We get it- you’re a guy, so you’ve never thought a whole lot about home organization and making your place look presentable. You graduated college and “decorating” meant what it did for your college dorm for several years- sports team flags, funny posters, and maybe a few other decorations.
But that’s about the extent of it. And now, you’re looking for some advice. Maybe you’re getting a little bit older and want to make your place look more presentable. Or maybe, you’ve just accumulated more things, and now need some ideas for how to store it all.
That’s what we’ll look at in this article- some simple home organization tips for guys that will make your place look nice, clean, and presentable, all while giving you more space to live your manly life.
Let’s get started!
Why Organize Your Stuff?
An ideal man leads a busy life. He is on the go, sought after professionally, and needed in his closest relationships. Therefore, it stands to reason that a man would find the motivation to keep his stuff organized to simply save time and energy that could be applied someplace else.
Do you have buddies that spend 10 minutes every morning looking for their keys? Cute in your early 20s, but it fades as time goes on. Being organized is a simple way to free yourself up to be more of a person of value.
Now, let’s look at some specific ideas for organizing your stuff.
Start With Getting Rid Of Things
For most guys, searching for manly tips on organization means subtraction. The key to organizing your stuff may simply be to just get rid of 1/3 of it, even if some of it is stuff you’d still “like” to have. If it isn’t necessary, you haven’t worn it since college, or it’s broken, assume it’s time for it to go.
You could also consider storing it someplace else, either in a basement or attic or at a facility. If that’s the case, here’s where you can learn more about storage options.
Next, Tackle Your Closet
You might ask, “Why would I organize my closet first, if it’s the last place people look” Good question, but there’s also a sound reason to do so. Your closet may be the last place guests are looking, but it’s kind of a central hub for organizing your clothes and other important items.
If you’ve ever organized before, you also know that the most difficult thing to compile and sort through are your clothes. So tackle those first, maybe donate what you don’t need, and then you can worry about other things.
Here are some closet-specific ideas:
Hang An Extra Rod
By having two rods to hang clothes from, you’ll be able to sort through all of your clothes without digging through to the back to see if something fits or matches.
Organize Your Shoes
Guys know to hang up their shirts and pants, but sometimes they just accept shoes on the floor as “how life goes”. If you’re serious about tips for organizing your home, the shoes also need to be sorted.
Organize Your Ties
See above for the rationale on shoes. Same thing applies. These are simple organizing tips, but should be taken.
Put Accessories Some Place Safe
Whether you choose a shelf in your closet, a dresser top, or a special table, have a place to keep your watches, colognes, and any other jewelry or accessories you use regularly. And if they are very valuable, consider having something to lock them up with.
Golden Rule Of Organization- Have A Place For Everything
As men, we like simple rules that make sense. Here’s one that’s time-tested:
If you own something, it should have a place where it belongs in your house. Because if it’s worth staying in your house, it’s deserving of a place to be.
Get in the habit of deciding where things will go and keep it that way. For example, organize your kitchen cooking stuff into specific shelves, re-arrange your fridge in a way that makes sense, and organize your living or entertainment room so that it’s simple and easy to put back together.
When everything has a place- from the TV to the spatula you used to make eggs yesterday morning- it’s easy for you to know where it goes, which will give you the motivation to put it back there.
Once It’s Organized, Keep It That Way
There are only a few “secrets” of the super organized, but this is one of them.
The truth is, you have to change your habits about cleanliness and organization if you want it to stick. Even the easiest organizing ideas won’t work if you do them once every 3 months and let them fall to the wayside after.
Therefore, make it a personal goal to start cleaning up and doing the little stuff consistently. Put things away after you use them, clean the kitchen up more frequently, and vacuum or dust once a week. Doing these habitually will make it easier and require less total “overhauls” of your living space because you are maintaining them.
Home Organization For Guys- Wrap-Up
When it comes to home organization, men would do well to adopt a few simple and rational solutions for keeping their places clean and easy to sort through.
First things first- get rid of stuff you don’t need. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to be organized. If you’re honest, you didn’t need that old t-shirt from college anymore anyway.
Next, organize your closet. Clothes always take the longest, so come up with a system that allows you to organize everything from your suits down to your watches.
To maintain and keep organization in your house, simply pick a spot where everything goes. If it belongs in your house, it deserves a spot to “live”. And once you set that system up, make a little effort each day to put it back the way it belongs. That way, you have more time to spend on other things instead of doing a monthly cleaning marathon.
Before you start organizing, check out more articles on man-stuff here. Good luck with your organization!
