I am often asked how I find the motivation to start working on an organizational project when I’m feeling uninspired or out of practice.  My go-to organizational pick-me-up is to work on a mini project.  This usually involves a small, high traffic space, which is less time consuming to work on and yields immediate results.  Nothing inspires you to keep organizing quite like the success of a completed project, no matter how big or small.

I’ve been traveling quite a bit as of late, which has made it difficult to start any new organizing projects in the last few months.  I’ve been feeling the itch to get back into it, but some of the projects I’ve set my sights on are big ones that feel a bit daunting.  This is where the ever reliable mini project comes into play for me.  I decided to tackle my bedside table drawers, which were sorely in need of some organizational attention.

If you’d like to see how I organized these drawers from start to finish, watch my latest OLJ video below.

I’ve never put a drawer organization system in place in my bedside table before, so I had to start from scratch.  I knew I’d be turning to my favorite Linus Drawer Organizers by interdesign.  These come in both a deep and a shallow height as well as many variations on width and length.  I always have some on hand at any given time, since I tend to switch up the drawer organization in other areas of my house often.  They go on sale occasionally at The Container Store, which is a great time to stock up on drawer organization tools.

Linus Shallow Drawer Organizers from The Container Store (photo source)

The Linus Drawer Organizers are constructed of sturdy plastic and are easy to wipe or wash out.  They also have rubber feet on the bottom to prevent slippage.  I like that they are clear, which not only makes it easy to identify their contents but also allows you to see the bottom of the drawer through them, which I find aesthetically pleasing.

I keep mainly lotions and other small miscellaneous nighttime necessities in the top drawer.

I purchased a few wider pieces to accommodate certain items I keep in my bedside table, such as journals, notepads, & lotions.  I used the shallow height for this project so that I could fit my lap desk on top of the organizers and still be able to close the drawer with ease.

I store journals, notebooks, pens, and bookmarks as well as my probiotics, Advil, and my Muscletrac roller in the lower drawer. 

This mini project took me about half an hour to complete and didn’t cost very much, but yielded immediately beneficial results.  I use these drawers every single night and have been enjoying the convenience and neatness of their newly well organized state.  Not only did this mini project positively impact my everyday life, it did the trick in getting me motivated to tackle bigger projects.  I have one in particular in mind that I am really excited to finish work on after many years in the making when I return home from our travels.

I’d love to know how you motivate yourself when completing a task feels overwhelming for you.  Leave me a comment below if you care to share!

*I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in this post.  All opinions are my own.*