If you're like me, you go into your weekend or days off with big plans to "get your life together." The dishes will get done! I'll finally clean the carpet with that home-made lemon juice/baking soda remedy! I'll get around to sorting through that box of 300 loose photos!
And then... Somehow... that Murder, She Wrote marathon comes on, or your friend calls about something fun going on downtown, and all those projects fall to the wayside. Not Today!
Today's how-to includes some helpful tips and steps that I've gathered from a variety of great sources that will help you organize your home a little bit and feel a little lighter.
The following list is about the basic approach to organizing or decluttering a specific spot in your home.
First: Target a particular spot to declutter or organize. It could be as small as a drawer or as big as your living room!
Set Goals: What do you want this space to be? What is the best use for it? Be Specific.
Apply the Four Box Method: This is a common tool suggested by organizing experts. Get 4 boxes, bags or bins. Each one has a purpose:
1. Put Away/Keep
2. Give Away/Sell (if you're sorting through clothes, keep in mind awesome places like Buffalo Exchange where you can get trade or cash for clothes)
3. Storage
4. THROW AWAY!
*If you're on a real cleaning rampage, eliminate the storage category
Follow Through: In my experience, immediately dumping the throw away box in the trash extinguishes any chances of second guessing. I like to also put the give away/sell bags right into the trunk of my car so I can instantly see more space. It helps if you allot time for the whole thing, for example 1 hour to clean and 1 hour to run to storage and/or Good Will.
Tarreyn Tips:
- Accordion files are the greatest invention ever.
- Scented candles do wonders.
- Turn on music, NOT a movie to keep you company through your cleaning efforts! Sing along! Loudly!
- Set mini flag-posts. I.E: After this closet, I get a cup of coffee!
- Feeling anxious or defeated? A 10 minute walk around the block will rejuvenate you!
- Nothing feels better than getting trade or cash for stuff you didn't even want any more - make sure to look into businesses that give trade or cash
- Sometimes spending a little extra money to get exactly the right and fun kinds of binders/boxes/bins/shoe racks/etc. is worth it. Having things you like makes it more fun to sort through your things.
- Most importantly: IT'S YOUR HOME! You deserve to love every corner of it!
- Unclutterer
- Life Organizers
- Good Housekeeping
- Organized Home
- Zen Habits
- This List from Mashable is an awesome categorized list of over a HUNDRED web applications that can help you organize almost every aspect of your life!
*And, of course, The Happiness Project. Here you can find tons of lists and methods to help with "Clutter-Busting"
This stuff is all a small sampling. There are literally COUNTLESS books, tips, speakers, websites and gurus who all have a lot to say about organizing, but this is a pretty low-key place to start. Hope these help! One of the most important things to remember is DO NOT get discouraged! Start small and work your way up. Even organizing your freezer can take as little as 10 minutes and make you feel GREAT!
Good luck and have a terrific weekend!
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