Several years ago, just before my mother passed away, I called her from the US (she lived in England) to ask her whether she could find information regarding my UK bank account. “Just a minute,” she said. And in literally, less than a minute, she gave me the information I needed. That was one of those “light bulb” moments when it hit me, “Ah, that’s where I got my organizing skills from!” As I’ve pondered what I learned from her since her passing, I’ve realized that although my mum wasn’t uber organized, there was absolutely no clutter in our home. This made it possible for her to find that piece of paper in record time. Her example of what I consider balanced minimalism is the core objective we strive to achieve with our clients at The Organizing Professionals.
So in honor of Mother’s Day, I asked the professional organizers on our team to share organizing advice learned from their moms.
Barbara Ball attributes her impressive maintenance routine to her mum. “My mum allocated a different chore to each day of the week. Mondays was cleaning day, Tuesdays was grocery shopping, Wednesdays was laundry etc. I’ve pretty much emulated the same routine and it has always helped me keep my home well organized.”
“One thing I learned from my mom is to stay organized and clean-up as you go,” says Bridget James. “Mainly in regards to cooking but I notice I use this method during most projects and activities I do. Pots, bowls, measuring cups are cleaned after use, so when the cooking is done, there are just a few items left to clean and put away. I tend to stay organized and clean as I go when I’m doing crafts and projects with the kids also. I feel this tip makes activities less stressful and overwhelming as well as helps with time management.”
Val Franklin recalls the importance her mom placed on everything having a home. “My mother told us that when you pick up something in the house, put it right back where it belongs, otherwise you are not accomplishing anything by just moving it to a new location. The same goes for the paperwork on your desk. Don’t just move it from one place to the next. Either deal with it, trash it or file it.”
Wishing all mothers a very happy Mother’s Day,
From all of us at The Organizing Professionals