Ahhh, those summer days when you can kick back and relax. You may want to lie around, take long weekend trips, and stay out late at night. The heck with organizing, right? Wait just a minute. You can be productive and overcome procrastination in the summer. Clutter doesn't stop accumulating.
Jump to:
- Key Takeaways
- Quick Tips to Overcome Procrastination this Summer and Stay Organized
- Address your avoidance.
- Schedule 15 minutes each night to do a clean sweep of the house.
- Pick the time of day you least like to stay outside.
- Start with the most important project.
- Create mini-goals.
- Quick Wins: 30+ Areas You Can Declutter in Just 15-30 Minutes
- Eleven Easy 15 Minute Closet Organizing Tasks to Clear Out the Closet
- 15 Organizing Tasks that take 15 Minutes Each Day
- 31 Days 15 Minute Organizing List Challenge
- 15 Minute Decluttering Tasks Challenge - Declutter Your Home in 31 Days with Videos
- Just do seasonal decluttering.
- Clear the floors and tables.
- Make systems for these frequently used areas.
- Organize on Rainy Days.
- Ask for help.
- Say positive affirmations to motivate yourself.
- Schedule Fun Events AND Decluttering Tasks.
- Use the Two-Minute Rule.
- Use a Summer Procrastination Buster List.
- Frequently Asked Questions About Overcoming Summer Procrastination
Key Takeaways
- Pausing decluttering this summer leads to stress and overwhelm as tasks pile up and become harder to tackle later.
- To overcome procrastination, set mini-goals, address avoidance, and schedule short, consistent organizing sessions.
- Use the Two-Minute Rule to handle tasks quickly and maintain organization without feeling overwhelmed.
- Take advantage of rainy days for organizing, and ask for help to speed up your decluttering process.
- Motivate yourself with rewards, create systems for frequently used areas, and use affirmations (affiliate) to maintain a positive mindset.
If you think pausing your organizing projects over the summer is a good idea, I created a list of potential consequences of pausing decluttering and reorganizing, and resisting procrastination.
- You will need to remember where you left off. Some organizing projects need to be completed quickly because they are more complicated and require more of your attention. Setting them aside for several months may mean starting over.
- You will get overwhelmed with the organizing project. This will happen particularly with projects you meant to start but never did. Then, the months pass, and the piles get bigger, and the stuff gets more hidden.
- You may not get back to it. If you have several projects in progress and the fall brings its own tasks, like getting kids ready for back-to-school, you may forget to return to the projects you didn't finish before the summer.
These are just three of the many results that can happen if you give into procrastination this summer. If these results scare you enough, check out these tips below that will help you move beyond your procrastination this summer.
Quick Tips to Overcome Procrastination this Summer and Stay Organized
Address your avoidance.
The trigger statement to act is when you hear yourself saying, "I will do it later." Instead of putting it off, move forward. This phrase should indicate that you need to start it now. Instead, take a few steps to move the project along. Just writing down the steps that need to be completed will work wonders.
Ask yourself what's really stopping you this summer. Is it that the project feels too big? Too overwhelming? Or maybe you're not sure where to start? Identifying your specific reason for avoiding a task helps you solve the real problem. If a project feels too large (affiliate), break it into smaller steps (more on that below). If you don't know where to start, pick just one drawer or one shelf to tackle first. Getting specific about your avoidance turns a vague feeling into an actionable summer plan.
Schedule 15 minutes each night to do a clean sweep of the house.
This is where you put all the small items that were left out away. Trash goes in the trash can (affiliate); plates go in the dishwasher. I call this the Tidy Up Fast Method. Learn about it in my post.
If 15 minutes still feels like too much commitment during busy summer evenings, try starting with just 5 minutes. Set a timer, focus only on putting things away, and stop when it goes off. You'll be surprised how much you can reset a room in that short time - and how often you'll keep going once you've started. Consistency matters more than duration. Five minutes every night beats a 2-hour marathon that only happens twice all summer.
Pick the time of day you least like to stay outside.
The heat and humidity can serve as a reminder to take action indoors. If you don't like the heat and want to stay inside, use this time from 3:00 to 4:00 pm or from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm to do your tasks. If you prefer Friday afternoons into the evening, schedule time to do tasks then.
Visit our post on 5 areas to organize when it is hot outside.
Start with the most important project.
Prioritizing your projects will help you determine what needs to be done first. Start with the project you want to do first to motivate yourself to continue with the projects you dislike.
Not sure which summer project is most important? Ask yourself:
- Which space causes me the most daily stress?
- Which area do guests see when they come over for summer get-togethers?
- Which project has been on my list the longest?
The answers will point you right to your priority. Tackle that one first and watch how much mental energy it frees up - so you can actually enjoy the rest of your summer.
Create mini-goals.
Another way to overcome procrastination is to create mini-goals. The goals you want to accomplish in the summer don't have to be huge. Mini goals are short and achievable tasks. Check out our many 15-minute decluttering/organizing task challenges for motivation to start.
Quick Wins: 30+ Areas You Can Declutter in Just 15-30 Minutes
We've all been there, staring at the clutter in our homes, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff that needs decluttering and organizing.
