make the most of your time

One of the organizing obstacles I hear about most from clients and workshop participants is time! With our already overcrowded schedules, it can be difficult to find the time to tackle the myriad organizing projects swirling around in your head!

The natural tendency when getting organized is to look for large blocks of time in which to start and finish an organizing project. But as we know too well, large blocks of time can be pretty hard to come by. And while you wait for the elusive large block of time to arrive, the clutter builds up even more.

So instead of waiting, do what I advocate in my online workshops: look for ways to make progress on your organizing projects in smaller blocks of time. Look for little pockets of time, five minutes here, or ten minutes there, to squeeze in just a little bit of organizing. Instead of sneaking off to check email or to catch up with your friends on Facebook, use these snippets of time to make progress on your organizing projects.

Here are some organizing and decluttering projects you can do in small bursts of time:

• Match food storage containers with their lids; pitch any stray lids or containers.
• Clear out unnecessary plastic drinking cups.
• Sort through today’s mail and pitch or shred the junk mail.
• Clear out a drawer in the bathroom. Pitch old makeup, creams, and lotions.
• Declutter and straighten a dresser drawer.
• Pitch old magazines, catalogs and newspapers.
• Toss out expired medicine or food.

What small project can you tackle today for ten or fifteen minutes to make progress in your home?