Garage or Basement, take your pick! And. um, NO…I don’t expect you to tackle the entire thing today. But hopefully by now you’re on a good roll so this should make a larger task seem more manageable. Set a timer for 30 minutes, gather up a large garbage bag or two, and start pitching the stuff that you no longer use. Load up the back of your car with donation items and drive them straight to your favorite donation drop off. We’re not looking for perfection…just a start!
Photos. This one is a marathon, not a sprint! Start today by going through your digital photos from the last six months to a year (depending on how many photos you take!). Delete the blurry, the duplicates, the downright bad. Separate into simple files by month, event, person or whatever system works for you. Pick 20 favorite photos and send them off to be printed.
Want more photo organizing tips, check out my May 2010 article here!
Enough with the inside…let’s go outside today. Declutter your yard, deck or patio. Sweep up the leaves, pull a few weeds, pick up any leftover toys that have been sitting outside in the elements all winter long. Wash out your flower pots so they’re ready for planting. While you’re at it, hose down your gardening tools and oil them up if necessary. Air out your outside seating cushions. Dream of a spring-time yard party!
Rid your home of random recycling today. Drop your plastic bags off at the grocery store (come on, I know you have a few extras sitting around!); take old batteries to your local Radio Shack to be properly disposed of; take molded styrofoam or extra shipping peanuts to a UPS or FedEx store to be re-used as packing material. Have other items to reduce, reuse or recycle? Visit Real Simple for recycling tips galore. Ahhh, now doesn’t that feel better?
Simplify your bill paying system and rid yourself of pesky paper. Select three bills you receive monthly in paper form and register to go paperless (and don’t forget to record your login and password!). While you’re at it, if the amount you pay each month is typically the same, go ahead and sign up for automatic bill pay. You’ll receive notice via email that the bill has been paid and you can record it in your checkbook if you still like to track your account that way. Save time, save trees…everybody wins.
Declutter your calendar again. Look ahead at the next 7 days and find one thing you’ve been avoiding, putting off, moving from one week to the next. Take 5 minutes (or 30) and just do it already. Schedule the appointment, run the errand, sign the check, make the call. Rid yourself of that nagging feeling that something is hanging over your head.
Tackle your refrigerator. Start at the top and empty out each shelf and drawer. Give it a nice good scrub (Clorox wipes make this so easy!). Soak anything that is really ooey-gooey. Check all expiration dates and toss/compost/recycle anything that gives you the creeps. Visit stilltasty.com if you’re in doubt about shelf life. Group like with like as you return items to the fridge. Open containers can act like drawers to keep yogurts, commonly used condiments, and other small items together. Close the door. Open it back up and smile.
Get thee to the closet and toss some trophy clothes—you know the “I may fit back into that one day” or the “I spent a small fortune on that” outfits that stick their tongues out at you each time you see them. It’s time to kick those clothes to the curb (or at least to the Thrift Shop). If you hit a weight goal, I urge you to buy something new. And that small fortune you spent years ago is a sunk cost now. Free up your closet space for guilt-free clothes that make you look and feel fantastic.
Gussy up your space for guests. This could be a well-appointed guest room or a sleeper sofa in your living room. Think ahead to summer visitors and do one or two things that could make their stay more comfortable. Gather up travel-sized toiletries and put them in a pretty basket. Collect information about your town or local restaurants that they may want to visit. Put some fresh lavender under the pillow so the sheets are smelly good when they arrive. Get your Martha Stewart on for a minute or two!
Back to the bedroom. Get down on all 4’s and look under your bed. Allow me to get a little feng shui on you for a minute and remind you your energy should flow around your bed (okay, I’m making this up…but it seems like it should be a good thing). Rest is so important! And if you’re sleeping each night on top of a pile of clutter, I think that’s bad. Clear out the things under your bed. Toss what you don’t need or use or love. Store the rest somewhere else.
PS. You survived week one…way to go! I hope you’re feeling a little lighter, have a little more “spring” in your step, and can start to see the benefits of all of your work. Take a minute to enjoy today and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
