Where Does This Go?

I find organizing easy and maintenance hard.  When I stop and ask why I have a more difficult time maintaining organization it usually comes down to having a place to put the things that I otherwise just "dump."

Look around your house and notice what items end up in disorganized piles on tabletops, counters, and the floor of closets as well as things that swirl around inside your drawers. 

Next, ask, where should these items go if they weren't just dumped where you found them.

If you don't have an answer to that question then you've discovered your problem, that you own items that don't really have a proper spot within your home. 

To solve your problem, you need to figure out an answer that may or may not involve some sort of organizational tool.  Before you go out and buy anything, decide where your stuff should go, one item at a time.  Ask, where would I (my partner, my kids) go looking to find this item?  Why isn't this item already there?  What do I need to do or provide so the item goes where we are going to look for it?

If you want shoes by the front door, do you have a shoe rack or a basket for every member of your household to store their shoes by the door?  Also, do you have a chair, bench, or stool where people can sit to take off their shoes without wandering into the kitchen or living room in search of a chair (and then leaving their shoes where they took them off)?

Instead of accusing housemates of slovenly habits, ask them what they need in order to put something away.  You might have to ask a series of questions in order to solve some issues.  Why don't family members hang up their coat ... oh, because there are no empty hangers or hooks where they can hang their coat. 

Although an obvious question, where should this go, it is a question that can reveal clues to maintaining organization in your home or office.