Get Organized Now!

In Less Than 5 Minutes!

by Maria Gracia

April 10, 2025

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Check expiration dates on your sunscreen, bug spray, and allergy meds. Toss anything expired and make a mini “spring essentials” bin so it’s all easy to grab.

Ask Maria: Can You Organize a Garage a Little at a Time?

GON Reader Question

Maria,

I've read your newsletter for years and I love it. Regarding organizing a garage: my husband insists there is no way he can just do a little at a time.

He says he needs to move a bunch of stuff from here to there, then organize a few things there, then move a bunch of stuff from there to here, etc. I can see a number of things he could do a bit at a time, but he can't wrap his head around them. It drives me crazy.

He's asking for a professional organizer and a whole day to work on it. Before we dive into it that way, do you have any suggestions?

-- Joy Burklund, Norman, OK

Maria Responds

Hi Joy,

Thank you so much for your sweet note—and for such a great question. I hear this kind of thing a lot when it comes to garages. They're often the most overloaded space in the home and the hardest to tackle without butting heads.

Your husband’s approach makes sense to him, and that’s important to recognize. Some people feel like they need to move half the garage around before they can even begin to make progress.

But here's the truth: the most important step isn’t the rearranging. It’s the decluttering.

If the two of you can focus on one goal—getting rid of what’s no longer needed—you’re already well on your way. You don’t need to pay a professional organizer to go through broken tools, half-empty paint cans, sports gear no one uses, or dusty cardboard boxes that haven’t been opened in years.

That’s a task you can do together, and in stages.
Here are a few suggestions to get started—without the overwhelm or expense:

1. Forget the Fancy Sorting. Just Remove What’s Obvious: Start by walking through the garage and removing anything that is clearly trash, broken beyond repair, or totally unused. You don’t have to make perfect decisions right away—just eliminate the easy stuff. Old cardboard, rusted metal, flat basketballs—those don’t need a second thought.

2. Focus on One Type of Item: If sorting by area doesn’t appeal to your husband, try sorting by category. For example, gather all the lawn care items or all the car supplies. It’s easier to make decisions when you're looking at everything in one category at once.

3. Consider the Cost—Before Hiring Help: If you still feel stuck, there's nothing wrong with bringing in a professional organizer. But here’s what I often see: once the clutter is cleared out, the rest of the garage becomes much easier to manage.

In fact, by the time you get rid of what you know you don’t need, you may find that the two of you are perfectly capable of finishing the job together—no added expense required.

4. Find Common Ground: Let your husband take the lead on how to move things around if that's what helps him think. But gently guide the process back to “let’s keep only what we use, need, or love.” That phrase is your secret weapon when you’re feeling stuck.

5. Tidy Up in Stages—Even If He Thinks Big Picture: He may not like the idea of “a little at a time,” but many garage jobs can be broken into chunks. Just clearing one corner or emptying one shelf can open up space, help both of you feel accomplished, and make the rest of the work go more smoothly.

Remember, the goal is progress, not perfection. The garage doesn’t have to look like a showroom—it just needs to function better for your family. And if decluttering is where you start, you’re already taking the most important step.

Wishing you both success!

On another note...

Whether you're commuting, road tripping, or just running errands, a clean and organized car makes everything feel smoother. I've curated a list of Essentials for a Clean, Organized Car to help you keep clutter in check, trash off the floor, and everything easy to grab!

Power Word: Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is one of those words that sounds official...and it is. It refers to the legal power or authority to make decisions and enforce rules within a specific area. That could be a town, a state, a country, or even a school district.

Used in a sentence:
The local police department doesn’t have jurisdiction outside of city limits, so the case had to be turned over to the county sheriff.

In short, if something is within your jurisdiction, you’re the one responsible for it.

And just like in the legal world, organizing your home works better when everyone knows their own “jurisdiction.” Maybe one person handles the pantry and another takes charge of the garage. Defining those zones can make shared spaces run a whole lot smoother.

Enjoying my newsletter? Please REPLY and let me know! Also, please forward this newsletter to 5 of your family members and/or friends and share the love!

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GON Spring Cleaning Checklist
Get your home spring-ready with my GON Spring Cleaning Checklist. Every essential task is planned out for you.

Also, if you don't already have it, my 2025 Monthly Organizing Calendar is still available. Jump in today and start tackling those organizing tasks.
To access these free resources, click here

April 2025 Monthly Organizing Checklist:

My new April 2025 Monthly Organizing Checklist is here. It contains an organizing TO DO for every day of the month!

April Organizing Challenge: Train Your Brain: 30 Days to a Sharper Mind: Your brain is like a muscle. The more you challenge it, the stronger it gets. Keeping your mind active can improve memory, boost creativity, and sharpen your problem-solving skills. Take the challenge here

Results of Last Month's Web Poll: If you could complete one spring cleaning chore without lifting a finger, what would it be? Access the results of this poll including a bunch of GON reader comments.

New Web Poll: April is National Gardening Month. How's Your Green Thumb? Vote in my GON Reader Poll on my home page and let us know.

"Decluttering can be overwhelming, so start with that one small thing. Clean out your junk drawers. It can lead to so many more beautiful things. Start there, and you’ll find yourself cleaning the whole rest of the house."

-- Bobby Berk

I'd love to hear from you.

I LOVE GON reader mail! Whether it's a comment, suggestion, or just a note to say hello, REPLY to this email with a short note.

And remember...there's no better time to get organized, than to Get Organized Now!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
GetOrganizedNow.com

How to Use This Newsletter

In this newsletter, you will find stories, ideas, inspiration, links and more to help you live a less stressful, more organized, more fulfilling life.

We encourage you to apply these ideas to your own life AND share them liberally with your family, friends, and fan base via email, on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, other social media outlets, and in person, of course!

When you share, please mention my name and web site - Maria Gracia - GetOrganizedNow.com as the source.

Thank you for helping to spread the gift of organizing far and wide!

-- Maria

Maria Gracia,

Get Organized Now!

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-- Maria Gracia

Get Organized Now!
611 Arlington Way
Watertown Wisconsin 53094
USA

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Apr 10 - Ask Maria: Can You Organize a Garage a Little at a Time? - GON in 5 Minutes Newsletter