How to Awaken to the Clutter in your Home - Part 2

Visit these pages for the rest of this awakening to clutter series:
How to Awaken To the Clutter in your home – Part 1
How to Awaken To the Clutter in your home – Part 3

Summer is the best time to start your “to do” (action) list. Previously, we discussed how to awaken to the clutter around your home. For those of you who need a quick recap, start with your notepad, Make five columns and label them:

• Name of the task - be specific and make sure it isn't several tasks.  The way to keep tasks manageable is to break it down into very small steps. It may seem like a lot of steps but because it is more realistic, you will be able to handle them easily.
• Can be done now - check this column if it can be completed now. This task would take less than 15 minutes or ½ hour to do.
• It can be done in One Day - check this column if it can be completed in one day. This task will take more than 1 hour to do.
• It can take longer than One Day - Check this column if a particular task has several steps and will involve planning.
• Deadline to complete the task. - Add the date that you want to finish it by.  Nothing else.  Remember this is only to help you awaken to the clutter.

Or, fill out the form below and you will receive a copy of one I made for FREE.

You will need to go around each room of your home and create a separate checklist for each room.  Keep each to-do lists for each room separated. This will help with priorities later. If you want to read more about this post, click here.

If you did the above tasks last week, you should already have a list of all your to-dos for each room in the house. How did you feel going through each room?  Remember to pretend you are in someone else's house to help with minimizing the judgment you may have about the clutter you are seeing.

To keep seeing the clutter, you must start scheduling the time to clear the clutter.

In this post, we will start completing your action (to-do) lists for each room.

Below are some strategies to help you start clearing the clutter list. Feel free to use whichever applies to you.

For your uncompleted actions:

Add items that need to be dropped off to your schedule and place them in your car or handbag. Add a reminder to your phone to alert you when you need to.  This way, you will have the item with you, and you don't need to remember to take it with you. You will have it all ready.

For your home office:

Pick a project that will take about 1 hour. Divide that project into 15-minute increments each day. Work on the project at the beginning or end of each workday. By the end of the week, you will have completed the project.

For a room in your home:

Pick a 1-4 hour project you can do when you have some free time between activities. BEFORE YOU START THE PROJECT: Make sure you have all the tools you need to complete the project. Ask for help if you need it. Have the helpers be available at your designated time.
Here are some tips on the sorting process:

• Clear an area of your room.
• Write the following on each 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper in different colors.  One per page.
  • Trash
  • Donate
  • Give away or sell
  • Keep—will be discussed next month in detail.
  • Add any additional customized category to your situation, like “Give to Jim”.
• Tape each labeled paper to the wall in the cleared area.

Now, it's time to sort.  

Start sorting until you complete sorting all the items in the room.

Do this for each room and take any donated items to your favorite charity. If you need to find some charitable locations, check out our page.

Try this: The faster you take care of these items, the more room you will have for sorting your kept items. Try speed sorting.  This is where you use a timer. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Start the timer and then go as fast as you can and sort the cluttered area.  Get the kids involved and make it a game.  Who is the fastest at sorting the clutter?

Homework: Sort every room this week into these categories and get rid of the items that need to be donated.

The clearing out clutter process will not happen overnight. However, putting your mind and actions into eliminating the incompletions in your home will result in a calmer space and a happier you overall!

Do you have any questions for me?  Please leave a question below, and I will do my best to help you solve your issue. 

I found this article to further help you clear the clutter in your home: How to Get Rid of Clutter in Your Home

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