5 Day Get Yourself Organized Challenge - Day 3

by Kathi Lipp

Get Ready, Get Set, Go!

Get Ready

Get Your 3 Boxes and 2 Bags together (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, go read this post to learn all about it.)

Get Set

Figure out what area of your living room you’re going to quick clean. Now is not the time start alphabetizing your DVDs. I just want you to put 15 minutes on the clock and pull out only what you can put back in that amount of time. Maybe you need 15 minutes to clean off/out your coffee table. Maybe 15 minutes to attack underneath the stairs. Awesome. Pick an area and work on it for 15 minutes (you might want to set a timer).

We'll use the boxes and bags from yesterday's challenge. 

Here's what to do with each one:

Other Rooms Anything that doesn't belong in the area you’re cleaning gets put in the "Other Rooms" box. This would include toys in the kitchen, dog brushes in the living room, report cards in the bathroom or dishes in the bedroom.

Give Away Outgrown kids clothes? Check. Videos your family will never watch again. Check.  There is huge freedom in giving stuff away.

Here is a great set of criteria for keeping or giving away an item:

• Is it something you are currently using or wearing?
• Is it something that makes me happy when they see it?
• Is it something I will definitely use in the next six months?
• If you can answer "Yes" to one or more, find a home for the item. If not, away it goes.

And a friendly reminder: don't donate garbage. It costs charities time and money to get rid of stuff that you don't want. Only donate those things that are in decent condition and are worthy of reselling. Don't be that person.

Put Back This is the box that you put things that go in that area, but need to be put back into the right place. Clean clothes on the floor of your bedroom that you’re organizing. Shoes under your bed. Scarves hanging over a bedroom chair. These all go in the PUT BACK box so once you’ve got your bedroom in order, you just put those items back where they belong.

Garbage Bag Anything that you don't want, isn't worthy of being donated, and can't be recycled goes in here.

Recycle Bag Recycling regulations vary from city to city, so check with your local municipality if you have any question as to what should be recycled and what shouldn't.

Once you have cleaned out your area, take the OTHER ROOMS box around the house and put away all the stuff in the box. Take the GIVE AWAY box to where you gather stuff to take to donate, (or, directly to your car to be donated the next time you run errands.) And now, since your area is clean and organized, put back anything in the PUT BACK box into the spot it's supposed to go.

Do this at least once this week, but I warn you - it's addictive. Once you see how clean one area will be, you'll want to do it all over your house. RESIST THE URGE. Just do 15 minutes at least once a week - or up to once a day. You'll love the feeling you'll get!!!

Doesn't that feel better?

Just a warning: Make sure you take care of your boxes quickly and then put them away. Otherwise, a husband, disgruntled over some fresh claw marks in his new chair, might get some bright ideas about what needs to  be donated.

Go

Spend 15 minutes a day for the rest of the week cleaning and putting stuff away in your living room.