Do you ask yourself, why can’t I find anything around the house? Why is every room cluttered? Life is busy with work, kids and life’s routine. Do you want to step off the Merry Go Round and take a breath?
Stop and take a breath. Think about your greatest frustration; just one. How will you change that frustration into ‘problem solved’? Overwhelmed with it all? If we think about everything that is wrong, we cannot focus on any one thing. The problem does not have to be momentous. Sometimes starting with the easier problems gives us energy to tackle more. Baby steps.
Identify the problem or frustration.
What are 3 things you can do to make it better or more tolerable? We are not looking for perfection, just an improvement. Maybe create a list.
Do you need to declutter?
Sort for keep, donate, trash, recycle, shred
Keep: the necessary, the treasures
Donate: excess because you have no storage and/or you cannot move around your home freely/safely
Trash: unusable items hidden in the clutter
Recycle: excess junk mail, old magazines, old lists
Shred: sensitive paperwork that is no longer needed
Do you need to create a system to manage daily tasks in a more efficient way?
Mail, bill pay, laundry, dinner and dishes
You do not need to complete a whole room. There are no set rules. Pick an area, section or just a desk or bed. Play a game, pick out what does not belong and place it in a pile for later. Or find all the trash and put it in a bag. Set a timer and be done when it goes off. Find what works for you. A key to success is to create a new habit. Choose one.
Example: Process Mail
Is mail on every available surface? You have no set pattern for getting the mail and processing until completion?
Try these steps:
Pick up mail at least once weekly
Process: Processing tools would include a container for trash and recycle (small trash can and basket only big enough to accommodate all standard size paper) and a shredder*. Open the mail and immediately put all unneeded paper in recycle or shred bag/container.
Categorize: keep or recycle, shred or toss
Designated a place for mail that needs action. Action could be ‘to be paid’, needs a phone call or conversation with partner, or simply needs to be filed.
*If you do not want a shredder, there are free shred events in your county or you can take it to your local Staples or UPS store and they will shred for a fee. Use a paper bag to collect your shredding and take it when the bag is full.
Focus on the NOW not the past. Pick one goal, break down the steps by task or time. Set a timer if that works for you, or turn on some music and get it done!