Positive Motivation May Help You Organize the House

Some people may not want to organize their house because they may feel overwhelmed and have great difficulty finding enough time to do the work involved. 

Many moms  have part-time or full-time jobs outside of the house and their everyday schedules may be very demanding. It is hard to imagine adding on more tasks onto the busy calendar. 

However, there are realistic methods to accomplish many organizing goals. It may be helpful to focus on small projects one at a time. For example, if you want to organize the whole kitchen, you may think about cleaning and organizing one kitchen cabinet each day, until your whole project is complete.

Sometimes, it may be helpful to reward yourself after you accomplish a project. You could look forward to watching one of your favorite movies after you complete your main chore or goal for the day. That can be a little positive motivation to help you achieve your organizing goals.

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Keeping the House Free of Clutter

Are you reading books about organizing your home and time management? Have you recently been setting short-term and long-terms goals for organizing your whole house? Maybe you are working on improving your environment at home or at your office.

I routinely feel more relaxed and in control of my life when my house is nicely organized. I find it easier to function on a daily basis with my household responsibilities when I can easily find everything I am looking for at my house. I like to routinely keep everything clutter-free.

It takes time to declutter and organize a house. I try to plan my organizing projects by breaking them down into manageable tasks that I can realistically accomplish.

I don't think of the "all or none" idea when I am planning my projects. I try to set aside at least 30 minutes a day to complete one small organizing project in the house. It gives me positive reinforcement to see the results of my efforts around the house. Household chores and daily maintenance gets a little easier each time I organize a new area in my house.

I especially like to try to keep most flat surfaces and counter tops clear and free of clutter. I keep the kitchen sink clean and try to do all of the dishes after each meal. It's a nice habit to make all of the beds everyday. All of these things help to keep your home neat and tidy.

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Organizing the Junk Drawer

By Julie Riber 

Everyone has at least one junk drawer and some have one in every room. It is where all the small items with no home end up. I see coupons, scissors, staples, paper clips, and old gum. I have seen it all. It does not have to be that way. You can actually have a functioning junk drawer.

Just like all the other organizing jobs we have done, our first step is to remove everything and place it on the counter or table. Take a good look at what you have and start arranging it in similar groups. For instance, desk items might include scissors, staplers, tape and glue. Kitchen items could include coupons, jar openers, and measuring spoon. Make sure you make a pile of items you do not want in the drawer such as toys or broken things.

Next, decide what you really want in the area. Are you using it for some desk supplies or an area for coupons? How many do you really need? If there ar 4 pair of scissors, do you need that many in this location? If not, redistribute or donate. Make sure you throw out any broken items or parts to something you no longer own. If the item has been there for over a year and you were not looking for it, throw it out. If it is a key and you do not know what it goes to and you have not been missing any, throw it out. Most junk drawers are just that because the items in them are unwanted or unknown. Make decisions on all of the items.

When you are finished with the decision making portion, you should have a more manageable amount of items to sort and organize. Organize them into piles that make sense to you. For instance, scissors, tape, and white out might all be together. You have your writing pieces all in one pile. Maybe that pile needs to be further reduced. Make sure all the pens work. If the pen is suppose to have a cap and does not, discard or donate it. I have never had a client that is short on pens. Get rid of some so you find a working pen when you need it.

Now it is time for the organizing back into the drawer. If you are purchasing some containers for the drawer, measure first. Make sure the items you purchase will fit. Drawer organizers come in an array of colors and types. You can shop at many stores to find the one that you like the most and will make your junk drawer organized so you can find the items.

For coupons, whether for stores, restaurants, or carryout, I recommend a separate organizer. If you use coupons for the grocery store frequently, separate them by department in the store such as food, cleaning, laundry, and pet food. For restaurants, pizza, and other types, maybe try January-December. Place the items in the month they expire, that way you do not have to go through them periodically to discard those you never used. Make sure it is located in a place you will look every time you venture out for lunch or dinner. Leave one slot for never expiring coupons. Some retailers offer that.

Julie Riber is a professional organizer in the central Ohio area for over 5 years. She helps organize individuals spaces, time, and lives and she helps businesses streamline processes, increase productivity, and organize their spaces. She is a Golden Circle member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and Immediate Past President of the Ohio Chapter of NAPO. She is also a Certified Senior Move Manager. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter with organizing tips. http://www.transformare.net

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Closet Organization

Photo Credits: By Rubbermaid Products

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How I Learned to Declutter My House With These Simple Tips

By Penny Scott 

Decluttering a whole house can seem overwhelming. BUT if it's broken down into bite size chunks, it doesn't seem so bad. These tips helped me declutter my house. Hopefully you'll find them just as useful.

#1. Start with decluttering for 15 minutes a day. It's enough time to achieve something. It's short enough that we can all fit it into our busy schedules. If you do this one thing, it becomes a good habit. It will also ensure you keep your home clutter free in the future.

#2. Pick one room for your 15 minutes a day sessions and stick to it until it's decluttered. It doesn't really matter which room you start with.

#3. Declutter storage space first. Once you get control of drawers, cabinets and closets it will be so much easier to find a home for everything.

#4. Be ruthless in deciding what to keep and let go. You can't succeed at decluttering unless your willing to let stuff go.

#5. Make it easy to get rid of stuff. Designate space for items you want to sell, donate to charity, give away, send for recycle or bin.

#6. Deal with paper. Little and often works best. Paper causes a lot of clutter. Bills, invoices, receipts... it's so easy to get out of control. Get a simple system going for incoming mail. You'll need a bin and a 2 tier tray. One tray for items that need to be actioned, the other for documents that need to be filed. Set up a filing system. Use a diary for scheduling actions, like paying bills.

#7. As soon as you bring something new into the house, set aside storage space for it. Always keep it in it's place when not in use.

Click here for more ideas on how to declutter your home fast. I followed the advice on how to declutter my house and you can too. Why don't you give it a try?

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