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Tackle Your Clutter:

Football Style

by Maria Gracia Join our newsletter to be notified when the newest Organizing Article is available. Look around your home or office and find one of your clutter trouble-spots. Is it the surface of your desk? A shelf in your clothes closet? A section of your filing cabinet? Once you find it, this clutter spot is the opposing team, just like in a football game. You versus the Desk. Or You versus the Table. Your game will be comprised of 4 distinct quarters of 15 minutes each. 1st Quarter: Set your timer for 15 minutes. During this time, come up with your game plan. Gather all of your supplies…trash bags, recycle container, dust rags, etc. Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode. Tell your family you cannot be interrupted. You're preparing for the big game, after all. Put on some energetic music. Preparation is a major component that should never be skipped. When the timer buzzes, start the 2nd Quarter. 2nd Quarter: Set your timer for 15 minutes. During this time, begin tackling your clutter. Pick each item up, one by one, and put it into one of 3 piles: A. Keep B. Donate/Sell C. Toss Your goal is to have each of the 3 piles pretty evenly distributed by the time you're finished. Work quickly and make a firm decision on everything you touch. When the timer goes off, stop. Do a few stretches, and move on to the 3rd Quarter. 3rd Quarter: Set your timer for 15 minutes. Take everything in Pile B, and put it in a box right by your front door. On your next trip out later on today, put the box in the car and drive over to your local Goodwill or church to donate it. Or, if your chosen organization will pick these items up from you, make a call now to arrange a pick-up time. Alternately, if you plan on selling these items at a garage sale, stow them in the area that you’re collecting items for sale. Take everything in Pile C and put it in your trash receptacle or recycle container. This way, it's ready for the trash pick-up day. Do this until the timer sounds. 4th Quarter: Set your timer for 15 minutes. Take everything in your A pile and find an appropriate home for those items. If the timer sounds before you're done, work for an additional 15 minutes overtime. By the time you're done, you will have conquered your opponent. Now spend some time celebrating your winning touchdown victory! Back to Organizing Articles Index