Organizing Strategy To Live By: One In, One Out
Today, teacups, I want to discuss one of the most important and basic organizing strategies. Those who follow this rule never struggle to keep their homes in order, and they never find themselves bogged down in clutter. It will change everything, promise.
One in, one out.
You’ve no doubt heard of it before, maybe rolled your eyes at it as well, but it’s floating around out there for a reason. Thing works.
Let’s think this through: your space has a limit to the amount of stuff it can comfortably contain. Unlike groceries, when you bring material goods home they don’t dissipate. You won’t use up your sweater like you will your jar of jam. So stuff remains. And then we keep adding more to the mix. Without subtracting in like quantities, it is inevitable that the end result will be cluttered, chaotic, over-stuffed spaces.
You must establish the “stuff equilibrium” for your space. Maybe you feel good about how much you have right now, maybe your closet or your bookcases are filled just the right amount. Great, start applying the one in, one out upon your next purchase. If that’s not the case, if you’re living far beyond your spatial means, then you have some serious editing work to do. Weed out, then begin implementing the one in, one out.
In order to maintain that equilibrium, you must obviously compensate when a new item is added. Re-balance the scales by editing out a similar item. Buy a new t-shirt? Get rid of an old, yellow-arm-pitted stained one. A new hardcover added to the shelf? Part with another title you no longer feel attached to. Purchase new towels? Toss some older ones that are fraying at the edges. Treat yourself to a new eye shadow? Let go of another one. Your babe gets a new toy? Decide together which toy you’re ready to donate to another child. ETC.
I know it may sound corny. I know. But it will make all the difference in your space. It will alleviate you of the impending, overwhelming clutter situation– that moment when you finally realize you’ve let things spiral out of control, you’ve lost your hold on your home and you’re in deep doo-doo in the Live Simply department.
One in, one out.
Get to it.
Image credits: Vogue, El Pais10 Comments
Leave a Comment
Other Posts You May Love
10 Comments
-
on December 18, 2012 at 5:28 am
We have this rule for magazines – I should apply it to my wardrobe.
-
on December 18, 2012 at 5:38 am
Dear Annie, you write to beautifully…I am so happy I found your website. I actually was”googling” organization and I found you. Thank You for your lovely words of “organizing wisdom”. I look forward to your posts. And so true about 1 in and 1 out….I have yet to master that! I love all my clothes and shoes so much that I have a tough time parting from them. Enjoy the holidays…be safe, true, and peaceful.
-
on December 18, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Thank you so much for this sweet comment Alka! So happy you found your way here, and I do hope you’ll stick around 😉
-
-
on December 18, 2012 at 6:18 am
My problem is….I used to attach memories to objects. This makes parting with anything impossible. So. What I do now is say to myself, the memory of the trip, the event, the person etc. is in my heart and my head. It had nothing to do with an inanimate object. Sheesh it’s hard though.
-
Yes!! Love this comment Amy. Everyone attaches memories and sentimental value to material goods, that’s why it’s such a struggle for people to get rid of things. So love hearing that you’re able to tell yourself that– it takes some enlightenment to be able to separate the two after they’ve been joined. Way to be!
-
-
on December 18, 2012 at 1:51 pm
ok i reeealllly need to start doing this. my MO is to do a closet/cabinet purge once a year, but it would be so much easier to just manage things as i go! having less stuff around is really liberating, i just need to get better about getting rid of things immediately!
-
Yes! It would!! I swear to you. And that really is exactly the difference– if you consistently engage in editing then you’re far less likely to end up having to do a full on major re-organization.
-
-
on December 18, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Even though I know I’d probably regret it later, I always donate clothes that I’m not using or don’t like anymore. I don’t think I really get attached to them, which makes this rule easier 😉
-
[…] is one typical organizing rule that I condone and often recommend people follow, it’s the one-in-one-out rule. It’s the rule I find easiest for people to follow, since there’s no gray area to it. […]
-
[…] 101 says 1 in, 1 out, but the holiday season is a slight exception. If you want to meet yourself, clutter-free, come […]
Leave a Comment
Welcome
Search The Blog
Simplify Your World
Sign up for the email list to get inspiration and simplified tips sent right to your inbox.
On Pinterest
We have this rule for magazines – I should apply it to my wardrobe.
Dear Annie, you write to beautifully…I am so happy I found your website. I actually was”googling” organization and I found you. Thank You for your lovely words of “organizing wisdom”. I look forward to your posts. And so true about 1 in and 1 out….I have yet to master that! I love all my clothes and shoes so much that I have a tough time parting from them. Enjoy the holidays…be safe, true, and peaceful.
Thank you so much for this sweet comment Alka! So happy you found your way here, and I do hope you’ll stick around 😉
My problem is….I used to attach memories to objects. This makes parting with anything impossible. So. What I do now is say to myself, the memory of the trip, the event, the person etc. is in my heart and my head. It had nothing to do with an inanimate object. Sheesh it’s hard though.
Yes!! Love this comment Amy. Everyone attaches memories and sentimental value to material goods, that’s why it’s such a struggle for people to get rid of things. So love hearing that you’re able to tell yourself that– it takes some enlightenment to be able to separate the two after they’ve been joined. Way to be!
ok i reeealllly need to start doing this. my MO is to do a closet/cabinet purge once a year, but it would be so much easier to just manage things as i go! having less stuff around is really liberating, i just need to get better about getting rid of things immediately!
Yes! It would!! I swear to you. And that really is exactly the difference– if you consistently engage in editing then you’re far less likely to end up having to do a full on major re-organization.
Even though I know I’d probably regret it later, I always donate clothes that I’m not using or don’t like anymore. I don’t think I really get attached to them, which makes this rule easier 😉
[…] is one typical organizing rule that I condone and often recommend people follow, it’s the one-in-one-out rule. It’s the rule I find easiest for people to follow, since there’s no gray area to it. […]
[…] 101 says 1 in, 1 out, but the holiday season is a slight exception. If you want to meet yourself, clutter-free, come […]