What and why do we need to organise
Structure, routine and being organised are like Hobbies they’re my obsession; just like breathing they make your life easier, people might not engage with them as much as I do (maybe some people do so even more?) but on some level they help all of us enjoy our lives that much easier by allowing things to be easy to find, do and enjoy.
I would say the general population don’t think about organising things in great detail, we could say we organise our shoes so we don’t trip over them, we store them on a show rack so it’s easy to get to and it can hold an appropriate amount of shoes. Yet if you take the time to look at a specific matter in more detail are there things we could do in regards to organising something that would make life easier?
Let’s stick with this shoe organising example that’s suddenly in my head, what if we organise the shoe rack by seasonal use? Is there a preference you go to that you may even go too much for? For example when going for my shoes I go to the left most first because it’s the easiest to reach but I rotate which of my boots are stored on the left most spot so I don’t overuse them this means by organising my shoes this way I ensure my boots get an even use, I have a system that ensures one pair isn’t worn out too quickly and I’ve made it comfortable to be reach by taking my location preferences into consideration.
We don’t need to go this deep but if there are troubles within your Hobby or aspects of your life because a certain part of them isn’t working so well then maybe looking at how they’re being affected and how you can change them to suit your needs could be worth your time.
Obsession with Organising
When talking about this subject matter it’s easy for me to get lost in it or go a little too far but this is simply because I find it soothing (Marie Kondo gets it…). There’s an element of this for everybody (some more than others) as such just simply find a means of finding out what being organised helps you functionally, mentally and serves a purpose more so than just looking nice and tidy.
Let’s get discussing the subject further I already feel it slipping away from me because I see a corner of my office that has become unorganised.
How can it help
When I think of organising things (besides bliss) I see something that is laid out in such a way that I know exactly what’s there, their purpose and why I would need to go looking in there. I’m not going to find any surprises and if there’s something I know to be there I will find it; it’s that certainty that knowing exactly what there helps reduce the chance of stress for not being able to find something and not to mention it’s such a time saver.
Sometimes it might be easier to look at the negatives of not organising something and simply flip it to see the benefits.
An example of this could be...
Disorganised
- Hard to sift through.
- Contains items unknown.
- Time consuming
- Stressful
- Uninspiring
Organised
- Easy to sift through.
- Contains expected items.
- Time Saving.
- Effortless
- Inspiring
Time & Scheduling
Organising aspects of your life is amazing at saving your time, if you keep things organised, in designated place and without distraction then you will save time. For common example of this used in many homes is the idea of a “Bowl” to store ones keys in, you know that bowl sole purpose is to place your keys into, you know that the keys you need should be in that bowl, there’s nothing else should be stored and if they weren’t in this location you would spend time stressing and looking for them.
Motivation
Not everybody will be 4easily motivated or find the same thing as other motivating but I know that if you’re looking at a unorganised mess, it can become stressful and as a result you’re less motivated top clear it up or even approach it; if this said area is relating to your Hobby this is one sure way to spend less time on your Hobby or even enjoy it. Take those first steps to trying organise an aspect of your life, see how it works for you and if you sustain it will become more beneficial to you.
Consistency
This might not matter to everybody but organisation brings out and enables consistency, the consistency in under to find something, the consistency in the time spent on a task and the consistency of lower your stress. If you’re consistent in the organisation of things and your life in and out of your Hobby then you will consistently reap the benefits of the effort you put into it not to mention as long as you keep at it there’s very little you have to do sustain that level of organisation.
For example if I store all my cycling gear, cycling cleaning products and cycling clothes in their own areas, once used or cleaned placed back in their area then soon as I need to use them I know they are there, I’m not stressing about losing something, I save time and enable more of it to go on my cycling hobby because I’m able to get ready and go consistently and easily. Last thing I need is stress or a missing glove when I’m trying to enjoy my morning cycle.
Money
Organising your life and the objects in it can save you money, this can occur because you’re not replacing items you’ve lost and items tend to keep better and receive less wear and tear over time meaning that the money spent on them has been better spent because the item had longevity, didn’t need to replace and served you well. Although I spend money on organisational solutions, this is a lot less than the items I tend to organise and not to mention if I had to replace certain equipment all the time because couldn’t find it such as my camera gear then spending a little time and money to ensure this is less likely to happen seems like it would be well spent.
