Lecture Summary
Community-use areas are some of the most revealing spaces in a home because they show how people actually live together—not how they intend to live. Whether it’s a laundry room, an entry closet, a game cupboard, or a shared bookshelf, these zones carry the weight of multiple routines, multiple personalities, and multiple definitions of “done.”
In Before the Bins, we talk about how clutter isn’t just stuff; it’s a story about decision fatigue, unclear boundaries, and systems that were never designed to support real life. This week, we’re going to rewrite those stories by creating spaces that serve everyone who uses them.
The first step is recognizing that community areas fail when they try to be everything for everyone. When a laundry room becomes a catch-all, or an entry closet becomes a dumping ground, it’s not because you’re disorganized—it’s because the space has no identity. So we start by naming the purpose.
Downloads and Printables
Links to Previous Class Materials
Week 7 - Make-Up, Medicine & More - a better bathroom drawer.
Week 6 - Friction Free Foundations
Week 5 - The NOT Pinterest Perfect Pantry
Week 4 -Cleaning Supply Consolidation
Week 3 - Closet Corner Clean Out
Week 2 - Junk Drawer Judgement Day
Week 1 - Landing Zones & Launch Pads
*Join the Facebook Group so you can post your progress and be entered to win our weekly prize drawing.
*If you prefer not to use Social Media to Post Your Progress, you can still be entered in to the weekly contest by sending an email to Marketing@TheOrganizedOption.com each week, before 5pm Eastern time on Monday. Please put "Progress Post" in the subject line.
Maximize your challenge success
While you can absolutely jump straight into the Home Organization Challenge and see real progress, pairing it with *Before the Bins* will transform your experience. The Challenge gives you the structure—sixteen weeks of actionable tasks that move you room by room through your home. The book gives you the *why* behind those tasks and prepares you mentally for the decisions you'll face along the way. Together, they create a complete system: one that changes not just your space, but how you think about it. You'll move through the Challenge with more confidence, less resistance, and a deeper understanding of what you're building. The book isn't required, but it ensures you get the full benefit of every step.
Download the companion workbook
If you've purchased the book Before the Bins, you'll want to download and print the companion workbook.
The workbook goes chapter by chapter with activities that help to reinforce the ideas and processes you learn in the book.