Cleaning the cabinets helped-but it didn’t fix the real problem.
After I finished scrubbing the cabinet doors in my first round of “microcleaning” I stood there looking at everything and I realized that nothing had really changed. It was cleaner, yes. But it still didn’t work.
And that’s when it clicked-this wasn’t a cleaning problem anymore. It was an organization problem.
Inside it was still a mess-cosmetic change important, functional change vital.
What Was Actually Wrong
I wasn’t moving anything in or out of these cabinets. I wasn’t making big decisions. I was just cleaning the surface and everything else was as it had always been.
Which meant that nothing had really improved.
Things were still hard to find. Items didn’t really have a home. And every time I opened a cabinet, it just felt slightly frustrating-not bad enough to fix, but not good either.
That in-between space is where clutter lives.
How I Changed It
Instead of trying to do everything at once, I went back to the same approach that worked in the first project.
Start small. Keep it simple. Use what I already have.
I divided the kitchen into basic zones:
- Cooking
- Prep
- Cleaning
- Dishes
- Drinks & coffee
- Pantry
Nothing fancy-just logical groupings based on how we actually use the kitchen.
Then I picked one cabinet and got started.
What I Used (Simple and Already in my House)
I didn’t go out and buy a bunch of new things.
I used what I already had:
- A few containers, bins and shelves I already had
- All purpose cleaner and a soft cloth
- The space I had- Just used better
That was enough.
What Worked and What Didn’t
Some things were easy wins.
Moving items into better groupings immediately made the space feel more functional. Things I used together were now actually together. I could find things faster. That alone made a difference.
Other things took a little more effort.
I threw away random plastic lids that didn’t belong to anything. Donated items we weren’t using. And rethought where things should live instead of just putting them back where they always had.
The placement became purposeful-and that’s what changed everything.
What Changed (In My Outlook)
This time, it wasn’t just about how it looked.
It actually worked.
I didn’t finish and feel like I needed to do more. I didn’t walk away thinking I’d be right back in the same situation in a few weeks.
Instead I felt something different-progress.
Not perfect. But better.
And more importantly, repeatable.
Momentum is a Real Thing
I’ll be honest-cleaning the cabinet doors didn’t necessarily make me feel “proud of myself”.
But this did.
This felt like an actual improvement in how my home functions day to day. It made things easier. It made things smoother. And it made me want to keep going.
That’s where momentum comes from.
Not from doing everything perectly-but from doing something that works.
What’s Next
Now that the cabinets are clean and organized, I’m moving on to the next project:
Closets.
Because if there is one thing I already know…there’s a lot hiding in there…