Organize Your Genealogy the Home Edit Way
Have you heard of The Home Edit company? They are an organizing business that was created and grown solely on social media. Now they have an international presence with a website, books, product line and multiple organizing teams going all over the nation to help people organize.
They also have a Netflix series that I’ve kind of been obsessed with! They not only have a simple organizing system, but they love to organize using the rainbow whenever possible.
So can this system be used to organize your genealogy? Absolutely!
How They Organize Using The 4 Step System
Edit
This is a fancy way of saying you’re going to have to throw out a lot of stuff! As family historians, we love to keep things, right? We tend to be hoarders because everything has some sort of value to it. But this step allows us to have sentimental stuff, but to keep it within reason.
So pull everything out that’s related to genealogy. I do mean everything! All of your tools, books, papers, photos, inherited stuff, etc. needs to be looked at and sorted through. In this step you just need to decide what to keep and what to throw away. Yes, you need to keep letters from your grandparents, but do you need to keep ALL of them?
This step may take awhile depending on how much stuff you have, but keep with it because it will make the next steps easier. Trust me! And don’t forget to reward yourself here for a job well done because this can be a very emotional thing to do. So know your limits and pace yourself accordingly.
Categorize
Once you know what things you’re going to keep, it’s time to put them in groups. Now some people like to have many smaller groups and others like to have big, broad groups. That’s ok! It all depends on what you have.
It’s also good at this stage to start thinking of zones. If you’re like me, your genealogy stuff is sharing space with other things in a room. If you have a multi task room then it’s good to have zones. For example, all your genealogy is in one corner, crafts in another corner, closet with seasonal stuff in it, and so on. That way when you need something you know what area of the room it will be in.
Another way to have zones is to do it within your genealogy space. Such as all research papers and tools in one area, all genealogy crafts in another area, all family documents in another area, and all photos in another. Again, so you know where to go when you’re looking for something.
Contain
This part is by far my favorite area because there’s so many cute containers and organizing supplies out there that it’s just fun! Now the Home Edit company has their own containers and products, which is great, but unnecessary if you have access to Amazon or a Dollar store.
The most challenging part is knowing what container will fit what space. So measure a lot and keep a record of those measurements. And then just buy the containers a little at a time. It’s also a good to have in mind what things you want to be seen and what things you don’t. That will help you get the right containers. And don’t forget to label everything!
Maintain
An organizing system doesn’t work if you can’t maintain it. So figure out the flow of your work station or if you use certain genealogy items more often than others. That way you’ll know what items go where. It’s all about the flow in this step!
How I Organize Using This System
My genealogy has to share space in an extra bedroom that we have. So I really have to watch my zones! I’ve already edited all of my papers and research stuff. So I know what I’m keeping. Now it’s time to categorize and put in zones I can maintain.
I already have my genealogy zone in the room, but my zones within my genealogy zone is not so clear. I’ve decided that my zones are client research, sentimental, resources, business, and office tools. I’ve also decided that I won’t be using their rainbow system for my genealogy, but I do use it for other parts of my house.
My next step is to find containers that match these spaces. I’m using my local Walmart for the baskets. I usually like clear bins, especially in an office area, but I like the clean look that these baskets bring. Some items I don’t need so often so those are farther from my desk area, while the most frequently used items will be closest.
And there you have it! My genealogy stuff organized according to the Home Edit system. What do you think?
And as always…good luck and happy hunting!
Tiffany
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