It seems the cooler days of winter are here with us. As we get "tucked in" to a few more weeks of winter, what do you plan to do inside?
It's the perfect opportunity to REST! Yes!
As our lives are so busy with deadlines and stress, relaxing at home is a gift for this season!
What do you enjoy? Reading a good book? Puzzles? Perhaps a hobby like crochet or painting? It might sound funny, but other than reading, my favorite thing to do is organize! The cooler months allow me time to relax as I sort through drawers, closets and storage areas. If I can challenge myself to one drawer a day, then eventually they'll all be done. What an accomplishment!
I like to start with a smaller project so I can experience quick success! If I were to ask you to dump out your purse, what would you find?
I found a few cough drops that fell out of the bag..
Some loose business cards from the latest networking meeting..
A couple of markers .. and no less than 8 pens!!
Loose change .. and a couple of used kleenex.
Oh yes - and there were plenty of old receipts ... a safety pin ... measuring tape ... and the list goes on ... So, what would you find in your purse?
It's a small declutter and organize activity, like the junk drawer, except that we actually carry around all the junk with us wherever we go! No wonder our shoulders are hurting!
So why is it that we manage to get our purses so full and unorganized? I've tried buying a smaller purse in hopes that I just wouldn't carry as much. It ended up with papers and "stuff" falling out of it as it was so jammed and every time I tried to find something, everything else had to be pulled out. Nope. That sure didn't work.
I tried buying a larger purse. I could fit 2 books into it, but also mitts, too many papers, my keys and my phone that has always slipped hidden at the bottom somewhere. I seem to have filled it up - just like having a bigger container gives us the permission to keep more of our treasures.
I've discovered that I do like the larger size the best, but try to declutter at least once a week. Some containers need this weekly routine.
So when attempting to simplify, I always start with a small project, like a purse, so I can see immediate results. I've discovered that I can organize a single drawer in about 1/2 hour. It always feels good to be able to see results! We save time spent looking for things that are lost, and we save money by not needing to buy something we already have.
Drawers - the kitchen, the bedroom, the front hallway, the office - wherever there are drawers, they can be completed relatively quickly. Here's my steps:
1. Take everything out,
2. Sort into categories (garbage, donate, keep),
3. Find containers to keep similar items together. Often I use Tupperware containers, plastic peanut butter jars, or whatever I can find that fits the drawer. Dollar Store has pretty boxes too :)
4. Clean the drawer before putting anything back inside. TaDa and done!
Of course, this sometimes results in the dominoe affect. After we've completed the bedroom drawers, we want to continue on to the closet. Bigger task, but now that we know how satisfying it felt to clean out the drawers we can master this task! Same method. In a couple of hours, another job well done!
Room by room the task of simplifying life continues. I'm finding myself in downsize/simplify mode all year. I sort through the Christmas decor before boxing it in storage. (I store it until next year to donate as organizations don't have room for mountains of seasonal storage). I also pack Christmas linens, pictures, etc with the decorations. This frees up space in my linen closet and I won't need those items until next Christmas anyways. Then I sort through Spring décor when preparing for the next season. It just never ends. And, that's okay! The alternative is finding myself with a huge amount of work and the job becomes overwhelming and stressful. So, I like to do it this way. Less stuff, less stress.
And now - it's time to relax!
What area of your home do you want to simplify? I can help you!
