Intentional Organization: Build a System That Works for Real Life

By Kevin Cody | Founder & CEO, FLI Products / Mary Joan Isorena, Communications
Published: September 16, 2026

If you're searching for how to organize better, buying more bins may not be the best place to start. Intentional organization begins earlier: deciding what you need, grouping belongings according to how you actually use them, assigning each category a practical home, and only then choosing storage that supports the system.

A room can look tidy because everything has been moved into containers. But if you don't know what's inside those containers, frequently used items are difficult to reach, or every new object ends up in a “miscellaneous” bin, the underlying organization problem hasn't really been solved.

The goal isn't simply to store more things.

It's to build a system that answers three questions:

Why am I keeping this? How do I use it? Where should it live?

For more CrateMate storage and organization resources, visit the CrateMate Hub.

Key Takeaways

• Organize the belongings first and the containers second.

• Start with an inventory so you know what the system actually needs to accommodate.

• Group items according to useful relationships—not simply because they physically fit together.

• Frequency of use should influence where belongings live.

• Every useful category needs a defined home.

• Avoid allowing “miscellaneous” storage to become the default destination for things without a decision.

• Leave some flexibility instead of designing a system that is full on day one.

• Build simple reset routines so organization continues after the initial cleanup.

• Reassess the system when your activities, equipment, household or workspace change.

1. Start With Purpose Before You Start With Containers

It's easy to begin an organization project by shopping for containers.

That reverses the process.

Before deciding what kind of crate, bin, drawer, cabinet or shelf you need, define what you're trying to accomplish.

For example:

“I need to organize the garage” is broad.

These are more useful:

• I want gardening tools together near the garage door.

• I need frequently used hand tools within reach of the workbench.

• I want camping equipment ready to load for weekend trips.

• I need sports equipment where the family can retrieve and return it.

• I want seasonal supplies out of prime-access space.

• I need vehicle equipment organized so it can move between the garage and SUV.

Now you're designing around behavior and purpose, rather than trying to make everything fit whatever containers you happened to buy.

That distinction becomes the foundation of intentional organization.

2. Take Inventory Before You Organize

You can't design a useful system around belongings you haven't actually considered.

Before reorganizing a category, bring enough of it together that you can understand what you own.

You might discover:

• duplicates;

• items that belong somewhere else;

• things you no longer use;

• incomplete sets;

• supplies you repeatedly buy because you couldn't find the ones you already had;

• several objects that are actually used for the same activity.

This doesn't mean every organization project has to begin by emptying an entire house onto the floor.

Keep the scope manageable.

Instead of “organize everything,” start with a defined area or category:

workbench tools → gardening supplies → camping gear → sports equipment → vehicle essentials

Working in manageable sections also makes it easier to finish one system before creating five unfinished projects.

3. Decide What Deserves Storage

Organization isn't only about deciding where something goes.

Sometimes the first decision is whether it needs storage at all.

As you review a category, ask:

• Do I still use this?

• Is it complete and functional?

• Do I already own another item that serves the same purpose?

• Would I realistically look for this if I needed it?

• Is there a specific reason I'm keeping it?

• Does it belong to this category or somewhere else?

Depending on the item and its condition, the outcome might be to:

keep it, relocate it, donate it, recycle it where accepted, or dispose of it appropriately.

This is one reason buying storage too early can work against the project.

A larger container can make it easier to postpone decisions by giving unnecessary belongings somewhere new to hide.

4. Create Categories That Match Real Life

Once you've decided what you're keeping, group related belongings.

But don't assume there's only one “correct” way to categorize.

The best category is usually the one that makes an item easier to find, use and return.

Organize by Type

This can work well when similar objects are commonly used independently:

• fasteners;

• hand tools;

• cleaning supplies;

• sports balls;

• gardening tools.

Organize by Activity

Sometimes objects that are technically different belong together because they're repeatedly used together.

For example, a gardening group might include:

• gloves;

• hand pruners;

• plant ties;

• labels;

• small hand tools.

A vehicle-cleaning kit could contain different items that all serve one activity.

Organize by Person

In a household, assigning each family member a sports, school or hobby category may be easier to maintain than sorting everything exclusively by object type.

Organize by Project

For recurring projects, keeping the necessary supplies together can reduce repeated setup and searching.

The important principle is:

Categorize according to how you retrieve and use things—not according to an arbitrary rule about what belongs together.

5. Organize by Frequency of Use

After deciding what belongs together, decide where those categories belong.

Frequency matters.

Frequently Used

Items used every day or every week generally deserve the easiest access.

They may belong:

• near the point of use;

• at an accessible height;

• near the front of a storage area;

• in storage that's quick to open, lift or retrieve.

Occasionally Used

These items can occupy secondary storage positions.

They should remain identifiable, but they don't necessarily need your most convenient space.

