The following post is from Becky of Clean Mama: Give Me Five: Simple Organizing Projects to Do When You Have 5, 10, or 30 Minutes
Have you ever decided to tackle a large organizing project, take everything out, empty drawers, move furniture, and then something interrupts the process and you’re sidetracked and the stuff gets stuffed back into the room, and the organizing ‘event’ passes? When we’re busy, finding time to organize is difficult, and when we’re busy, things get disorganized. And so the cycle of clutter and organization begins.
If a room is cluttered, we put off organizing and cleaning because we don’t have an hour to get it back to what we want it to look like. Instead of trying to find blocks of time, break up the tasks into smaller, more manageable items that can fit in between other things during the day.
For instance, when you’re in the carpool lane, you can clean out your console, delete unused contacts on your phone, or clean out your purse or wallet. Or when your kids are taking a bath you could clean out under your bathroom sink or tidy up your towels. This idea isn’t necessarily about multi-tasking but about little pockets of time you can use to accomplish a small organizing task. When you add up a few small organizing tasks completed, it’s easier to keep going.
Today I have a printable for you designed to be used as a tool to help you focus on simple organizing tasks that can easily be accomplished during little blips of free time. I’ve separated various household organizing tasks from potential hot spots around your home into five sections – 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes. The next time you have 5 minutes, pick a task and check it off your list. Put the list somewhere that you’ll notice it, and you’ll be amazed how many things you will be able to check off the list. There’s no time frame – it could take you a week or six months to work your way through the list. The key is to keep the area organized once you’ve tackled it so you won’t have to put it back on your list.
Click here to download or print the Give Me Five printable.
(A few people have mentioned that they can’t read the image above. Be sure to download the full printable using the link above, because it’s much larger and easier to read!)
What organizing task are you going to complete first?
| Becky is a self-proclaimed clean freak and list maker. She is a work-at-home mom to three little ones, and in her spare time she enjoys sharing her cleaning and organizing tricks and tips on her blog, Clean Mama, and through her Etsy Shop, Clean Mama Printables. | |
