Fix, To Do, Recycle, Recycle, and Read the list goes on. We all have a perpetual never ending list of things we want to achieve. In today’s technology and fast pace word finding the time can be near impossible. If you can spare 15 minutes a day you find that list might narrow down just a bit.
Starting, give yourself 15 minutes a day to work on a pile of your choice and set a timer. It is easier to accomplish more, when you know you have an end point.
Reshuffling, into categories; send, do, read, recycle and fix. Remember there are thousands of categories for piles. It may not feel like you get much done at first but, it is easier to deal with a pile that is all one category. By placing things you need to read or go through in one area, it will be easier to whittle this down later.
Pair it down, once you piles are complete, take care of the space stealers first, anything that needs to leave the house, for example recycling or donating. Remember that 15 minutes you had to organize the piles; you’re not done with it yet. Next time you go out shopping through it in the car and make the stop at Good Will, or the recycling center. (Make sure to keep a list of what you donated for tax season write offs) Ask yourself, if you are really going to ever read/use. this? Do I need it? Can this be put away? Does this have a home? Can I through this away? If you answered yes to any of these take care of that. If you answered no in the trash it goes. When sorting your piles, keep a bin to place items in that need to be put away, a recycling bin/trash bag for items you choose to discard in order to pare down and simplifying your piles.
Bin away, the “put away bin” should be done every other day, set the timer for 15 and go, move around the house quickly putting items in their proper homes or returning to their owners. Try to empty the bin as fast you can, this makes for a good work out for houses with stairs. Once you have your piles organized use the concept of “the put away bin” for quick clutter cleaning, of any common living space in your home. Do it every other day and you should be able to keep clutter under your thumb. Also make sure people understand the put away bin is not storage and only you are allowed to use it. This sounds harsh, but I have seen people take the bin and use it for other things or to store items witch quickly defeats the purpose of de cluttering and taking on your piles.
Take a paper cut, things like; bills, menus, business cards, appliance information, house repair receipts and magazines /catalogs. Try investing in a business card box that is alphabetized, you can find most of these at any office supply store , I stick mine in the pantry it’s a great way to keep track of numbers of services for the water heater and any other home repair people you use. I also have a friend who has dedicated an entire binder to her home, she keeps the repairman’s business cards, and all her important home papers and warranties in the binder. She uses the baseball card protector pages and slides the card in, and protector pages for the other paper work. If you have the time and get crazy you can enter the information on your computer and keep it in a database there. Try investing in a decorative box to keep your bills; it’s a great way to keep everything together and a place to hide the bills when guests come over. I do the same with menus and store it in my pantry. As for the magazines and catalogs, the choices are unlimited make sure it’s something pretty that you won’t mind having sit out and that fits the available space you have stash the magazines in there, go through though and purge every year. If you know you will never look at it or are not interested take it right to the recycling don’t waste your time. The goal is to find these things easy but kept nice, neat, and organized. Whatever system you choose to organize your pile of papers make sure it’s one that is easy to use and keep up. Anything that requires complicated work won’t last. The easier it is to put things a way, the more likely you are to stick to it.
Memorabilia, oh the nostalgia things we just can’t seem to let go of, there is a box for that. Put it all in a decent size box to be stored in your closet. Over time as the collection grows and the lid won’t close pare down items until it does. Your options are to display the items you removed from your book shelves or trash them. Remember if you choose to display them you have to have room for them, if you choose to make room that means something else has to go, don’t let your shelves become cluttered.
My pile buster tools include; a timer, allergy medicine for the dust, paper towels and cleaner to clean off anything that might need it, three ring binder and hole punch for corralling and organizing papers. Labels and markers for just that, labeling, a recycling bin and trash bag for discards, storage solutions-boxes-magazine rack, and a small piece of chocolate for a reward when I finish
Piles are part of life they just happen, but taking some time can break them down into smaller piles and help you keep on top of the mess.
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