Declutter TODAY by Cindy Rushton

There is something this time of the year that actually compels me to reorganize, declutter, and clean. No other season does it quite the same!

This is actually the time of year that we clean up from the holiday whirlwind and gear up for another super year. Are you doing the same thing? Well, let’s work together by first decluttering and then getting our house in order bit-by-bit. Then, we will be ready to dig into our New Year full-force!

So, want to declutter? Let me help!

First, KNOW THAT YOU CAN’T CLEAN OR ORGANIZE CLUTTER. This is so essential. Ever get frustrated by cleaning and organizing to only look up and find that everything still looks messy? That frustrates me. If I will sit back and look, the problem is that clutter is always messy. It can’t be cleaned up or organized. It has to be attacked. It has to go.

What do you do? That brings me to the next thing.

Set up a PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND PUT EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE. Got lots of paper? Should those be organized into a notebook on that topic? Should you copy those recipes into your recipe book? Should you copy those quotes into your journal? What about all of those receipts and paid bills? Why not invest in a Rubbermaid and store them away so you will have them for your taxes next year. What about those pencils, pens, highlighters, etc. that are all laying around? Why not invest in a few tiny baskets to store them in? I have one for each end table and nightstand so those “essentials” are close by, but not cluttering up the room. Look at your clutter. Does it need a place? Does it need to be put in its place? Is its place the trash? 🙂

One more idea that should help you declutter today…

STOP CLUTTER BEFORE IT GETS A CHANCE TO GROW

Everyone needs a starting point. Here is a list of things you can begin with to start and continue the process of becoming organized. The main point with becoming organized is to stop being disorganized right now and turn a new leaf. Start here.

* When the house gets too messy, do a ’10-minute tidy,‘ where everyone in the family drops what they are doing and cleans for ten minutes.

* Divide your house into sections and then spend five minutes in each of those areas when the house is in disarray. Use a timer to keep you on track.

* To minimize the amount of time spent on errands, keep a running list of what tasks need to be done, then try to do them just one day a week.

* Prioritize what is bothering you the most. Once you have a list, you can go from there and figure out what to do first.

* Assign chores with job descriptions and alternate them among children each week. For example, one child can be assistant cook one week, and part of the clean up crew the next.

* Sort and recycle mail as soon as it arrives.

* Limit your laundry duties to one day a week.

* Have a basket for small items instead of having them here and there.

* Keep a basket in the living room for anything that needs to be put in another room at a later time. Empty the basket each night.

* When you purchase one item and bring it into the house, pick one item to leave the house either through the trashcan or the charity shop.

So, ready to attack clutter with me? Let’s get ready for a super year. If we work bit-by-bit, we will make the most of this year before us. Today…it is time to declutter!