it is, the longer it will take. So just budget your time accordingly, set realistic expectations for yourself, and go from there. Other things I want you to consider are the weather. So are you in a space where that is important? Because even if you have the the most perfect time allotment budget for this project, and you end up nailing it. Like, every time you have an organizing project, it just you're just right up to what you said you, you know, you you would spend on that project.
Stephanie [00:21:39]:
Great. But if you're tackling an area that you're not familiar with, and weather is something you need to consider, then make sure you add that in there. Like, if you're in a in a garage, and it's raining, and you can't open the door, and so you have to move things around within the garage, you can't really open it and put everything outside. That is going to add extra time. So think about the weather. Think about if it if this is a project that you've been in before or not. So if this is a project that you do every year, like, you're one of those people that you're on schedule, like, every quarter, you you know, you declutter and organize your linen closet, for instance, or your medicine cabinet. You you've been there.
Stephanie [00:22:19]:
You know the space, and you can eliminate getting to know the space. I mean, you already know it. You know where everything goes. You may not be needing to purchase anything new. This is more more of a refresh, more, a maintain step. Right? So that will take less time than if you were entering a space you're not familiar with. This is very, predominant in family like, when you're helping a family member or a loved one organize. You don't know the space.
Stephanie [00:22:45]:
You don't know the area. You don't know the stuff that's in there. You're not familiar with it, so add extra time for that. So weather, and then the unfamiliarity will add extra time to your project. And then the third is your energy levels. You know, what your energy levels change throughout your life. And if you are just a person who's so quick, and you've always been a really quick organizer, great. But time moves on.
Stephanie [00:23:12]:
If you now have, maybe, a family that you're taking care of, and a job, and everything else that comes with life, that will absorb your time. And so adding extra buffer time and realistic expectations will set you up for success, instead of trying to think that you can do everything in 12 hours, and you're going to be chirpy, and you're gonna be right on it. Right? For all 12 hours. Well, things are not the way that they used to be be when you could do that before. This is very evident to me or very predominant to me when I hear people, talk about their decluttering after they've been in a space for or, like, they've lived in a home for years or decades. You know, they've been there for 20 years, and they remember that when they first moved in, they moved it all by themselves. They rented the truck. They moved.
Stephanie [00:24:04]:
They packed it. They unpacked it. They declutter. They did everything, and then they want to do it again. And it's been 20 years. In those 20 years, much more has been accumulated. Time, energy has changed, could be for the better, but also you've also accumulated more things. You're more unfamiliar with some of the stuff.
Stephanie [00:24:24]:
So there's more sentiment, right, and memory making. So add those things to the buffer when you're allocating time, okay, to set yourself up for success. Okay. Well, that's it for this week. Until next time, Happy organizing. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with The Organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here.
Stephanie [00:24:52]:
For full show notes and resources, head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast. Happy organizing.