Seasonal or Rarely Used

Holiday decorations, seasonal sports equipment or specialized project supplies may be able to move farther from prime-access areas.

This simple hierarchy helps prevent a common organization problem:

rarely used belongings occupy the easiest storage space while everyday equipment is buried behind them.

6. Give Every Category a Home

A category isn't fully organized until you know where it returns after use.

The “home” might be:

• a drawer;

• shelf;

• cabinet;

• hook;

• crate;

• closed tote;

• tool chest;

• wall system;

• or another appropriate storage format.

The important part is consistency.

If gardening gloves sometimes live in the shed, sometimes on the workbench and sometimes in the SUV, finding them depends on remembering the last place they were used.

When they have a defined home, returning them requires less decision-making.

A useful test is:

Could another person who understands the system reasonably determine where this belongs?

If the answer is no, the category or storage location may still be too vague.

7. Be Careful With the “Miscellaneous” Bin

Almost every storage system is tempted by one category:

Miscellaneous.

A small catch-all area can be useful for genuinely temporary items.

The problem begins when “miscellaneous” becomes a permanent category for every object that doesn't have an assigned home.

Then the container isn't organizing anything. It's simply accumulating postponed decisions.

When a miscellaneous area grows, periodically ask:

• Are several items actually part of the same category?

• Does an existing category need to expand?

• Does something belong elsewhere?

• Are we keeping things we no longer need?

• Has a new activity created the need for a new category?

The goal isn't to eliminate every odd object.

It's to stop “I don't know where this goes” from becoming the largest category in the system.

8. Choose the Container After You Understand the Category

Now—not at the beginning—is the time to choose storage.

Different categories need different storage formats.

A Drawer or Small Organizer May Work When:

• contents are small;

• individual compartments matter;

• the items stay near one workspace.

A Closed or Lidded Container May Work When:

• contents need more enclosure;

• small objects could fall through openings;

• separation from surrounding dust or debris matters;

• the category is stored for longer periods.

Open Storage May Work When:

• contents are accessed frequently;

• visibility is useful;

• the category benefits from quick retrieval;

• the items don't require enclosed storage.

Portable Storage May Work When:

• the category moves between locations;

• several items are used together;

• the entire group needs to travel from storage to the activity.

This is where product selection becomes part of the system—but the product follows the organizational decision.

That principle applies whether you're choosing a crate, drawer, cabinet, shelf, tote or tool organizer.

9. When Does a Storage Crate Make Sense?

A storage crate can be useful when a category benefits from a combination of:

• open access;

• portability;

• visibility;

• ventilation;

• defined containment;

• stackable storage.

But that doesn't mean every category belongs in a crate.

Tiny loose hardware may need compartmentalized storage. Items requiring environmental protection may need a more enclosed solution. Frequently used objects might be better on a wall or directly on a workbench.

The purpose determines the container.

For categories where an open, portable, stackable format does make sense, CrateMate Heavy-Duty Storage & Transport Crates provide two Made in USA HDPE options designed around real-life organization and transport. FLI currently offers 16QT and 24QT CrateMate sizes.

CrateMate 16QT

The CrateMate 16QT Heavy-Duty Stackable Storage Crate has exterior dimensions of 13 × 13 × 12 inches, interior dimensions of 12 × 12 × 11 inches, a hexagonal-grid ventilated design, built-in handles, a secure stackable base and a published capacity of up to 50 pounds. FLI positions its compact footprint for uses including workshops, vehicle organization, gardening, crafts, dorms and kayak/fishing setups.

CrateMate 24QT

The CrateMate 24QT Heavy-Duty Stackable Storage Crate provides the larger option for categories that need additional space.

The point isn't to make every category a “CrateMate category.”

It's to identify which categories actually benefit from this type of storage, then choose the size that fits the contents and available space.

Need an Open, Portable Home for One of Your Categories?

Explore CrateMate Heavy-Duty Storage & Transport Crates and compare the 16QT and 24QT options after you've identified what needs to be stored and where it needs to live.

10. Don't Fill Every Container to 100%

An organization system that's completely full on the day you finish it has very little room to adapt.

Categories change.

You may acquire another tool. A child may start a new sport. A project may require additional supplies. Seasonal equipment changes. Consumables get replenished.

Leaving some reasonable capacity can make a system easier to maintain than packing every container to its absolute limit.

This does not mean buying oversized storage “just in case.”

It means recognizing that organization is a living system rather than a perfectly frozen arrangement.

11. Make the System Easy to Reset

A system isn't successful because it looks perfect immediately after you organize it.

The more useful test is:

What does it look like three months later?

A simple reset routine can prevent small amounts of disorder from turning into another major cleanup.

