It’s one of the most commonly made new year’s resolutions — getting organized for the year ahead.
To help kick start 2018, a survey by Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) revealed the top three organizing trends for the coming year, plus the one trend these pros would like to kiss goodbye.
“As professional organizers, we like to stay ahead of what is trending in the world of organizing,” said Marie Potter, director of marketing for Professional Organizers in Canada. “Our clients look to us to provide them with the latest tools and strategies so they can get their lives organized. The purpose of this survey was to get into the minds of our top organizing professionals and share their invaluable knowledge.”
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Let’s get digital
Photos, to-do lists, contact information, bills and even kids artwork — these are all items that take up space at home and in the office. But according to the POC survey findings, they don’t have to. Technology has made it easy to keep on top of these clutter-inducing items. Top apps include:
Google Calendar - Keeps all appointments and meetings in one place
Anylist - Keeps grocery lists handy so you never forget an item while shopping
Evernote - Great for random pieces of paper, business cards etc. The app syncs with mobile and desktop
Time Timer - Helps to manage one’s time effectively
KeyRing - Digitally store all your loyalty cards and free up space in your wallet
Keepy.me - Organizes and saves kids artwork, schoolwork and mementos freeing up your fridge and counter space.
Minimalism
Minimalism in fine art dates back to the ’60s, but minimalism as an organizing trend is more recent phenomenon. This trend continued to gain momentum in 2017, and POC said it’s here to stay. Minimalism is a way of life. It’s more than just clearing your space and only keeping the items you need and use. This trend gives followers the freedom to make decisions more consciously and deliberately.
Downsizing
What do baby boomers and millennials have in common? According to POC, the answer can be found in downsizing. Baby Boomers represent the largest generation within the Canadian population. As they get older, retire and become empty nesters, they seek the comfort and convenience of a smaller living space. Baby boomers are looking to move from their larger homes, are getting rid of unnecessary items and are looking to move to smaller homes or condos in an effort to downsize. On the flip side, millennials, too, are looking at smaller spaces to call home. With soaring real estate prices, especially in urban centres, millennials are realizing that dreams of large, fully detached homes are simply not realistic when they are starting out in life. Instead, they look to smaller homes or condos as a different option. Less space translates to less stuff, or in the case of newcomers to the real estate game, they simply live within their means and space, not acquiring items they don’t need.
Canadian professional organizers voted resoundingly against one organizing trend as they enter 2018: KonMari Method
The KonMari method became very popular in recent years with the release of Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The KonMari method encourages users to only keep items that spark joy in one’s life. Everything else can be purged, thus leading to a clutter free home and mind. POC members hope to bid farewell to this method in 2018 because they see it as a one size fits all solution, which simply doesn’t work for everyone.
“There is no such thing when it comes to organizing,” said Potter. “For some people, the KonMari Method can induce stress and frustration because it’s simply not the method for them. This frustration can result in people dropping the job altogether.”
For 2018, Professional Organizers in Canada forecasts that there will be an increase in the want for minimalism, downsizing and digitizing everything. For more information or to find a nearby professional organizer, visit www.organizersincanada.com.
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