Virtually all of us have been there — perhaps more often than we care to admit. You step into your garage and are taken aback by the chaos that has seemingly accumulated overnight. The sheer amount of stuff it is packed with can make any attempts to declutter seem impossible. The garage is, by default, the go-to location for storage in many homes, from broken gadgets, old books, items handed down from family, and more.

Organizing your garage is never easy, especially if it is one that has been neglected for a long time. But you can and likely have done it before. And more importantly, there are crucial business and life lessons you can gain from organizing your garage. Here are five of the ones I have learned.

1. Start on the Major and Work Down to the Minor

When you begin to prioritize your garage clean-up, you need to address major issues before you get down to the minor. That means, for example, you have to tackle a faulty garage door before you attempt to do anything else. In this case, it is only after you’ve gotten a garage door repair Houston service to check it out that you should start organizing what is inside.

All the work you put in on garage organization and cleaning could unravel fast if you haven’t addressed factors such as security and access. This principle will hold true for the organization tasks as well. Some, such as installing storage systems or epoxy floor covering  will be more important and have a higher impact than other tasks will. You have to spend more time on high impact tasks and leave low impact actions for last.

2. Be Solutions-Oriented

For most homes, there is always going to be a lot of work to do when you set out to organize your garage. Some problems will have an easy solution. For others, your course of action may appear vague and complex. Keep an open mind and do not hesitate to implement out-of-the-box ideas. Do some research and develop a plan of action based on the results you have seen in other examples online.

Sometimes, you may need to take a step back and return the next day with a fresh set of eyes. The good thing is that as you tackle each difficult problem, you gain confidence in your ability to see the project through to the end.

3. Strive for Perfection, but Focus on Progress

When you set out to get things in order in your garage, there is likely to be a lot of work ahead of you. In fact, one of the reasons many people procrastinate in cleaning up their garages is how much time they anticipate it will take them.

But you are more likely to get things moving if you come to terms with the fact that you do not have to end up with a perfectly organized garage. At least not immediately. There is going to be a lot of work and at the end of it, it might still not be in the state you envisioned. However, if you are making the garage better each time you work on it, the progress is what really counts.

4. Make Organization a Culture

If you think about it, garage organization is not really a one-day task. Actually, it is not even a one-time project. Each time someone walks into the garage, they could potentially create clutter. Therefore, you are going to have greater success in maintaining order if you foster a culture that encourages organization.

That includes putting everything in its place as soon as you are finished with it, and labeling specific areas that are dedicated to different items. That way, when someone walks in bringing new stuff, they know exactly where to place it.

5. Listen to Others

If you do not live alone, be open to ideas from the other members of your household. They could have opinions on the way they would like things done as well. Remember, some of the stuff belongs to them and they may have a better understanding of the best way to handle these items.

Create an atmosphere that encourages participation and lets everyone know that working together will be more productive and efficient.

Many Businesses Started in the Garage

Many of today’s largest corporations started in garages. Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Amazon, Virgin, Dell, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Disney, and many more. Perhaps it’s no coincidence given how much the principles around organizing the garage can be applied to life and business.

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