On my Facebook page last Friday, I asked, “If you could find 5 extra minutes every day this week to tackle clutter in your home, what would be first on your list?”
This week, I’m asking you to take this ride with me… Let’s all find 5 minutes every day this week, either to attack one BIG project, or lots of little ones.
Let’s show off that we can BUST CLUTTER in 5 minutes!
I’ve started to brainstorm 20 things you can do in 5 minutes… and set up some time this week to find 5 minutes a day to do a Clutter-Bust!
What are the things that aggravate you when you’re dealing with them, but you just don’t have the time to solve them at the moment, so you shut the door, close the drawer, walk away and just put it off for the NEXT time you’ll get aggravated? These are just some ideas that came to *my* mind. What would be on yours? Make a list today, and let’s all take 5 minutes each day this week to do a Clutter-Bust!
1. Gather all the magazines and newspapers that are lying around your home, and decide if their “must-read-me” status has faded. If they have, recycle them (or put them in a specific “give to” bag or box, and put them in your car for drop off). If they haven’t, put them in one pile, and a post-it note on top which says, “Read By _____”. Give yourself an expiration date!)
2. Go through all the pens and pencils in your home. Toss the dead ones, leaky ones, broken ones, ones you just don’t love.
3. Clear off the kitchen counter. It’s amazing how things start to pile up so quickly there, isn’t it?
4. Look at the kids (or YOUR) boxed games. Find any that you know they no longer play with regularly or have aged out of.
5. Go through your stash of sheets. Unless you have small children who still have accidents, find the two sets for each bed that you love and use. Group each set together. Separate the ones you never grab first when making the bed, and let go of them. Put them in the donate pile.
6. Find the pile of mail you’ve neglected and sort through it. Consider visiting CatalogChoice or PaperKarma to help you stop receiving unwanted mail.
7. Locate your batteries, check expiration dates and determine if you’re low on any one size. Put fresh batteries for the size you need on the top of your shopping list. (Added bonus — check the flashlights you have while you’re at it; it’s a good way to figure out whether you really need new batteries for when it counts.)
8. Clear off the desk surface in your home office or your command center area. (By putting away things, not just sweeping into the top drawer!)
9. Clean the blades of your ceiling fans and the filters on your air conditioners, which are probably both getting a lot of use this summer.
10. Do a fast review in your car for trash and “this goes somewhere else”. Get rid of the trash, and relocate the items that belong elsewhere.
11. Find the pile that’s bullying you… you know the one… it stares at you when you walk by it, taunting you. You try not to make eye contact, but it knows you see it. ATTACK THAT PILE once and for all. Even if it means sorting into 2 piles — something I can deal with now, and something I need to defer. Making the pile smaller is still a victory!
12. Sort through your underwear drawer and get rid of whatever you know you haven’t worn in the last two months (not including specialty items, like a particular bra you wear for a specific dress that you STILL wear)
13. Go through the kitchen utensil or gadget drawer. Let go of the specialty tools you just don’t use, even though they seemed necessary in your imagination when you bought it or got it as a gift.
14. Give a good, hard look at your shoes. If you can look at any and think “Doesn’t fit great” or “doesn’t go with anything I currently wear” or “bought for an outfit and I’ll never wear that outfit again” or “gee… those look dusty, I guess I don’t wear them” or “I can’t remember the last time I wore them”, consider letting them go. Depending on the condition, you may be able to re-sell or donate, but really well-worn shoes can just be tossed.
15. Look in your closet and find 5 things you just don’t wear any more, and get rid of them.
16. Find all the mismatched socks in the house, and make an effort to pair them or to just admit, once and for all that the other sock is gone. You’ve obviously found a way to move on with your life without this sock being in a pair. Turn the remaining sock into part of your dusting supplies, repurpose another way, or let go.
17. Go through the closets in the house and get rid of the extra wire hangers and the hangers you hate. (Did you know most dry cleaners will take the wire hangers back from you?
18. The Junk Drawer. Enough said.
19. Back up your smart phone, computer, or tablet. 5 minutes now can save you countless aggravation later!
20. Buy a problem-solver you genuinely need (and can afford). This one’s for me: I know I need an extra “just in case” back up battery for my phone. I always remember it when, well, I’m at 7% battery, and no charger or plug where I’m at. I have to get it off my “AGGRAVATED!” list and put it on my “Ahhhh….” list. Just ADD-TO-CART the thing you know will make a huge difference in your life!
What else? What came to mind for YOU as you thought about the small things that annoy you? Think about your daily routine (what slows you down?) or your technology needs (why can you never find a charger when you need one?) or how you manage your money (why am I always scrambling to find time to pay the bills?)
Add a comment to this post and share with the rest of Clever Girl Nation what you’re going to tackle this week!
If there’s clutter in your life that’s causing you stress, even on the smallest of scales, it’s time to bust it!
Kathy Vines
Certified Professional Organizer,®
Productivity Consultant
Based in Melrose, MA.
Clever Girl Organizing® works with clients in their homes or offices to transform their space and systems, minimize stress, and maximize efficiency, productivity, and serenity! Her superpower is helping people untangle their relationship to their stuff!
