Working with Your Strengths to Succeed at Your Day with Allys from Elysian Organizing
Allyson is a professional organizer, based in Baltimore, at Elysian Organizing and can be found on TikTok sharing her best organizing tips. She is also going to be a new speaker at the 2025 Get Organized HQ Virtual conference this fall.
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THE DAY STARTS WITH COFFEE
Allyson is a one-woman show and needs all of the energy needed to run her organizing business as well as produce content for TikTok, and so her day begins with a cup or two of coffee to prepare for the day.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Because she is not a morning person, she does her journaling the night before to establish what her objectives will be the following day.
She divides her day into morning and afternoon zones of 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm. During those zone times she will either work with clients or tackle administrative work.
AFTER WORK
Once 5-6pm hits, Allyson likes to put her computer away to be present in her home and spend some time taking care of herself. She and her fiancé both enjoy doing yoga as a way to care for their bodies.
PLANNING FOR TOMORROW
As mentioned, at the end of the day, Allyson checks her calendar and journals what she wants the following day to look like. She not only includes important work or home tasks she wants to get done, but even the daily routine tasks of brushing her teeth, and washing her face.
WORKING WITH YOUR PERSONALITY
When creating your daily routine, it’s important to work with your own unique personality instead of trying to copy one you see online. As Allyson says, the routine should work for you instead of you working for the routine. Accept yourself for who you are and create a routine that is optimal for you.
JOURNALING THE NIGHT BEFORE
Allyson got the idea to journal the night before from a friend. The journaling she does is not in diary form, but has evolved into checklists for herself because that is how her brain works. Checking off the boxes feels like a reward in itself and has made a difference in how much she accomplishes.
The turning point for Allyson was coming to the realization that this journal wasn’t going to be read by anyone else. It was for her only and so she has created it to work best for her personality.
TRANSITION ZONES
Transition zones are one of Allyson’s favorite organizing tools ever. They can lean into your existing habits and allow you to make a mess in a contained way.
She saw a TikTok video that talked about transition zones in the closet, and that was the first one Allyson implemented. She placed a basket in the floor of the closet and in it she will put clean clothes that she’s worn, instead of throwing them on the floor.
She has another transition zone by the front door. This is where they drop keys and wallets. This has resulted in always being able to find her keys and not having to waste time searching.
Allyson says the best way to incorporate transition zones is to notice your behavior and areas of the home that are collecting clutter.
TACKLING THE TRANSITION BIN
To keep the closet transition bin from becoming another overflowing laundry basket, Allyson will tackle it when she sees it and has the mental capacity, but the key for her has been habit stacking it with the task of putting away her laundry once a week.
HABIT STACKING
Allyson has incorporated habit stacking in other areas as well. One is while she is pumping gas, she will use that time to clean the trash out of the car.
Another example is while on an airplane, use the time to go through and declutter photos on your phone. Start with your oldest photos and work from there.
IS ALLYSON’S HOME SPOTLESS?
Not even professional organizers have spotless homes, but Allyson’s home is company ready in the sense that if someone called and said they would be there in 20 minutes, her house would be ready by then.
There are definitely times when areas begin to get out of control and that is usually when it’s time to do more decluttering. Once an area is decluttered, it becomes easier to maintain.
DECLUTTERING IS LIKE EXERCISE
When you first start decluttering, you aren’t going to be a “bodybuilder” where it is perfect. But over time, it becomes easier. The more you practice it, you get into a good routine.
It’s always good to have a coach as well, someone who can help you identify items that aren’t serving you and help to motivate you. It can be a professional organizer, but it can also be a friend or even an online community.
WHAT ALLYSON IS STILL WORKING ON
While some things come easily, we all have things that we are still trying to figure out a system for. One of those is when she has too much time, she tends to not get much done. She will likely procrastinate until the last minute to do a task, even though she’s had the whole day to do it.
SELF ACCEPTANCE
Allyson doesn’t see her struggles as failures. She sees them as opportunities to set up systems to help manage them. They are potentials for growth and change.
LESS STRESS, MORE PEACE
For Allyson, there are a few things that are bringing her peace right now. One is giving her body some TLC in the form of journaling and yoga. She is also thankful for her fiancé and how he has made her life easier.
She has also found that being mindful, appreciative, and grateful for all she has has helped her to stay less stressed.
Copyright 2025, Get Organized HQ.