Eleven Easy 15 Minute Closet Organizing Tasks to Clear Out the Closet
Fifteen-minute organizing projects are a great way to break tasks into smaller, manageable DIY projects that can fit into any part of your day.
15 Organizing Tasks that take 15 Minutes Each Day
We are all so busy these days. With work and shuttling kids around taking up most of our day, our organizing tasks are usually lumped in with every other chore.
31 Days 15 Minute Organizing List Challenge
Are you struggling to organize your home? It's time to take baby steps and try a challenge.
15 Minute Decluttering Tasks Challenge - Declutter Your Home in 31 Days with Videos
It's so helpful to have a video that tells you what to declutter each day. This decluttering challenge included a 15-minute task each day for 5 weeks and was featured on our YouTube and TikTok channels.
A great way to structure your summer mini-goals is to use the "one-in, one-out" method as you go. As you work through a space, every time you put something back, ask yourself: does this item deserve to come back in? This turns a simple organizing session into a light decluttering session at the same time - without doubling your workload. Mini-goals + mini-decluttering = big results by the end of the summer.
Just do seasonal decluttering.
Instead of putting all the yearly tasks in the summer, try seasonal decluttering. This is when you only declutter certain areas depending on the season. Feel free to check out my post for more information. DECLUTTERING TASKS BY SEASON TO KEEP YOUR HOME MESS-FREE
Clear the floors and tables.
Clear the frequently used floors and tables, such as stairs, hallways, and kitchen surfaces. Creating a Foyer or Entryway drop zone will eliminate clutter and make your home look less cluttered. Below are posts to help you create a well-organized entryway.
BEFORE AND AFTER: FOYER ORGANIZING KID'S BACKPACKS AND ACTIVITY SUPPLIES
MAKE A SMALL BOOT TRAY DIY PROJECT
WHAT TO KEEP IN YOUR ORGANIZED ENTRYWAY LANDING ZONE
Make systems for these frequently used areas.
After you clear a frequently used area, create a system to help you keep it organized. Here are some examples: Add a table with a bin for mail. Add baskets to the stairs for small items that go upstairs or downstairs. Hang a key (affiliate) ring holder for all the frequently used keys. Below are some other posts that will help you make systems for other frequently used areas.
HOW TO USE CATCH-ALL BINS IN ORGANIZING
HOW TO USE A COLOR CODING SYSTEM TO ORGANIZE YOUR HOME OR OFFICE
DIY KITCHEN PAPER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
HOW TO MAKE A CUSTOM WOOD SCARF HOLDER
DIY SMALL GARAGE ORGANIZATION PROJECT
Organize on Rainy Days.
Another way to combat procrastination in the summer is to take advantage of rainy days. Check the weather to see when it will rain, and then plan what you want to do on that day.
Ask for help.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Remember, this will help you speed up the decluttering and organizing process so you can get on with your next adventure. Find a person who won't judge you during the process.
Schedule time over the weekend to invite people over to help you declutter. Visit our HOW TO HOST A DECLUTTER PARTY {STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS} post to help set one up.
Not ready to invite people over? That's okay! A virtual accountability partner works just as well. Text a friend, "I'm going to spend 20 minutes on my closet - check in with me in 30?" That social commitment is often all it takes to actually get started. Summer schedules can be unpredictable, so having even one person checking in on your progress keeps you from letting the whole season slip by without making a dent.
Say positive affirmations to motivate yourself.
Motivate yourself to do the project by telling yourself you CAN DO IT AND GET IT DONE. Reward yourself for doing an organizing project. Determine the reward before you do the project. And don't forget to give yourself the award after you finish. Read our post about Overcoming Negative Talk to Clear the Clutter for more tips.
Visit our affirmations (affiliate) posts to help you stay positive.
61 POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS TO START YOUR DAY
10 AFFIRMATION QUOTES TO CHANGE YOUR YEAR FOR THE BETTER
18 POSITIVE SAYINGS TO KEEP YOU ON THE DECLUTTERING PATH
When you catch yourself thinking "this is too much" or "I'll deal with it after summer," try reframing those thoughts. Instead of "I have to organize the garage (affiliate)," try "I get to make my garage (affiliate) a space I'm actually proud of before fall." Shifting from obligation to ownership makes a bigger difference than you'd expect. Even just pausing to name the specific reward you're working toward - a cleaner kitchen, a functional closet, a guest bedroom (affiliate) ready for summer visitors - makes it easier to push through the resistance.
Schedule Fun Events AND Decluttering Tasks.
Scheduling time for fun will motivate you to complete your not-so-fun projects. We all love a reward after finishing something we don't like to do. Scheduling the fun time first, then adding the decluttering actionable tasks in time blocks before the fun activity, will make the decluttering more bearable.
Use the Two-Minute Rule.
If a task will take two minutes or less, do it right now. Don't add it to a list, don't save it for your 15-minute sweep - just do it. Wiping down the stovetop after a summer cookout, putting scissors (affiliate) back in the drawer, hanging up your bag instead of tossing it on a chair (affiliate) - these small habits prevent the piles that eventually require a big organizing session. Summer is full of quick in-and-out moments that leave small messes in their wake. The two-minute rule stops those small messes from snowballing into the kind of clutter that makes you dread coming home.
