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. thanks.
Done! Thanks
Done & done!
Day one is done, for the most part…. I have a book shelve full of DVD’s and I’m not sure what I want to do with them. We don’t watch them, however that a lot of movies and just thought them away.. MMMM, plus with an empty book shelve more room to store junk. Any idea’s?
Day #1is completed. Less truly is more and being organized is freeing.
Thank you!
Three armloads of magazines … outta here!!! 🙂
Did it! I am so excited to get my whole house and life this organized and decluttered.
Forgot to comment yesterday that I finished the task. Nothing to throw away in the living & family rooms, but that’s only because we just moved 6 months ago and I always purge before we move 🙂 I did get all the clutter from other rooms put away, which made the living room look so much nicer!
Done! I spent a little longer than 5 minutes. Now I am motivated to do a quick dusting, vacuming and mirror cleaning. Thanks for encouragement. Also I started a bin full of items to donate. I do not like to throw things away that someone else could use.
I had a great time decluttering. I even enlisted the help of my oldest children! We made it fun. It took us a little longer than 5 minutes but we are pleased with the results 🙂
Whew … that wasnt as easy as i thought it would be ! Cant believe the clutter !
All Done…….that was pretty painless …..we don’t have much clutter in the living room! But man I’m scared of my bed room……I might need 5 min. in each corner! Hahahaha!
Did the living room. Feels good. Looking foward to day 2
Done! Since I had recently decluttered this room, I took the time to straighten the room up – I already feel better and now am motivated to take on the rest of the day! Looking forward to day 2!
Done, as of this morning (first chance I’m getting today to get on the site). Added the extra time of putting all that didn’t belong, back in it’s rightful home or trash! Wahoo, day 1 completed!
Since I just had the room painted and have only moved a few things back in so far, it was the easiest task I’ve done in a long time. I decided to start putting things up on the walls. I hung a mirror and two pictures. I also put away every item I used-screw drivers, windex, cleaner, cat spray, wood cleaner, neutralizer. I even arranged the pillows on the couch. I hate couch pillows. Why did I buy those dumb things?!?!?
5 minutes to toss out unwanted items, 3 minutes to put things away, and 2 minutes to spare so I dusted. Please allow more time when it comes to cleaning out the shoe closet day…lol
All done!
Feels great accomplish something in such a short amount of time! God bless you for your time and effort in putting this together!
Done!