Real Life Organizing Quotes

“I want you to make a commitment to yourself right now that every day before bed you will spend just fifteen minutes giving your home a great big hug. Hug it by tidying, purging, or organizing just one small space each day. I promise you your home will hug you back, and when it does, you are going to feel amazing.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Remind yourself that the act of cleaning and de-cluttering is for your own happiness, not a chore to be despised. Treat yourself to a clean and beautiful home today, because you really do deserve it.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Keep reminding yourself your unused items are taking from you, not giving. Let go of the clutter that makes you feel guilt, shame, and sadness today.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Ask yourself, what is the worst thing that can happen if I get rid of this item? Most of the time, our fear of letting go is completely unfounded. When we stop and think about worst-case scenarios, we usually find that it’s really not that bad at all.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Your home is your sanctuary and should be filled only with things you yourself love and cherish today, not items that were only loved in the past.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Being organized is about having a space that is so efficient and functional, it is easy and effortless to maintain.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Butterflies need clear or brightly colored containers in order for them to work, while Ladybugs need baskets and bins that will make everything inside hidden from sight.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Listen to your home’s clutter - Take a look at your piles to get a really good idea of what items in your space are currently hard to put away.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Get in the zone - Almost every room can be broken into different zones based on different activities and functions each room has.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Work Smarter, Not Harder - When trying to make your home as functional as possible, you have to listen to your inner lazy child! Try to set up your space so that you have to do as little work as possible to maintain it.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Here is the issue in a nutshell: if something is hard to put away, we probably just won’t do it. We will set it aside and pile it up to be put away “later.” It isn’t just how hard something is to put away that affects the function of your home, either; it’s also how long it takes you to put those things away.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“When your home is cluttered and out of control, you can’t help but feel out of control yourself.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Second guessing yourself is just going to make the process much more difficult. Remember, your belongings are replaceable, but your time and well-being are not.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Being truly organized is about making things so functional and easy to use that you are able to save time, save money, and enjoy a household that practically runs itself. Sometimes, the most efficient way to organize your space isn’t necessarily what works the best for someone else’s home. Organizing is not one size fits all.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“My advice on containers for your toiletries is to use open containers that do not have a lid.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“… buying containers is only a mistake when you try to use them before you have sorted, purged, and assigned a space for them to go. Containers can only be used properly when you know exactly what is going in them and you know the size and shape you’ll need for the space.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“The first and most important lesson I learned was that clean is beautiful. Every day, I would give my home a “hug” just by keeping it as clean and tidy as I could.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“The secret to having a clean house that never gets really dirty is to do just a little bit of cleaning every single day.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Letting go can be a tough process, but I can promise you, it does get easier. The more you purge, the less fear you will have and the easier it will become. Start small and enlist the help of a friend or family member you trust if you have to. Keep reminding yourself your unused items are taking from you, not giving. Let go of the clutter that makes you feel guilt, shame, and sadness today.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“believed that having a really sorted and detailed system was what being organized was all about, but I was very wrong. Being organized is about having a space that is so efficient and functional, it is easy and effortless to maintain.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Everyone should start by macro-organizing the space first. You can always go back and micro-organize at a later date, when you have some extra free time.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Trying to force others to organize the way you organize is pointless; you can’t change their natural style anymore than they can change yours. By finding systems and containers that work for everyone, your home can finally run efficiently and stay tidy for good.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Take a look at your “piles” around your home. Odds are, they are piled where they are because you or your family members are “waiting” to put the things away until “later.” If you have to wait until later to put those things away, that usually means that the home for those things is not as convenient as it could be.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“if something is hard to put away, we probably just won’t do it. We will set it aside and pile it up to be put away “later.” It isn’t just how hard something is to put away that affects the function of your home, either; it’s also how long it takes you to put those things away.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“To have a functional home, one that practically cleans itself, you need to make sure that all the items you use every day are in the easiest to access place in the most high traffic areas of your home.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“In order to stay organized, your home has to be more than just a clean and clutter-free looking space. It needs to be functional.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“My grandma used to collect bears. She started collecting little ceramic bears years ago and that collection grew and grew. At every holiday and birthday, people would buy my grandmother more freaking bears. Stuffed bears, bear artwork, bear figurines, bear dishes and even a teddy bear toilet seat cover.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“When your home is cluttered and out of control, you can’t help but feel out of control yourself. It is impossible to feel calm and relaxed when you are frantically searching for your keys, or stressed because you’ve forgotten to pay a bill…again.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Here is the harsh reality of our precious “stuff:” the more we have, the more it takes from us. It takes our time to clean and maintain it, it takes our money to buy and store it, and it takes a toll on us emotionally when it begins to pile up.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day

“Purging is probably the most important step in getting organized and the most difficult step of the process.”
― Cassandra Aarssen, Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day