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Declutter Your Home in 11 Easy Steps
by Maria Gracia
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Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of organizing your home? Start on a
smaller scale instead and it will be a whole lot easier. For example, instead
of starting with the entire house, commit to starting with one room. Follow
these 11 steps, and you're well on your way to an organized home:
1.
Pick a room…any room. Decide on what room to start on. Write it at the
top of an 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper. This will be your Action Sheet.
Example: BEDROOM A
2.
Choose an enticing reward. Designate an appropriate reward to give
yourself on the Dumping portion of the job. The reward concept serves
as your motivation, so be sure to choose something that you’d really
enjoy. Write this reward on your Action Sheet.
Example: Treat yourself to a massage or go out for a nice dinner --
whatever it is that you love to do. Write it on your Action Sheet.
3.
Set a deadline. Set a specific Dumping Completion Deadline for this one
room. Write it on your Action Sheet.
Example: DUMPING DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 30
4.
Schedule time to dump. Schedule 3 specific dumping dates (one hour
for each). Hopefully this will be enough to complete the dumping portion
of the job. Write it on your Action Sheet. Then, post the Action Sheet in
a prominent place where you are certain to see it every day, like your
bathroom mirror. It will serve as a reminder of your goal, deadline and
pending reward.
Example: DUMPING DATES: SEPTEMBER 18 from 8-9A,
SEPTEMBER 21 from 8-9A, SEPTEMBER 24 from 8-9A
5.
Keep your appointment. When the 1st dumping day arrives, keep that
appointment, just as you would any other important appointment. Bring
a bunch of large garbage bags. Play your favorite music in the
background.
6.
Time it. Set a timer for 1 Hour -- one that sounds off when the hour is
up.
7.
Sort through it. Pick up one item at a time, and start dumping. (If you
come across items you want to give to charity, designate a special bag
for those items) Whatever you are going to keep, just put to one side of
the room.
8.
Do it until the time is up. Continue doing this until the timer goes off. If
you prefer to continue, keep going. Otherwise, stop and follow the same
procedures for your next two scheduled dates. Don’t let the garbage
bags sit there. Make sure they are thrown out now (or donated), or on
Garbage Day at the latest.
9.
Celebrate. Once you’ve managed to dump everything you don’t want or
need in that one room, it’s time to celebrate. Take advantage of that
reward you designated.
10.
Final stretch. Now that everything in that room that you wanted dumped
is gone, you’re ready to begin putting everything you are keeping back
in an organized manner. Be very careful not to put anything else in this
room that you don’t want.
11.
Repeat. Repeat this process for each of the other rooms in your house.
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The Original
Get Organized Now!
Website - Since 1997
by Maria Gracia
The Original
Get Organized Now!
Website - Since 1997
by Maria Gracia
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