The best part about summer is spending more time feeling the sun on your face, feeling thankful for a gentle breeze, leaving your shoes off, and laughing with friends. You are outside as much as possible. Household chores take a backseat to fun. That’s the way it should be!
Then around Labor Day, reality hits. The vacation is over. The kids are back in school. You have to think about wearing long pants and shoes again. Taking a look around your living space, you want to call in a hazmat team – how did things get so out of control?!
Since we don’t have the luxury of a “super committee”, most of us will be attacking the clutter on our own. So today, I want to give you a plan of attack that you can put into practice immediately – even before Labor Day – so you can feel victorious, vainglorious, smugly accomplished!
- Pick a room to attack first. Gather 4 needed boxes and bins*. Set a timer for 1 hour. Don’t leave the room for any reason until #7.
- Put a black trash bag* in your largest trash can. Place in the center of the room and toss in anything you will not use again.
- Now set a laundry hamper* next to the trash can. Look around to see if there is anything that does not belong in this room. Stick those things in the hamper ready to be distributed to their proper homes.
- Get a copy paper box or plastic bin* (16 qt). Gather all papers and place in the box. DO NOT stop to read anything! For further instructions on paper, read this blog post on speed sorting or purchase my ebook 7 Tools to Conquer Paper Piles Forever.
- Make a pile of any magazines more than 2 months old. Black out your name & address and take to a shelter or hospital waiting room. (JamesCare in Dublin is grateful for any magazines.)
- Look around at what is left out of place. Pick up one item at a time and ask these 5 Questions to Clear Clutter:
- Have I used this item in the past year?
- Will I need it on a definite date in the future?
- Would it be difficult to get another if I needed it again someday?
- Do I need to keep it for legal or tax purposes?
- Do I love it or find it beautiful?
If the answer to all 5 questions is “No”, let it go! (give, toss, recycle, donate)
- Make a list of the items you will donate, put the donation box* in your car, ready to go.
- Carry out all boxes and bins. Distribute as necessary.
- Find homes in this room for the stuff that is left. I’m hoping you have cut this by at least 50%!
- Dust and run the sweeper. DONE!
Wow! Do you feel accomplished or what? Shoot me an email to brag on your progress.
If you are having a hard time pushing yourself to do this on your own, why not join my Clutter Management Program for the month of September? See details in What’s Happening. You choose the room; I provide motivation, support and accountability.
After you do one room, give yourself 2 weeks to practice keeping that room picked up. Then, repeat the process in another room. In 3 months tops, you should have your house or apartment under control! Whew, time to dream of summer again…
A client recently shared that she asked her daughter’s fiancé to do one thing for her – read the book,