Use a Summer Procrastination Buster List.
Keep a running list - in a notebook, your phone, or a sticky note on the fridge - of small organizing tasks that take 10 minutes or less. When you have a random pocket of free time (waiting for dinner to finish, a slow summer afternoon, waiting for the kids to get ready), grab one task from the list. This "procrastination buster list" removes the need to decide what to do in the moment, which is one of the biggest causes of procrastination. No decision = no delay. By the end of summer, you'll have knocked out a surprising number of small tasks without ever feeling like you sacrificed your downtime.
Hopefully, this summer, you will have lots of motivation to get your home organized. I hope this helps you make the most of your summer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Overcoming Summer Procrastination
Summer is full of distractions - vacations, outdoor activities, kids home from school, and a general "I'll deal with it later" mindset. It's completely normal! But the downside is that clutter doesn't take a summer vacation. The longer you wait, the more overwhelming it feels when fall arrives. Small, consistent efforts throughout the summer are always easier than one big catch-up session in September.
Use summer itself as your motivation! Schedule organizing tasks for the parts of the day you least enjoy being outside - like peak-heat hours in the afternoon. Reward yourself with an outdoor activity after you finish. Knowing that the fun time is coming makes it much easier to push through a 15-20-minute organizing task first.
Start with the smallest, easiest area you can find - a single kitchen drawer, one closet shelf, or just the surface of your entryway table. Getting a quick win builds confidence and momentum for bigger projects. Resist the urge to pull everything out at once - that method often leads to stopping mid-project and feeling worse than when you started.
Lean on systems instead of motivation. Set up simple drop zones for items that tend to pile up - a bin by the door for pool bags and gear, a basket for sunscreen and bug spray, a hook for frequently used keys. When everything has a designated home, putting things away takes seconds instead of minutes, and clutter doesn't build up as fast.
Yes! Research consistently shows that cluttered environments increase stress and anxiety. Summer already comes with its own schedule pressures - a messy home adds to that load without you even realizing it. Spending even a few minutes each day doing a quick tidy-up can noticeably improve how you feel in your space, making it easier to relax and enjoy your summer downtime.
Clear the surfaces you see most - your kitchen counter, entryway table, and coffee table. Put away anything that doesn't belong. Take out any obvious trash. These three steps alone can make a space feel dramatically more organized in under 15 minutes, even if the deeper clutter hasn't been touched yet. Starting with visible surfaces gives you an instant mood boost and makes your home feel like a retreat you actually want to come back to after a long summer day.
Below are some posts that will help you get your organizing projects done this summer. The capital titles are from this blog.
5 AREAS TO ORGANIZE WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE
How to Stay Organized During the Summer!
6 Easy Ways to Beat Summertime Procrastination and Stay on Task, According to Experts
Peter Walsh's 3 Rules for Getting Organized This Summer
Visit our other declutter advice.
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Janet Schiesl says
You give people a lot of options for the style that works for them, which is great. Organize on a rainy day or a time of day you don't like being outside, do quicker projects, etc. All great advice. It's possible to have a fun summer and not fall behind on organizing projects.
Julie Bestry says
Great ways to combat that procrastination, and I especially like the idea of picking the time you'd least like to be outside. (Personally, I avoid the out-of-doors at almost all times in the summer, as I hate the heat, the humidity, and the insects, so this should get me excited about even more organizing projects!)
Your summer decluttering task list is a great guideline for people who aren't even sure what things to organize during the summer.
Seana Turner says
The worst is when you start a project, like a garage, and then stop in the middle. We all know it gets worse before it gets better, so you are getting stuck in "worse"... no fun! Great tips here. I love #4, it really can give you a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Linda Samuels says
It's funny, but I find that many people LOVE organizing especially during the summer. They seem to have more time and don't feel as rushed and stressed as they do during the year. Even so, you've come up with a great list for ANY time of year because procrastination can happen in all seasons. One plus about continuing to organize over the summer is that if you're around the home more, you will probably enjoy it more having less clutter and more order. As you also pointed out, organizing doesn't have to take up ALL of your time. A lot can be accomplished in a 15-minute session. String a bunch of those together and you'll see some major progress.
Sabrina Quairoli says
Great point, Linda. Thanks for sharing.
Andi Willis says
I love the idea of using your least favorite outdoor time to work on inside projects. We just put in a pool and I am finding it hard to be productive because of its siren call. I'll have to do this! Thanks, Sabrina!
Autumn Leopold says
All we have been having is rainy days! However, I know I'll regret saying that when the 100 degree temps hit and I'm wishing for a rainy day! Those are great days to get caught up on paperwork and household projects.
Sarah Soboleski says
Great list, Sabrina! I especially love the check the weather tip. Inclement days are always worthy of an organizing project!
Jill Robson says
Good point about when your favourite time of day it is to be outside. It is always hard to want to do things inside when the sun is shining.
Ericka Samuels says
Thanks Sabrina, the sun is shining the birds are chirping and all I want to do is get in a chair in the backyard!