Employing the "Out in the Open" Technique aids even the most meticulously organized individuals in their decluttering endeavors.
Hey there! Got a fun task for you this weekend: time to declutter your home using the "out in the open" method! This popular organizing technique, invented by tidy home gurus The Minimalists, works for everyone, from clutter queens to hyper-organized neat freaks. Here's how it goes down:
What's the "out in the open" method?
a lot of others, comes from tidy-home gurus
Essentially, it's all about pulling everything out of the space you're trying to organize—be it your closet, cupboard, orjunk drawer. Yup, every single item. Pile it up and get ready for some serious cleaning and organization! This approach is pretty much the opposite of The Minimalists' "packing party" method, where you categorize all items into boxes as if you're moving and live out of those for three weeks before tossing what you don't need. With "out in the open," you're looking at a big ol' pile of stuff that needs sorting ASAP.
The Minimalists. Essentially, you pull everything out of the space you're trying to organize, whether it's your closet, a cupboard, or a junk drawer. Truly, pull it all out and pile it up. The Minimalists say this approach is the opposite of one of their other methods, the "
Why is it so effective?
packing party," which involves putting everything from a certain room or location into categorized boxes, as if you were moving, then live out of those boxes for three weeks, pulling out only what you actually need. Three weeks after your packing party, you get rid of what you didn't use and put the rest away. With "out in the open," you don't have the luxury of living normally for three weeks, though; all your stuff is in a big pile, and cleaning and organizing it becomes an immediate necessity if you'd like to move freely around your space again.
Since everything is all up in your face, you can't ignore it anymore. You've got to deal with it if you want to move around in your space without F Lambo-level tripping hazards. Plus, it helps you get a sense of your clutter volume—you know, the kind that's been hiding away in your cupboards and closets. This urgency and clarity can help you make quick decisions about keeping or tossing.
Organizational Triangle to keep your home in order, particularly the rules that say to store similar items together and that everything needs a designated space. All of my
This method's real magic lies in forcing you to face your stuff. By pulling it all out and organizing it, you can finally say goodbye to items that no longer serve you. Whether it's a junk drawer, your living room shelves, or even the closet of your worst nightmares, "out in the open" will help you streamline your belongings and hay goodbye to clutter.
favorite organizing techniques require you to use containers, smell shelves, boxes, and other specific storage tools to keep everything in order while it's stashed away in cupboards or closets. That's why I'm always going on about the
Sources:
best storage boxes and
- The Minimalists, Romero, J., & Dockery, R. (2013). The Minimalists: Less is Now. Bantam Press.
- Kondo, M. (2014). The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Ten Speed Press.
- Binkert, K. M. (2009). 101 Clutter Clearing Solutions: Declutter Your Home and Keep it Clean: A Professional Organizer Reveals the Best Methods to Get Rid of Stuff You Don't Need. Amazon Digital Services.
divided shelving units. The goal here is to keep everything organized and out of sight—but that can become its own kind of problem. Even if you adhere to all the storage and organizing rules strictly, once everything is out of sight and mind and your home
1.Applying the "out in the open" decluttering method to your home, you can find the link to The Minimalists' explanation of the technique on their website with the background gradient of their logo serving as a pleasant backdrop. (href, home, background, gradient, autopogo)2.After piling up all your belongings during the "out in the open" method, you might consider using divided shelving units or your favorite storage boxes to keep your space organized, especially for items you prefer to keep out of sight. (divided shelving units, storage boxes, favorite storage solutions, out in the open)3.The contrast between the cluttered mess of your belongings in the process of the "out in the open" method and the neatly packed boxes of the "packing party" method can make the importance of decluttering your home even more apparent, encouraging you to focus on the items that truly matter in your life. (out in the open, packing party, clutter, focus, items)