Depending on the space, that might mean:

• returning project supplies when the project ends;

• putting tools back after each job;

• resetting vehicle gear after a trip;

• replenishing activity kits;

• returning sports equipment after the weekend;

• reviewing a workbench at the end of the week;

• rotating seasonal categories when needs change.

The easier an item is to return, the more maintainable the system becomes.

That is another reason accessibility matters. If returning something requires moving five other containers every time, the system creates friction.

12. Reassess Instead of Automatically Buying More Storage

When a category stops fitting, the automatic response is often:

“We need another bin.”

Sometimes that's correct.

Sometimes it isn't.

Before expanding storage, ask:

• Did the category legitimately grow?

• Are there items we no longer use?

• Did unrelated things migrate into it?

• Should one large category become two smaller ones?

• Is this still the right location?

• Has the way we use these items changed?

• Is the container still appropriate?

If the activity changes, the storage system may need to change with it.

That's not failure.

That's what an intentional system is supposed to do.

From “Where Can I Put This?” to “Where Should This Live?”

The difference between storage and intentional organization is often the quality of the question.

Instead of:

Where can I put this?

Ask:

Why am I keeping it?
What do I use it with?
How often do I need it?
Where do I use it?
Where should it return?
What type of storage actually supports that routine?

Containers matter—but they come later.

When purpose, categories, accessibility and location come first, storage becomes part of a larger system rather than a way to hide clutter.

That's the philosophy behind CrateMate's role in organization as well: the crate should serve the system, not become the system.

Build Your CrateMate System Intentionally

Once you've identified the categories that need open, portable and stackable storage, explore the CrateMate collection at FLI Products.

Choose the compact CrateMate 16QT for categories and spaces that need the smaller footprint, or compare it with the CrateMate 24QT when additional capacity is appropriate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to organize intentionally?

Intentional organization means making deliberate decisions about what you keep, how related belongings are grouped, where they live and how you'll retrieve and return them. Storage containers are selected after those needs are understood rather than being the starting point.

What's the best way to start organizing a cluttered space?

Start with a manageable area or category rather than trying to reorganize everything simultaneously. Review what you own, decide what you still need, group related items and determine where those categories should live before choosing new storage.

Should I buy storage containers before I declutter?

Usually it is more useful to understand what you're keeping and how it should be grouped first. Otherwise, you may purchase containers that don't match the final quantity, dimensions, accessibility needs or categories.

How should I decide what belongs together?

Think about how you actually use the items. Depending on the situation, grouping by type, activity, project, person or location may be more useful than using one universal method.

How do I organize things I use frequently?

Give frequently used categories easier access and place them reasonably close to where they're used. Avoid burying them beneath rarely used or seasonal storage when possible.

Is a miscellaneous bin bad?

Not necessarily. A small temporary catch-all can be practical. Problems arise when “miscellaneous” becomes a permanent destination for belongings that have never been assigned a category or home.

How do I keep an organized space from becoming cluttered again?

Make items easy to return, establish simple reset routines and periodically reassess categories. If the system consistently breaks down in the same place, the storage arrangement may need to change.

Should every category use the same type of storage container?

No. Small hardware, clothing, frequently used tools, outdoor equipment and project supplies can have very different storage requirements. Choose the format according to the category rather than forcing every category into matching containers.

When does an open storage crate make sense?

An open crate can be useful for categories that benefit from visibility, accessibility, ventilation, portability or stackable storage and that do not require a sealed or fully enclosed container.

Are CrateMate crates Made in USA?

Yes. FLI's current CrateMate collection identifies both CrateMate storage-crate products as Made in USA.

What CrateMate sizes are available?

FLI currently offers 16QT and 24QT CrateMate storage crates. The 16QT is the more compact format, while the 24QT provides additional capacity.

About Kevin Cody

Kevin Cody | Founder & CEO, FLI Products

Kevin Cody is the Founder and CEO of FLI Products and a product development, merchandising and retail industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience. His background includes merchandising leadership at The Home Depot as well as developing, sourcing, manufacturing, marketing and bringing consumer products to market through major retailers and online marketplaces.

Kevin works directly with manufacturers, inventors, retailers and consumers to develop practical products that solve everyday problems. His experience spans product design and development, retail merchandising, manufacturing, e-commerce, marketplace strategy and consumer product education.

Through the FLI Products Learning Center, Kevin shares practical, experience-based information designed to help consumers better understand products, solve problems and make informed purchasing decisions.

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About FLI Products

FLI Products develops and markets practical consumer products designed to solve everyday problems at home, outdoors and on the job. Working directly with manufacturers, inventors and retailers, FLI Products focuses on thoughtful product design, practical functionality and useful solutions for consumers. Its products are available through FLIProducts.com and select major retailers and online marketplaces.

About FLI Products

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For more CrateMate storage and organization resources, visit the CrateMate Hub.