Ways of Organising
There are many ways of organising things, ranging from tidying, using tools or storage but here are some examples I like to use that help with aspects of my life, hobbies and simply allowing me to enjoy things without worrying about others.
Calendar Prep
Calendar are become one of my favourite organisational tools, I’ve a habit of collecting hobbies as such fitting them all in around my full job is rather problematic to organise but using Calendar tools allows me to organise my time, know when I need to get things done and not to mention majority of electronic calendar come with reminders so once you’ve got a system in place your app will simply remind you of everything so you’re aware of your scheduled, organised and working for you lowering the stress.
You don’t need to do everything so set in stone you will learn what works for you and give yourself a little room to make changes and adaptations when required and once in a groove you will see the benefits of doing so. You might be a fine tuner or a minimalistic calendar user but you will find the organisational method of using calendar for your needs.
Needs & Wants List
This might be a problem specifically for me but I’m sure there’s people out there too that may have several hobbies or interests that they like to buy equipment for, having a simple list can help organise it into priority, cost and need vs want. Keeping this organised will allow you to remind yourself of purchases you need, monitor finances and ensure that purchases are made correctly at the appropriate time.
Defining a method on how you do this can take many forms, I like utilising a spreadsheet, categorising everything into a need vs want with a priority figure but ensuring there’s a comparison to on-going finances. This reduces the time I’ve got to spend on things on what I need for my Hobby or if I can even afford it, a quick look at my spreadsheet reminds me what I may need and if the finances to do so. I reduce the pressure and stress by having this functionality within my life, it stops overspending or purchasing items you don’t actually need and because it’s well organised and maintained it works for me and ensure its purpose is fulfilled. As with most spreadsheets if done correctly they should simply require minimum input to get the end results you require.
Boxes and Labels
One of my favourite tools to help me organise my life, my hobbies and all physical aspects of my life are boxes, these combined with labels are the ideal organising tools within my life. Boxes allow specific items to be placed into a compressed location, they have limited capacity so already you need to make sure what specifically is going in there and how much room it’s going to take.
Some examples, I keep all my leads and camera equipment in a single box and a nice label on the front that says ‘Cameras and Wires’ I know exactly what is in that box and I store it in a way that it doesn’t take up too much room and the label is highly visible so I can see very promptly and at a glance what that box contains. My props and materials for the Hobbyist Challenge Series are in a box, so when I’m taking up a new Hobby anything I need to do so is in a single box. I’ve done this for most items I’m able to do so but even with living in such a small house I’m able to pretty much organised my life into seven or eight small boxes that are all stored under my desk, so I know exactly where everything is and I’m not stressing to find items for my Hobbies or my belongings.
Situational Organising
Now everybody is unique, some people have conditions and / or disabilities that impact and change their lives as one of those people I know that changing aspects of your life and making them easier to accommodate your needs isn’t just pleasant and helpful it’s vital for our well-being.
Those with physical disabilities may need to organise and store their belongings in such a way that doesn’t hinder them, for example at a certain height, in a specific container due to hand mobility impairments etc.
There could be allergies to think of or sensory issues, I’m a very visual person but bright lights can disrupt my ability to function as such I need to be aware of the lighting I use and even more so in areas I’ve organised. I’ve two magnetic torches under my desk, they’re setup in such a way I can turn them on to illuminate my belongings, but the light isn’t directed any location would impact my well-being.
Keep your needs and wants in mind when organising and do go that little bit extra to find way to suit your needs, there’s always some amazing tools for specific organising needs out there and we can all benefit from this mentality.
Examples of Organising
So what I like to do if I haven’t confused or scared people away thus far is I like to give examples of parts of my life I’ve organised and how it’s benefited me so you can get an idea of what I’m trying to get across.
Board & Card Games
I love Board & Card Games they offer amazing strategies, fun and sense of community but they have so many moving parts but they are a great example of how organising them can reap benefits and have you enjoy them even more.
Make sure to store all of your games in one place, they tend to take up a lot of space so designated a space just for them ensure other parts of your house aren’t effected by the space they take up, use of boxes can be problematic here as they’re varying in size and depending on your collection might not be a big enough box or the correct size & shape for this purpose but board games tend to come in their own boxes and you can buy sleeve / storage boxes specifically for card games that both organises and protects them.
With parts of the games themselves, ensure the parts stay in the appropriate slots, once used make sure you place everything back as was so everything is easy to find. I have an extensive board and card game collection but there have been periods where the collection got so extensive the quantity of parts made it very time consuming to engage with as such ensuring I had systems in place to keep it organised meant this time was reduced and when I wanted to have a table top gaming session this wasn’t a concern and I knew exactly where everything was and how to get it all setup.
