Welcome to the 30-Day Organize-athon!
In today’s 5 minutes we’re going to express-declutter your living area.
Take a deep breath, and imagine inhaling a sense of clarity, freedom and order. Then get started!
Day 1: Declutter Your Living and/or Entertainment Area
Step 1: Grab a large garbage bag.
Step 2: Quickly make your way around your living and/or entertainment area, tossing these items into the bag as you go:
- Magazines other than the current month’s
- Newspapers other than today’s
- Knick-knacks – unless you really love them
- Tatty coasters
- DVDs no-one watches any more
- CDs no-one listens to any more
- Games no-one plays any more
- Remotes and technology no-one uses any more (including old game consoles)
- Food
- Books you’ve read and won’t re-read, or will never read
- Videos, cassettes, computer floppies, camera film – any storage device for which you no longer have hardware
- Framed photos – unless they’re genuinely special to you
- Tatty cardigans, socks and other apparel strewn around the furniture
- ‘Displayed’ items on shelves that collect dust but hold no meaning for you
- Dead potted plants
- Threadbare or stained cushions, throws, rugs, etc
- Anything else that isn’t loved and/or used regularly.
Step 3: Put your bag by the door or take it straight out to the car. (Take it to the tip as soon as you can.)
Step 4: If there’s something genuinely valuable in there, and you’d lose sleep over tossing it, then you can put it into a separate charity store bag. But if it’s junk, just let it go. If it doubt, don’t over-analyze – toss it.
And you’re done!
Got an Extra 5 Minutes?
- Return items that don’t belong in the living area to the proper place – the kids’ bedrooms, the office, the kitchen, etc.
- Straighten the coffee table and wipe it down.
- Neaten remotes, DVDs, and anything else that lives in the living room.
- Fluff up the cushions.
Now doesn’t that feel more like a ‘living’ room?
The 30-Day Organize-athon Mantra
Move fast. Don’t overthink. Let it go!
Leave Your Comment Below…
Please leave a comment below to say you’ve completed today’s task.
And I’ll see you back here tomorrow!
Done! I filled a whole trash bag!
Just finished! Feels so good to have cleared out all the junk!
Done! Thank you for getting me started. Be back tomorrow.
Well that wasnt near as dreadful as I had imagined it would be! Thank you so much for the motivation for me to get it done!
Day One Done! If they all go like this – I will be organized!
Done!! And so easy! Thankyou 🙂
Completed the 1st day one!!
I did it! I didn’t have anything on your list, but I found lots of other things to put away! Thanks!
Done – hooray! I don’t even remember buying some of those DVDs!
Done! Can’t wait until tomorrow!
Done! This one wasn’t that bad. Looking forward to tomorrow!
Did it! Can’t wait to see the results from this!!
Great! Done! Can’t wait until tomorrow!
What a great way to start spring! Done.
Day 1 completed – Can’t wait until tomorrow
Easier than I thought and a great way to get started! Thanks for offering this!
woo hoo…what a great feeling ..got rid of cd’s and dvd’s, videos we haven’t watched or listened to in years!!
This was pretty easy for me. I became a minimalist when I started organizing. I want to get rid of the coffee table, but my girlfriend say’s, no
Great idea!
This is great! I love your detailed and specific direction!