The “Organizationally Challenged” [Video 2/3]

Hey, what’s up? I’m Seth Perler, and I’m here with segment 2 of 3 on the challenge of organization.

If you are a student who struggles with organization, or a parent of a student who does, these videos are for you. You might want to check out video 1 before watching this one.

In this video, I’m going to talk about “home.”

You have to have homes for things.

At this point, if you watched video 1, you’ve hopefully cleared away everything you don’t need—old clothes you don’t wear anymore, old books you don’t read, old toys you don’t use, old papers you don’t need. You should minimize as much as possible.

We live in a very materialistic world, and if you can reduce things down to what you actually need, use, and want to keep, you’ll be in a really good place. You’ll be decluttered.

Now, the next step is this: the things you keep need to have “homes.”

What does that mean?

It means every item needs a dedicated place where it belongs—a specific, consistent place where you normally put it.

The problem is that some people who struggle with organization try to become over-organized. They create tiny, overly complicated systems with too many categories.

Don’t do that. Keep it simple.

Simple “homes” for your items

First, you need labels.

Everything needs a clear label so there is no confusion.

For example, you can have a box labeled “Paper.” Everything related to paper goes there.

It’s simple, clear, and easy to use.

You can also have a box for math supplies. Anything related to math—protractors, compasses, calculators—goes in that box.

It does not need to be complicated.

Another example: you can have a box for paper clips. In that box, you can also include binder clips and similar items like twist ties—anything “paper clip–like” goes there.

These are examples of “homes.”

The key is that labels must be clear. If they are not, things will start getting put in the wrong places, and your organization system will break down again.

In my students’ systems, there is no confusion about where recycling goes or where trash goes because everything is clearly labeled.

Subject folders as homes

You should also have folders for different subjects.

For example:

• Language Arts folder

• Social Studies folder

• Math folder

Each folder is clearly labeled and simple.

There is also a “queue” folder.

The queue folder is a catch-all. It is a home for anything important that needs attention.

You can put things like:

• Assignments you need to complete

• Study guides

• Test materials

• Rubrics for projects

Anything “active” or “in progress” goes in the queue.

People who are not naturally organized often struggle with systemizing information, especially things they are not interested in. That’s why having clear homes is so important.

A sacred study space

Another important “home” is your study space.

You should have a dedicated place where you do homework and study.

This should be a “sacred” space where distractions are removed and nothing else gets in the way.

It is a place designed specifically for focus and learning.

Final idea

So, again, with organization:

1. First, get rid of what you don’t need.

2. Then, create clear homes for everything you keep.

That’s it for this video. We’ll move on to video 3 next.

See you in a minute.