Cori McDougald gladly stands in other people’s clutter, surrounded by papers, sentimental items and junk. That’s because knowing how much peace people get after the organizing guru has cleared up their spaces brings her joy.
“When someone’s not feeling either physically or mentally capable of doing it in their house, I like to bring that energy and enthusiasm,” she said. “Before you know it, you leave their house or garage, and it looks totally different, and they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s such a weight lifted off my shoulders.’”
After starting Twin Cities-based Meat & Potatoes Organizing in 2021, McDougald has helped hundreds of people unload possessions they’ve collected over the years. Getting started is tough for some, and others get hung up after they’ve thrown everything out in the open. But clearing up your space has major benefits: It can improve mental health and keep families more organized in the long term.
“Most people, I’d estimate 80%, live with a lot of clutter,” she said. “We all have busy lives and the last thing we want to do is address the clutter around us.”
To make the task less daunting, McDougald recommends taking these small steps when decluttering:
Pick one area to focus on. That can be a closet, a drawer or a corner of a room.
Sort by making three piles: keep, donate/sell and toss. The number one mistake people make is not letting items go, McDougald said, advising organizers to ask themselves why they are holding on to a certain possession and if it makes sense to keep it.
After sorting, you should find the best organizers that work for you, such as bins, baskets, vertical hangers or drawer dividers so you can easily find items. And don’t forget to label them. Color-coding your closet could also be a useful organizational tactic.
