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Wednesday
Jul082009

Organizing, one drawer at a time

DateWednesday, July 8, 2009 at 10:09PM | AuthorKathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.

I’m going to get organized! After “losing weight”, “getting organized” is the most common New Year’s resolution. We all want to be more organized; we just don’t know how to do it. We imagine that the people who are organized are impossibly self-disciplined. We look at our clutter, feel tired, and let out a sigh as we turn on the TV, pick up a magazine, or answer the phone.

Clean out the garage? I don’t know where to put all that stuff! If I take it all out, I’ll only have to put it all back after I sweep the floor. And the last thing I want to do on a nice day is stay home and dig out the garage! I work hard all week. On the week-end, I need a break! If this sounds like you, take heart. You don’t have to become a perfect person. And you don’t have to give up your week-end.

We don’t create our clutter and mess all at once, and we don’t have to clean it up all at once. In fact, a big dig-out is a lot like a crash diet. The basement or the garage may look great after you’ve exhausted yourself cleaning it up, but you’re soon up to your old habits, and the clutter reappears.

So, instead of the “crash cleanout” try something different- and a whole lot easier. Try to find 15 minutes each day to devote to de-cluttering. Pick a room you’re in anyway, and then look for one small project – one shelf, one drawer, one box – that you can clean out that day. For example, if you’re in the kitchen boiling water for pasta, this is the perfect time to pick a kitchen drawer to re-organize. Or, you might be in the basement doing laundry – a perfect time to pick one storage shelf to rearrange and de-clutter.

Take one small place, and sort the items into:

  •  Keep. Place back in the drawer or back on the shelf.
  • Throw Away. These you immediately put in the trash.
  • Give Away. Put in a box or bag that you will take to your favorite charity or leave on the curb for pick-up.

If you try this one small, do-able habit – and grab a moment to organize each day – you’ll gradually see order emerge. No more need for HUGE clean-outs. Instead, underwhelm yourself – easy does it!

And let order emerge one drawer at a time.

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Reader Comments (46)

I'm going to post this on the wall one room at a time. thanks for the suggestion.

July 9, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterTim

Oh, thank you! This is just the advice I needed. I am so overwhelmed by all the stuff I need to organize, and this article was so encouraging. I shall "underwhelm" myself today and organize one drawer. :-)

July 9, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterShelley Sides

I love the 15 minutes at a time concept! The other thing I have done is to "time" myself as to how long it takes to do some of my smaller declutter tasks. I have "hotspots" (any flat surface!!!) that accumulate clutter and if I keep up with them daily and know it will only take me 10 minutes to get that spot in order, my brain is much more willing to do attempt the task. Then, as you said in a prevous posts STOPPING when the time is up and not doing "just one more thing" really helps. "just one more thing" can eat up my whole morning or afternoon.

I really appreciate these posts. Keeping things simple, simple, simple ... 15 minutes @ a time!

July 9, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterdeni weber

Thank you again! Your emails are my inspiration. Today I went through a basket of folders that has been sittting under my desk for I am embarrassed to tell you how long, and threw out over a grocery bag full of no longer needed papers. I saved a few things in ONE folder, labelled it clearly and filed it on shelf. Hopefully this feeling of success will beget more cluttering momentum. Have a lovely weekend.

July 17, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterdebbie

Some great advice Kathleen - i especially like what you say about "easy doing" it. Too many people start on their clutter clearing campaign by trying to do everything at once. Whilst a 5 hours clean/organisation is probably out of reach of most people - 10 mins at the end of the day is perfect for everyone!

Danny - Clear Your Clutter

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