You've seen the shows on TV. Individuals who have accumulated years of clutter and then in just one weekend it's all clean, organized and tidy, with the help of a home organizational specialist. Sure, that looks great on TV, but what if you've also got years (or decades) of clutter taking up valuable space in your garage, but you don't have the luxury of an organizational specialist? You've come to the right place. We've interviewed several of the leading home organizers and created a list of the top five ways to organize your garage like a pro. Here's the ticket to your garage storage solution:

Top 5 Steps to Garage Storage Organization (Like a Pro)

Before we start, and this is just a freebee, not part of the list: Get your declutter mindset going! You're really not going to make any progress if you view this as a massive project that's going to suck the life out of you, and who would? Our brains our wired to respond to positive influences and thought patterns. With this in mind, don't try to start your garage storage organization project when you are tired or late in the evening. Pick a weekend and make it a pleasurable event. Get the whole family involved. On the morning of the declutter session, go out and get Starbucks for the whole family, have your new plastic storage bins ready for action, put on some motivational music (nice and loud) and smile! This is a good thing!

Okay, now that you've got the right attitude (hopefully), here's what the professionals have to say about garage storage organization.

If you can, first move everything out onto the driveway. This means everything. By removing every single item you'll be able to sweep out your garage floor and you'll have a new, empty space to start with. This works so much better than trying to organize and sort through items all in one cramped and cluttered area. Remember, as you unpack boxes to decide what stays and what goes, you'll be taking up more room. With that in mind, the driveway is ideal.

Be ruthless! Think about how often you use the item. If it's just taking up space, you'll want to donate it to Goodwill or throw it away. Detach your emotions from the item. You either use it or you don't ; period. A good way to think about it is to assess the worst case scenario if you do throw it away. The outcome of this thought helps you to keep a realistic attitude.

A word about memorabilia. This is probably the most difficult area to address. If you are a pack rat who still has the lamp that sat on your desk in college, you may have a hard time parting with it. Think about the last time you used it. How many years ago was it? How does the item align with the goals or the person you are today? This way of thinking often helps individuals part with things they'd never imagine before.

Use clearly labeled bins for storage. Your new bins should not only be labeled, but categorized as well. Holiday decorations, ornaments, grandma's dishes, etc. The items you won't use often should be stored toward the back, while items like craft supplies or backyard games can be kept closer to the front for easy access.

Consider overhead shelving. Depending on the amount of storage space you require, overhead garage shelving may be the perfect garage storage solution for you. With overhead storage you'll be able to keep bins out of the way while storing yard tools, sporting equipment, and automotive tools on the walls or in storage cabinets that are neatly kept at the back or side walls of the garage. This will remove clutter and boxes from the garage floor and also provide you with more room for your vehicles, lawnmower and other large items.

There you have it, garage storage organization tips right from the professionals. Even with a packed garage, you should be able to tackle a project like this in one weekend. With one or two adults organizing and maybe a third to haul unwanted items away, you'll be surprised at how quickly progress can be made!