Welcome to the 30-Day Organize-athon!
In today’s 5 minutes we’re going to organize the things that need to leave your house.
Right, let’s get to it.
Day 19: Organize Your Outgoing Space
Step 1: Gather together any items that need to be taken out of your home, such as:
- DVDs to return to the video store
- Library books
- Items you’ve borrowed from friends
- Things that need to be taken somewhere for repair
- Clothes or linens that need to be dry cleaned
- A gift for an upcoming party, wedding or housewarming
- An umbrella to leave in the car
- Items for errands; etc.
Step 2: Choose a convenient spot near the door for these items. If there’s nothing already available, you could:
- Move a small table to an appropriate position near the door
- Clear a shelf in a hallway closet
- Liberate a deep drawer in a hall table.
Step 3: Place your outgoing items in their new position, so you can check one convenient place whenever you’re heading out. Make it a habit to check this spot as you leave – you’ll ‘remember’ things more often and feel much more organized.
And you’re done!
Got an Extra 5 Minutes?
Consider what else you could do to make your outgoing space an organized zone:
- Install hooks for keys?
- Add a pen and post-it pad so you can write due dates on library books and borrowed DVDs?
- Put up a checklist of things to remember when you leave – perhaps:
– Purse, phone, keys – for you?
– Schoolbag, lunch, homework – for the kids?
Now how organized is that!
The 30-Day Organize-athon Mantra
Move fast. Don’t overthink. Let it go!
Leave Your Comment Below…
Please leave your comment below to say you’ve completed today’s task.
See you tomorrow!
[Image by aussiegall]
I’m all over this one! Done!!
done!
Done. Been doing this for years. Don’t know where I got the idea , but sure makes life easier when it’s all right there! Thanks!
done and in the backseat ready to go!
Done!
Done! Add a checklist.
done – need a better table… hmm
Task #19 done!
I guess I’m done?
In my “one day” world, I have a dresser with a glass top, that I put my current handbag on as I come home, take out my phone and put down my keys. My ideal spot to locate items for the outward journey as well.
At the moment, I hang my handbag off the post at the foot of the bed. Unless I have stuff to take with me in the morning, then I put my handbag on top of said stuff, where ever that may be because when I can’t find my handbag at the end of the bed, I always know that I must have to take something with me.
I feel like I’m cheating on this one, not doing anything except write this post. But I did buy a bin for my study area today and I did think about cleaning the ceiling fans lol. Will do the fans as a trade off for todays task 😮
I’m on it. 🙂
Done.
Done. I come and go through the laundry room from the garage into the house, and have a launching pad area there for “out the door” things. Thanks for the reminder to clean it up!
Done. I am just going to clean up the area.
started early on this one….i have a stand by my front door that in the winter, a drawer holds gloves, hats etc. I removed the winter items and stored them in a barrel in the basement. now the stand will hold our summer bag ( sunscreen, handiwipes, bandaids, sunglasses, etc)
I always keep a cardboard box in the corner of our dining room to hold items to be donated. Once the box is full…it goes straight to the car to be dropped off on the next trip out the road. 🙂
All done!
On Jan. 1 2011 I orderded a organizer ( Which was supose to be free ) I have not received it as of April 18 2011. Thank U
I relocated a small occasional table next to front door the other day.
Used occasionally to rest a coffee, but now a new purpose!
My handbag is used for day to day ‘cartage’, but that coffee table now
has some drycleaning and repair work for the drycleaner. Great idea!
Have also been known to duck into garage and leave whatever on the
floor so I don’t forget it when leaving for work next day. Task done!
Done.
Done! I’ve always tried to have a launching pad for the shoes, purse and other items. Now I’m teaching the kids that they leave their backpack in the same location each day.
I just hung a magnetic hook on the frig for the keys – no wall by the front door 🙂
I have a bench near my front entrance. I put things there near my purse. It’s a memory trigger to take them, including items that I purged!