I Helped My Friend Organize Her Game Closet
Letting someone into the messy parts of your life is not only a sign of connection but also a way to forge those connections in the first place. The “messy” isn’t just metaphorical; sometimes it’s literal messy physical spaces — and being welcomed into these involves just as much vulnerability.
I consider it an honor to be allowed into a friend’s imperfect space. The times I’ve had the privilege of helping people with their messy areas have always been memorable. To come into a troubled area that causes frustration, work on it with someone, and then leave it in a condition that brings peace and joy is a surprisingly intimate journey I love to share with others.
Most recently, I embarked on such a project with my dear friend Amie, who has been a balm to my relocated soul since I met her a few months after we moved to Knoxville. She had just done some remodeling at home that had left much of her downstairs storage in disarray. With four kids and a hectic schedule, Amie didn’t have much extra time to organize, and I wanted to help.
We decided to work on the game closet, a small space that needed an overhaul to function as intended. Here’s what we did and what we learned while doing it.
This No-Fail Process Works Every Time
As with many of the organizing and decluttering projects I tackle, I used the same process that has never failed me. Similar to the Core 4 Method, my version involves clearing out the space you’re organizing, cleaning that space, categorizing the items you’ve taken out, tossing or donating items, and then containing and organizing the items as you’re replacing them in the space. In the case of Amie’s closet, we sorted items into games, therapy resources from her school days, gift-wrapping supplies, and other items that didn’t belong in the space. As we categorized, Amie made quick decisions about tossing games with missing or broken pieces.
Be Strict with the Purpose of a Space
As we were emptying the game closet, Amie and I discussed what she wanted the closet to contain and what didn’t belong there. She decided to stick to games, puzzles, activity kits, gift-wrapping supplies, and extra school supplies. Once we knew what belonged in this space — and, almost more importantly, what didn’t — we quickly sorted out what we needed to organize and put back in the closet and what Amie needed to find another home for. For example, she decided that the binders containing therapy resources from college didn’t need to be in such an accessible space and that she’d put them with other similar items she already had in the attic. This freed up space and made everything in the game closet easier to get to.
Amie also decided that the closet didn’t need to double as file storage, a choice which resulted in removing the tall, mostly empty, filing cabinet from the closet. This had a huge effect on the space, making the entire closet feel far more spacious and making everything easier to see and reach.
Small Choices with Big Visual Impact
For a space to feel calm, it’s important to pay attention to how things look. This does not mean you need to go out and buy new containers! Something as simple as deciding how to place items on shelves can have an outsized impact on how a space both looks and feels. In the case of the game closet, we piled games by size, with large items on the bottom, and progressively smaller boxes on top as they got stacked. This makes a dramatic difference in how neat the closet looks. Explaining this to the kids who will use the space also helps them participate in maintaining it this way.
It Might Not Take as Long as You Think
I was surprised at how quickly we were able to finish this project. Total time was about an hour and a half with two to three of us working (my daughter helped part of the time). Some of this was due to the preparatory work we did defining the space, and a lot of it was due to Amie’s quick decisions about what to keep and what to let go of. But I think the biggest reason we were able to complete the project so fast was because we did it together.
Organizing Is Better Together
Doing this project together made the entire process more efficient (and way more fun!). First of all, working together kept us focused on the task. I can’t speak for Amie, but if I had been working on a similar project alone, I know I would have gotten distracted, which would have dragged the project out much longer than necessary. Second, having someone unattached (me!) handling items that have sentimental value added an element of objectivity that moved the process along. I could ask whether items were a keep or a toss and do the physical work of putting them in the right pile, helping alleviate some of the decision fatigue. Finally, the morale boost that came from doing something together made the whole project uplifting. We shared stories, and working toward a common goal was rewarding.
On the whole, organizing my friend’s game closet was an extremely productive and satisfying experience, one that I hope to repeat with friends in their homes and even in my own! Not only did we leave Amie with a pretty and functional space that her whole family could enjoy, but I also rediscovered the value of taking on difficult tasks with someone else. Let’s normalize decluttering and organizing together.
Further Reading
I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered
We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here’s What They Said
