Organizing your apartment can seem overwhelming.  Maybe you’ve been living in the apartment for a long time and collected a lot of clutter. Or maybe you’ve just moved in and don’t know where to begin to put everything.

Before you dive into organizing your apartment, first look at your priorities so you can map out a plan of attack.  Take these guidelines into consideration.

Go for impact
Often the best place to start organizing is with the room where your efforts will have the most impact. This might mean focusing on a high traffic area that is seen by guests, or it might mean working on your office so that you can better concentrate in that space.  You may choose to start with the area that simply annoys the heck out of you, like the bedroom, where dirty laundry always seems to be on the floor. There’s no perfect place to start, but it’s always good to begin with a project that will instantly make you feel better.

Easy to attack
Another tactic is to start with easier projects, working your way up to the tough areas gradually.  This allows you to practice your organizing skills by creating systems that work for you.  As you check a simple task off the list, you get a confidence boost that energizes you to tackle the next challenge.  Go ahead and pick something small like organizing the linen closet.  As you get better at organizing and prioritizing, you will be ready to take on the harder tasks, like organizing your office or clothes closet.

Search for tips
Apartment organizing isn’t a skill a person is born with; you have to learn how to do it. Before you prioritize, arm yourself with the organizing tools you need to be successful. An excellent place to get advice is from the National Association of Professional Organizers, whose pros have developed organizing insights and helpful hints. Other resources include home improvement stores, like The Container Store, that specialize in products to help you organize. Their staff members can make well-informed suggestions on products that suit your needs. You can also receive good advice from the organizing section of home improvement stores like The Home Depot, Lowe’s, or your local hardware store. Shopping around for products and tips might inspire you to get a jump on your organization projects at home.

Bring in help
Still stuck?  Bring in a buddy to point you in the right direction toward prioritizing and organizing your apartment. If you have friends who have immaculate living spaces and foolproof systems for keeping things in order, invite them over to help you map out a plan. Schedule a weekly visit and tackle a different room or trouble spot each time, then reward them with dinner.

If you need a professional to take you to task, hire one!  Professional organizers are trained in creating systems customized for your lifestyle. Their expertise also makes it easy for them to organize your apartment in a short amount of time. Most professional organizers offer free consultations, so test out a few to see which one suits your style best.

The experience you gain as you work to organize your apartment home may help you organize better in other areas of your life, as well.  Certainly, the sigh of relief you let out when you realize your success will help the effort seem worthwhile.