3 Myths About Labeling: Don't Skip This Valuable Organization Step

Whew! All the hard work is done. You’ve decluttered, sorted, pared down, shopped for the perfect containers, organized, and found the ideal resting place for all your items. Congratulations!

However, you forgot one valuable step … or maybe you didn’t forget, but decided to skip it altogether.

What is this valuable step?

Labeling!

There are a number of reasons (or myths) we tell ourselves that might support the feeling that we can skip labeling. I’ve selected 3 of the most common ones below. I’ve then followed each one up with facts (based on experience) that support why these myths just don’t hold up over time.

Myth #1 | I’ll remember where I put everything (and so will everyone else).

This sounds like a good excuse at the moment—when everything is freshly gorgeous and organized—but as time passes, decisions about where items go when putting them away start to fade. You begin thinking and rethinking placement each time you use your space, and the items slowly start wandering about the space.

This is especially true when multiple people are using the same space. Not everyone is motivated to keep things tidy, so if there is any hesitation as to where things go, it’s more likely to end up in the wrong spot (or not put away at all).

Myth #2 | Labeling takes too much time.

After tackling a truly effective and thorough organization project, it can seem like a burden to top off the process with one final step—especially when it feels “done enough” and fully functional.

However, spending the time to label will actually save you time in the long run. It will also give you a visual reminder. Every time you see your labels, it automatically begins to set up cognitive reinforcement in your mind. This will allow you (and everyone else in your household) to find and put away items faster over time (with less thought).

Myth #3 | The containers are clear. I can already see what’s in them.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, even clear containers need labels. As I discussed in Myth #1, the decisions you make about where things belong will fade over time, and it’s true even when they are placed inside a clear container.

There are many times I’ve had clients who were excited about a newly organized space, but were adamant labeling was not needed. To their disappointment, they found their system didn’t last very long. Labeling really is the glue that holds your organization together. Without it, it will eventually fall apart.

And when life gets busy, and you’re sharing the same space with multiple people, your system will be put to the test—guaranteed. Simply assigning a broad category title for each bin (and labeling it) makes tidying up effortless and easy for everyone in the long run.

I hope this blog helps you see how valuable (and fun) labeling can be. I'd love to see some of your labeling solutions! Feel free to share them with me on Facebook.

Happy labeling!