By Christine DePetrillo
January is a time for setting goals and keeping to them. Many people decide that getting more organized is a goal they’d like to try. Here are six steps that have kept me organized over the years. They might work for you too.
- Only keep what you need – It is so easy to collect stuff you’ll never use. People give you gifts that you don’t want or aren’t your taste, and you shove them into a closet thinking maybe someday they’ll be of use. Guess what? They won’t. If your first instinct is “I’m never going to use this,” it’s probably true. You’d be better off giving the unwanted items away to charity or someone you know will use them than to litter your home with them. It may sound heartless, but clutter is the devil.
- Have a chore schedule – In my house, I do certain chores on certain days. For example, Saturday is house cleaning day, Tuesday is laundry day, Wednesday is pet maintenance day, etc. You get the idea. This way I know I hit all the necessary chores, but don’t get stuck doing them all in the same day like some sort of modern-day Cinderella.
- Delegate responsibilities – If you live with other folks, they ought to be doing some things to keep organized too. The duties should not fall on one person. A well-functioning team can transform a chaotic, messy house into a smooth-running, cozy home.
- Make lists – I live by them and not because I can’t remember stuff. I’m not that old yet. I make lists because it helps me manage my time better. Something about seeing what I have to do written out on a piece of paper allows me to figure out how I’m going to get it all done in the time I have available. Plus, there’s the always fun activity of crossing things off the list once you’ve accomplished them.
- Be prepared – Plan ahead for events and commitments. I know things come up that you weren’t expecting, but if you plan for the expected things, you’ll be less stressed. Keeping a calendar is a great way to make sure you know what’s happening and when. Looking ahead is always better than running to catch up.
- If all of these don’t appeal to you, get a personal assistant. Perhaps one of the tall, dark, and handsome variety who doesn’t feel the need to cover his six-pack abs with a shirt. Get one that will cater to your every need and make keeping you organized his sole purpose in life. J
Happy Organizing!
Christine
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3 comments:
Loved all these points - especially #6!
Just looking at #6 brightened my day! LOL These are great points, Chris. I like the housework schedule. I tend to do it all on the weekend because my girls are around, making writing difficult. But it also makes weekends a drag. Your way is better.
Great points. As a grandma, my biggest clutter is pictures of my 6darlings. I know I should only display the current pictures of the grandkids, but many have an emotional memory tied to them. One pic, for example, is my grandson at a year old, sitting in the pile of toilet paper he unrolled from the holder. He has it around his neck and waist. Too cute. Now that he's a teenager, I suppose I should put the picture away, but I have fond memories of that weekend he spent withe me. And that's only one...there are many, many more. I can declutter many areas, but not my pictures.
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