The 12 Step Program for the Surface Abuser

I love this desk, family work center. But what a desk CAN look like

The 12 Step Program for the Surface Abuser.

1) Admit that you have a problem.

2) Ask for help with your Surface Abuse problem. (Professional organizers are everywhere!)

3) Remove ALL surfaces in your home.  (Only kidding!)

4) Realize that this will take on going maintenance to maintain.

5) Visualize what you would LIKE this space to look like.

6) Start the process with one surface.

7) Get a black trash bag for trash and a White trash bag for donate.

8) Begin the Sorting process. Clear everything off your counter and clean it first.

9) Realize that clearing your counter will lead to some organizing in other areas of your house. (this is a Good thing)

10) Decide what to do with all the papers and clutter.

11) Plan daily to clear  off anything that might have accumulated in this “hot spot” zone and place it in the folders or cubbies you created.

12) Be sure to take before and after pictures so help remind yourself how you want to keep your new clear counter.

Disclosure: The above picture is not from my home (I WISH!) It was from a Parade of Homes model that boasted like the best family organizing center ever!!  But you can find these products at The Pottery Barn.

How To Start Organizing

It is a New Year, so I am going to start off with some good basics. Some of you have seen these on here before, but it never hurts repeating valuable information.

First off – Don’t try to tackle “my whole house”. Break it down. Think about one “hot spot” that is the first thing you want to take care of.  It may be the kitchen counter, or that table when you walk in the house that everyone dumbs things on.

If you try to do too much in too short of time you will become defeated when you can’t do it and I don’t want you to give up.

Step 1 – Pick Your Zone

Step 2 – Pick Your Time (write it in on your calendar)

Step 3 – Get supplies Ready

*Black trash bags – trash   *White Trash bags – donate   * Clean bins (my favorite), but sturdy boxes will do if you have them

Step 4 – Start the Sort – Take 10 seconds per item (no more…don’t walk down memory lane, just take first thoughts)

A) Keep – You LOVE it and USE it

B) Donate – It would be Usable for someone, but it doesn’t fit or you really don’t like it, or you are not using it.

C) Store – Holiday or speciality items (skiing equip, camping equip) that you use yearly

D) Move – Items that don’t belong in that space or room. They need to be moved to another room if you are keeping them

E) Trash – Recycle if possible.

It isn’t hard once you get started.  The mind set is the biggest obstacle in most cases. Don’t think…”its too much I can’t do it” . Instead think, “Wow…I have a mess, but it will feel GREAT when I get through it.”

Just Do it!

Monday January 4th is going to be the real day for many of us to “Just Do It”.  What is it?    ”It” is that thing that we haven’t been doing.  ”It” is that thing that we have been putting off for months, maybe even years.  ”It” is that thing that we dread starting but know we must.

What is your “It”??

Is it Organizing your house?

Is it Losing Weight?

Quitting Smoking?

Exercising?

Cleaning better?

Cooking?

I have several “It’s”.  The main one I HAVE to do is to exercise.  I am also going to lose weight (that I put on again last year).  Actually everything on the list I need to improve upon….except quitting smoking. I don’t smoke….although I joke that I should go on a “smoking diet”.  LOL

You can follow me on my Chat with Sandy blog as I am going to be documenting my ventures. I am going to start a #Genesis Today cleanse tomorrow along with my exercise program.

So what do you do tomorrow?  You get off your duff and START!  When those voices start in your head that you would rather sleep or you would rather go eat that piece of cake….just tell them to “Shut the heck up” and you Just DO IT!

How To Organize Your Home

Organizing – Where and How do I start?

When you see a room like this…it is easy to not do anything because you just don’t know where or how to start. You just sit down and think, How Do I organize my home?

Start Small

You have to take a tiny piece and just start there.

You can’t think..”I have to clear this whole room”, you can start by saying, “I want to clear off this chair so I can sit down.” Then you need to start the sorting process.

Make Fast Decisions For Each Items

You have to make a lot of decisions, and you need to make them fast. If you spend 10 minutes trying to decide if you want to keep the smelly old backpack that your daughter used in kindergarten (she is now in college)..because you remember buying that backpack and you remember her first day of school and how she was scared, and you remember walking her there and how nice her teacher was and…..and….and….. You get the point. You need to pick it up and try not to apply the memories to that piece. You STILL have the memories, no one is going to take them from you. But keeping a backpack that is falling apart and smells because at one point in its long life it was left out in the rain and then got thrown in the garage…isn’t going to help you remember that day any better. You can take a picture of the backpack if that would help you to let it go. But you need to take seconds to decide. That helps you to take the memories out of the picture(at least a little bit).

Target Zone

But you just take one thing at a time and make a decision. Does this belong in another room? (If it does, put it in a box or bin that goes elsewhere. Don’t physically walk it to another room because you will get distracted. STAY IN YOUR TARGET ZONE!!! (That is the chair you are working to clear)
Do I need to keep this? – Do I love it? I can’t live without it.
Can someone else use this more than I can? Will it enrich someone else’s life?
Is it something that should be stored? (Christmas, Halloween decorations)
Is it something that can be thrown away? Broken items, missing pieces, worn out.

Don’t overwhelm yourself. Start small. Clear just that chair. Then if you have the time and energy (many times seeing some improvement can help to “jump start” your organizing engine.)
Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew….remember what your mom told you, “Take small bites so you don’t choke.”