Organizing
and cleaning your home may sometimes seem overwhelming, especially
for today's busy families. In a world of excess, it is sometimes
difficult to see the negative effects that having too much
stuff in a home can bring. Time is often spent looking for
misplaced items or sorting through things that are no longer
needed in order to find the items that are truly useful. By
simplifying and streamlining your home, you can eliminate
the frustration of searching for misplaced items and gain
valuable time to spend doing the activities you truly enjoy.
Get
Motivated by Thinking Small. The steps below will help you
begin and keep the task from seeming overwhelming.
·
Decide on ONE room or SECTION of a room to tackle first.
- Set
a time limit (1-3 hours) and a goal for completing the task.
- Don't
think of it as "work". Focus on what it will look like in
the end and how much better you will feel.
- Eliminate
distractions by turning off the phone and sending the kids
away for the day.
- Work
on what is visible first (save drawers, closets, under beds,
etc. for later), otherwise, you will end up with a bigger
mess than when you started and it can become overwhelming
very quick!
- Crank
up the radio with some upbeat music---it will make you move
faster!
- Have
a friend come help you to stay on track and focused.
When
sorting & organizing, it's good to remember Julie Morgenstern's
acronym S-P-A-C-E from her book, "Organizing from the
Inside out." It's a great resource for getting ones self organized.
S
= Sort
Start
in a corner and throw away any trash, junk mail, papers that
you know you do not need. Have a laundry basket, box or container
for things you know you don't want or need anymore. If you
do not like it or have not used it for 6 months, get rid of
it. You can donate to a charity, give to a friend or if it
is broken, throw it away. If you keep every bread-tie, rubber
band, paperclip, grocery bag or bow, throw it away TODAY.
Once you are organized, you can save these items again when
they have a home or designated area.
P
= Purge
This
goes along with sorting. As you are sorting through your things,
determine what is trash or can be given away. Try to only
touch each item one time. Remember, you can deduct items that
you donate to charity on your taxes!
