Help! Where Did All This STUFF Come From?!

Unless you’re in the rarified air with people who are almost obsessively neat and clutter free, then you exist somewhere between the "lived-in look" comfortable abode and the college life of slobbiness.

 We clean out of necessity; we throw away and declutter when our stuff is taking over our living space. It can be overwhelming to get started. But declutter we must, unless we are auditioning for Hoarders. My friend Jan calls it decraptitizing.

 Put decrapitizing on your personal calendar. All this stuff wasn’t accumulated on a weekend, so don’t expect  a couple of Saturday afternoons to get it all sorted out.  If you don’t have big chunks of time, then give it 20 minutes of your time on a regular basis. For example, when I tackle the stack of paper that I’ve discreetly hidden in a basket beneath my desk, I set my phone timer for 20 minutes. I laser beam on getting rid of as much paper as I can during that time. Paper either must be filed, put in a to-do folder with a date on it, or thrown away. When the 20 minutes are up, I’m done, and I leave the remaining paper to tackle on another day (or another 20 minutes later on that same day).

 

I call these 20 minutes a Power Sweep. I apply the time factor to cleaning the bathroom, folding clothes, or any other task around the house that can be done in a short period of time – if we just focus. Let me tell you- multi-tasking is highly overrated and can distract you from doing one thing well and finishing it. How many times have you strolled into your bedroom, exhausted after a long day, only to discover that a few hours earlier you dropped a dryer full of warm towels on your bed, thinking you could quickly fold them and put them away – and then the phone rang, a kid needed your attention, or you stepped away – and you forgot they were there?  20 Minute power sweeps can help. You focus on completing that ONE THING, and you have a very high probability of completing that task. Of course, you can adjust the time-there's no magic to 20 minutes; set a time that works best for you.

 

I learned how to do 20 minute power sweeps while working at GM headquarters. It was an excellent way to keep your desk or workspace clutter free. Time Management 101...and I discovered that it could be applied to my personal life to more effectively manage my time as a working mom.

 

Now, on to truly one of my all-time favorite things; making lists. Be sure to check in next time!!