Professional Organizer's 'Life-Changing' Decluttering Method

- The "cousins-or-coworkers" method was created by professional organizer Christen Fackler of iOrganize in May 2022. The concept evolved from her advice to clients to put random items "with its friends." - This organizational system is designed for items you've already decided to keep and helps you find a home for them by personifying your belongings. - The method goes beyond just two categories, breaking items down into three groups: "family" (identical items), "cousins" (items with similar functions but aren't identical), and "coworkers" (items used together for a specific task). - For example, when organizing a desk, multiple pens of the same type would be "family," a pen and a pencil would be "cousins," and a pen, notebook, and ruler would be "coworkers." - This approach is intended to be more flexible than traditional organizing systems. For instance, a pair of sunglasses could be stored with its "cousin" (reading glasses) or its "coworker" (your purse), depending on what makes the most sense for your routine. - The "coworker" category is particularly useful for finding logical homes for miscellaneous items that don't have many similar counterparts, like storing a lighter with candles or barbecue tools. - Fackler's full organizing process involves four steps: purge, sort, contain, and maintain. The "cousins, coworkers, and family" method is specifically applied during the sorting phase.