How to Stay Organized Through Every Stage of Life
How, when, and what you organize looks different at every stage of life. Organizing for your first apartment won’t look the same as organizing for your first baby, which will look different from organizing for retirement. Understanding the different stages of life and how to organize for each one can help you plan for your current life phase, prepare for the next one, and help your loved ones going through their own stages of life.
The First Apartment
Organizing your first apartment is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. There’s a lot to keep in mind and plan out. The first thing to do is take stock of your situation. Are you living in a studio by yourself? Are you living with roommates? Depending on who you’re living with and the space you have, you can begin organizing from there. Your first step might be to downsize from what you’re bringing from home: you can go through old childhood items and donate what you no longer use, and organize what you want to take with you to the new apartment. On the other hand, you might have a lot you need to gather for your first apartment, like furniture and kitchen supplies. Thrift shops are a great place to look for these items, as well as yard sales and online communities like Facebook Marketplace. The most important thing is to make sure you have everything you need to get started. Your first apartment is meant to be a patchwork quilt more than an IKEA showroom, so don’t be afraid if things don’t fully match.
Organizing After “I Do”
Marriage is another time period when organizing is essential for organizing for a new stage of life. Just as with your first apartment, this will look different for everyone. You might have been living together for months or years, or you might be purchasing a home together. Or, you might be combining two households. Whatever it is, there’s a lot to process and take care of so you can start your new life as a married couple. The first thing to do to prepare for married life might actually happen before you get married, which is preparing for coming back after your honeymoon. Before you leave, clean up your space and prepare for being away for a little while. Once you’ve returned, you can work on creating a space that matches the both of you. If you’ve already been living together for awhile, this part might be easy, and you can focus on the legal organizing like name-changes and combining finances (if you choose to). If you’re living together for the first time, you’ll want to take a look at what the both of you own and make decisions on what’s staying and what’s going. You don’t both need to bring your toaster oven, but you might find it helpful to combine furniture if you have the space.
The First Baby
Preparing for a baby is a wonderful and exciting time for you, your spouse, and everyone in the family. Parenthood is a thrilling adventure, and there’s a lot to prepare for physically and emotionally. Beyond the parenting classes and the multiple doctor’s appointments, there’s discussions on parenting styles and how much you really want to spend on a stroller. The most important thing to do is to continuously communicate with everyone involved, including your spouse and anyone helping you prepare for the arrival. Throughout all this, you can work on preparing your home. There’s a lot of safety involved in baby-proofing, including covering electrical outlets and securing large furniture. You might also need to change the location of medications and cleaning supplies to be out of reach. Then, you can work on gathering baby gear like diapers, wipes, blankets, bottles, and more. The sooner you buy them, the more you’ll be (and feel) prepared for the sweetest addition to your home.
Aging and Retirement
While you might not be ready to organize for your own retirement, there’s bound to be people in your life who are. Understanding the process of aging and retirement can help you and your loved ones make decisions about this next phase of your life and stay organized when it comes to these changes. Some of this will involve organizing finances and healthcare, but you’ll also want to focus on organizing the home, too. Many people at this stage of life consider downsizing. If you or your loved one has any health or mobility concerns, this is a good time to do some research on what supports they might need to be more independent around the house. Many cities also have programs to support people 65+ who are mostly independent but need some support around the home. Another important thing to prepare for is staying active and in touch with community after retirement. Many people find themselves isolated after retirement because they have less chances to get out and see people. Engaging in hobbies, meeting with friends, and staying in touch with family are all important things to plan for after retirement. Starting now can help ensure that you and your loved one can make the most of retirement and have the support needed to enjoy this time.
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to organizing for life transitions. Whatever part of life you’re facing right now, staying organized will help you navigate this stage of life and give you the confidence you need to make the most of your new adventure.