Sports
I don’t take part in many sports but I’ve got a keen interest and enjoyment in cycling, there are so many components, equipment and gear that you need to consider, look after and maintain in order to take part in cycling so why would you want to make it difficult?
Just like we’ve previously discussed everything has its own storage area and once I’m done with using it or cleaning it they go back into the same storage place; you can apply this to any spots / equipment based Hobby be it cycling, football or even ice hockey or not even just sports any Hobby with a lot of equipment or physical items requires organising and routine to keep well kept and easily accessible.
The Organised Mindset
So although what have been describing is what I specifically do in order to keep myself organised there is an underline purpose to all of this and it’s about creating a “Organised Mindset”. The idea that things being organised is positive, enjoyable and beneficial so by seeing the benefits it’s something we want to actively engage in. As such if you start by engaging in getting parts of your life organised it all becomes more apparent and easier but to start off it might be difficult at first because you’ve got no motivation as you don’t see the benefits. Overtime as you creating this organised mindset you will see the benefits suddenly forming routines around this becomes second nature and the benefits keep on coming and they are also easier to obtain creating a positive snow ball like effect.
Review your Hobby
I challenge you after finishing reading this blog post and checking out our over content to sit down, grab a cup of tea and take a deep breath; afterwards I want to you to sit there and simply think about your Hobby, how you engage in it, what equipment do you need to use and as a result of taking part in a Hobby what is left over or occurs as a result of this Hobbying? As you think about all aspects of your Hobby don’t be afraid to let your mind wounder to aspects of your Hobby that are negative and something you may struggle with; in fact this is what we’re looking for, we want to be made aware of the problem areas because once we are we can see if there’s a method or means to removing this problem via smoothing out the problem via organising & routines or via other means.
Giving yourself the time to be self-aware of the problem areas of your Hobby sets you on the path of finding means to fixing them, you can read blogs like these, watch videos or discuss with the community in useful ways of solving your problems or just start with the basics and keep everything in one place see if that helps before moving on to other things.
Make Small Changes
Sometimes we’re not always sure what changes need to be made, sometimes you just need to experiment with trying something new out. Try something, see what you learn, what worked and what didn’t? these experiences allow us to develop better methods for solving our problems this is a core process in a organised mindset because we don’t get it right each time but we need to realise that in order to see the benefits we need to try and find solutions that work for us.
Don’t be disappointed or disheartened if this takes some time, each person and Hobby is unique the combination of which defines you and your needs as such you will need find something that works for both.
Create Routines
When things within your life are organised they can be easier to integrate into routines this makes everything easier to sustain, more motivated to do so and everything becomes consistent. A routine is almost like Phase Two of the organising master plan, once you’ve organised parts of your life then you can make routine around maintaining both the organisation and the thing that you organised in the first place.
Once you’ve become organised, formed a routine and have become familiar with the benefits things just lock in place but you will look back how disorganised parts of your life caused so many problems compared to how easy things are now and even that mindset we sometimes have “this would take so much time to organise”, trust me it will be paid back tenfold if not more so in the future.
Community Stories
As always I’m always wanting to foster a community with fellow Hobbyist or enthusiasts that find these matter useful or want to engage in their Hobbies in new ways. We always want to hear our community provide their stories both positive and negative so we can learn from their experiences to help with our own.
Feel free to share your organising dilemmas, stories of woe and victory with the rest of us so we can be in awe of your tale; too much? Or if you’re having some Hobby problems you can find information on this blog, on our YouTube or other media pages with all the community waiting on each to help each other.
The Dreaded Signing Off...
The early days of our content and blog will be focused on around general subject matters, something we can all relate to, such as time, money and organising / routines then branching out to more diverse and sometimes wacky subject matters all to get you thinking about your Hobby in different ways but also for you to pay it forward and teach us about your Hobbies.
I thank you for making it to the end, there are and should be other blogs for you to read; if you like diversity in your content you can watch our video-based content on YouTube, our reels and photos on Instagram or you can swing by our live streaming on Twitch to engage with us in real time, no matter your content of choice I can’t wait to hear from you.
*Please note any funding or donations towards the Hobbyist Community goes into helping fund the creation of the content here and I thank everyone for their time in visiting our website and other media.
