How to Organize Your Photos Without Overwhelm: My Conversation on Clutter Free Forever
I was thrilled to be invited as a guest on Caroline Thor’s podcast, Living Clutter Free Forever. Caroline and I dove into a topic that so many of us quietly stress about: how to finally organize our photos in a way that feels doable, not daunting.
If you’ve ever opened your phone, scrolled endlessly, or stared at boxes of prints in the attic wondering where to even begin… you’re not alone. And that’s exactly what this episode is about.
A Key A-Ha Moment
One of my favorite moments from the conversation was when Caroline said:
“I've never really thought before about organizing photos not by year. This is quite a revelation for me today… You can have these categories and that actually makes it so, so much easier.”
So many people feel trapped by the idea that the only “right” way to organize photos is chronologically. But the truth is, most of us don’t actually remember memories by year. We remember by event, season, or story.
Think: “That beach vacation,” “Our first house,” or “Christmas at Grandma’s.” That’s how our brains naturally search for memories, and why categorizing photos this way can make your collection feel instantly less overwhelming.
What We Covered in the Podcast
Here are some of the highlights from our chat:
Start with Gathering
Whether you’re tackling print photos or digital ones, the very first step is the same: get everything in one place.
Think in Categories, Not Years
Organizing into decades, places you’ve lived, or events like birthdays and holidays makes your system easier to maintain and easier to search.
Make Tossing Prints Simple
Hold each print and sort into piles. Start with an “A pile” (keepers you love), a “trash pile” (blurry shots, duplicates), and a “maybe” pile for anything you’re unsure about.
Focus on What to Keep, Not Just What to Toss
The most powerful organizing shift? Pay attention to the photos that tell your story instead of obsessing about deleting every junk shot.
Create Simple Systems for Busy Lives
I shared my “Evening Edit” routine: spending 5 minutes a night quickly reviewing the day’s photos, curating favorites, and sending the best ones where they need to go. Done consistently, this adds up to big progress.
Why This Matters
Photos aren’t just files taking up space. They’re your story, your history, your children’s childhoods, and the memories you want to pass on. Without a system, they sit buried, unseen, unloved, and at risk of being lost.
When you take small steps to organize, protect, and print them, those memories can be enjoyed today and for generations to come.
Ready to Organize Your Own Photos?
If this conversation made you think, “Yes, that’s me! My photos are everywhere and I need help,” that’s exactly what I do.
Through my digital photo organizing services, I help busy moms and memory-keepers:
✔️ Gather scattered photos into one safe hub
✔️ Organize them into a system that works for you
✔️ Create backups so they’re protected
✔️ Design family photo books you’ll actually print
You don’t have to do this alone (or feel guilty about that backlog).
