Welcome to the 30-Day Organize-athon!
In our final 5 minutes we’re going to make our second organizing mindset shift.
Inhale clarity, freedom and order…
Day 30: Get Organized Mindset Shift #2: Make It A Habit To Avoid Clutter
Step 1: Decide to adopt this new habit: Include cleaning up as part of every single task.
Whatever you use, take out, or work on, you put away as part of that activity. Completing a task includes whatever is needed to restore order to the space. As a result, you leave everything at least as tidy as you found it.
Here are some examples:
- Having dinner? That includes stacking the dishwasher when you’re done.
- Working on a craft? Returning your craft supplies to their home is part of the project.
- Watching a DVD? Put all remotes, DVDs and cases back where they belong before you move on.
- Getting home from work? Include as ‘getting home’ the acts of hanging up your coat, placing keys on the hall table and putting your purse or briefcase in the study (or wherever they live).
- Wrapping a gift? Replace the sticky tape and gift wrap, and put the gift in a spot that will prompt you to take it to the party.
- Getting ready to go out? Return discarded outfits to the closet and put away make-up, hair products and the hairdryer.
- Waking up? Open blinds and windows, make the bed, and leave the bedroom looking tranquil.
You get the idea.
Step 2: Read over the examples again to check that your mindset has shifted!
And you’re done!
Got an Extra 5 Minutes?
This works for the kids, too. Explain to them the idea that they need to include cleaning up as part of every single task.
- Playing with toys? Playing includes returning every toy to the toy box, bin or drawer where it belongs.
- Changing out of school clothes? That means putting new clothes on and placing old clothes in the hamper or wherever they need to go.
- Doing homework? Return books, pencil cases and school stuff to the backpack as part of the homework. (Bonus: This also avoids the homework-left-at-home drama.)
They’ll likely need several gentle and encouraging reminders, but with your patience and help they’ll soon incorporate this habit into their behavior.
Note: This post is adapted from my article: Home Organization: My Very Best Life-Changing Tip For A Clutter-Free Home.
Wow – 30 days of decluttering, organizing and mindset shifting. How awesome are you!
Organize-athon FAQs
I’ve put together a special 30-Day Organize-athon | Getting And Staying Organized Q & A post.
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Please leave your comment below to say you’ve completed today’s task.
And guess what? I’ll see you tomorrow for a surprise bonus task! Don’t worry – it’s not hard and it will make you feel so good. 
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Hello friends, nice post and nice urging commented at this place, I am in fact enjoying by these.
As I have been progressing through the 30 days I have noticed a “breeding” phenomenon in our house. Bear with me it’s clean and will make sense. If I put the mail in the large wooden bowl near the door (rather than sorting and filing the days post) then within 24 hours not only is the bowl overflowing with stuff, the hall way is breading stuff too. If I put my coffee mug by the sink (rather than in the dishwasher – probably because I haven’t emptied it yet) when I get home and dinner has been started (he is good to me) the kitchen looks like all the little plates and bowls and mugs have been breading all day whilst I was at work. I have been trying to “tidy as I go” and I think there is something in neutering “stuff” so it can’t breed. OK I can’t make “stuff” practice safe sex, but I can at least prevent it from getting too close in the first place, reining myself in here but you get the gist I hope… 🙂
Definitely get the gist and I think you’re absolutely right about clutter breeding. We all take our clues from the way things are, the rules that seem to apply. So creating a visual cue for yourself and your family that says clutter doesn’t live here is powerful!
I think cleaning up as a part of every task is the cornerstone 🙂
Done
I forgot to tell you I have done everyone of the 3- days and commented also
Done
Forgot to tell you, I have finished all 30 tasks. And the 2 specials.
Finished. Now I can honestly say, I’m done!!Now, my house is in order, sure wish my neighbors still had their houses. So many have died and many more have lost everything but they’re lives. But, things like this sure bring out the best of people. They are all out and doing. They are fetching and carrying. And the chainsaws are really going from daylight to dark.
Yes! Done!!
done
This is a slow process to change your mindset. But I know it’s the thing I need to do. Thanks for the help.
Awesome! I do all these a everyday.
Ahhh clutter, the downfall of so many otherwise clean houses. I think the best way to avoid it is to really think about every purchase you make before you make it. We all buy so much we don’t need. The other stuff that seems to bring clutter, ie mail, bills, paperwork, etc, can be dealt with via some sort of creative storage system. Thanks for the inspiration!
thank you for all the tips and ideas and most of all the encouragement & accountability.
I couldn’t access the internet yesterday and so did not post on the last day (and stay in the running for prizes) but I’m very happy with the many gifts I’ve just thanked you for…I will very much miss these prompts.
5 min has seemed do-able even when I’m in pain and doing them helped me keep a positive attitude (eg noting what pots and pans I got by with because I’m not able to bend down and get things out of the under counter cupboards helped change my thinking about what I really needed to keep)
Days 1-30 done. I have enjoyed these challenges and incorporated the habit of putting things where they belong. Sure makes a home look so inviting.
I’m thankful that I stuck with this. I didn’t get every task done on the day it was posted, but I did get them completed.
I enjoyed reading comments and learning new ideas. Seeing that others were getting the tasks completed, helped me to stay motivated.
Done all 30 of the tasks! Wonderful challenges, Loved it!!!
I forgot to mention that I have indeed accomlished all 30 tasks. WOW.
YES!!! A job well done. Thanks for all the things that you sent our way.