Struggle to get organized? The 1-Percent Rule is the easy organization trick you need to try

Staying organized can be hard. Whether you hate cleaning, get too busy with work or family obligations to prioritize it, or simply struggle with clutter, being more organized and maintaining a tidy home is easier than ever thanks to lifestyle influencer Holly Blakely.

She shared her super simple trick to stay organized called the 1-Percent Rule. "The 1% rule is especially helpful this time of year when it’s easier to feel overwhelmed with lists to check off. Put aside the list and JUST do ONE small thing to make your home (and head) 1% better," she wrote in the caption of the Instagram post.

In the video, Blakely organizes a number of things in her home: putting away shoes in her closet, going through paperwork and office supplies, creating labels for storage bags, picking up her kids' toys, and even arranging flowers. Essentially, the 1-Percent Rule is all about avoiding feeling overwhelmed by putting too many actual tasks or too much expectation on yourself to get a long list of things done. Instead, it's all about keeping things simple–and making realistic goals that will spur you into action rather than freeze mode.

Besides having an organized home, your nervous system will also be calmer thanks to your organized surroundings, Blakely adds. "That might mean simply making your bed, or recycling a mail pile…Maybe emptying the dishwasher or hanging 1 jacket. Maybe putting a flower in a vase or wiping down the counter. Maybe simply tossing a pair of socks with holes or untangling a cord. But it just has to be one thing each day," she writes in the post's caption.

Blakely's 1-Percent Rule is also backed up by science. By breaking down 'big' goals into smaller ones, it increases motivation and enhances momentum to get things done once you actually accomplish small things. "At first glance, breaking down a bigger goal into smaller pieces might seem like a superficial ‘reframing trick.’ In actuality, it is a versatile goal-setting strategy that you can apply to almost any target,” an article by five leading behavioral scientists in Scientific American explained.

She ends her caption essentially explaining the same theory. "It’s a simple action that triggers a change in your head. It’s a simple action that makes your home 1% better. I used to use this rule years and years ago when working with children on the spectrum. Simplifying into small victories creates a big internal shift. So especially this time of year, go easy, give yourself some grace and remember that it just takes one little action."

And the video got lots of positive responses from her followers. "I love this!!! I've been learning I don't have to get everything done in one day and to just breath 🫶🏽💕," one wrote. Another commented, "Yes!! I am here for this and practice this. It makes such a difference. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach. This is a great reminder 🤍✨." One more viewer added, "True, this 1% approach helps in many aspects of life 😍."