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.
Leave Your Comment Below
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. 
[Image by aussiegall]
I’ll keep this one in mind starting today. And I’ve done all 30 day tasks 🙂
Done! All 30 days done!!!
And, I’ve saved all the emails in a special folder so I can go back and do them again. 🙂 Baby steps work best for me.
Thanks for a great month!!! 🙂
Whoo-hoo! I LOVE this! It sounds so simple, and yet it can change so much! Thanks for all of your “assignments” this month. I have done them and commmented. Now I am ready to start again for another 30 days!
Ok, I started to do this last thibg since we started one month ago and it works!
I completed all 30 tasks! And it helped a lot, I do everything with more attention, I use every single free second to tidy up things and I’m generally more satisfacted.
Thank you Michele!
Luca
Thank you so much for all 30 challenges. I am proud of myself as I did complete most of them including today’s. I even have my son putting his things back after he uses them.
I have completed each step, 1-30. Thanks for making it easy enough to do one day at a time. I cannot believe the time is up. 🙁 I will miss the daily contact.
Like this one a lot, and I already try to do it!
Thank you for this challenge — I posted my comment for all 30 days! 🙂
Thank you for this past 30 days. This last one is a great way to look at it. Will continue to try to do this with my family! 🙂
done — did them all
thanks for the inspiration. More to do but on the way to a new and improved clutter freeing routine.
Since I started this 30 day organizer I certainly have been more conscious about putting stuff away after I’ve used it. Thank-you for getting my life back on track and in order. Yes I have responded to all 30 days. All 30 days done.
Again, don’t know how to count this one done, but I have noticed that over this month, I’ve wanted to tidy and keep things neat. It seems to have spread to DH and I’m not afraid to ask more of the kids! This house still has a long way to go, but thanks to this challenge (I saved all the emails to continue this for several more months until the house is complete!!), we are are the way to a house that is fun to live in and one I won’t have to be ashamed of!!! Thank you SOOOOOO much!!!
Blessing!!
(done days 1-30!! I need a day 31 for next month!!)
Task # 30 done!
I have completed all 30 days worth of tasks. Ever since I have moved in with my new husband I have been taking steps to clean out clutter and get organized. Your 30 days of tasks were a good way to get the kids on board with me. Now that we all have the basics done….I think it will be a lot easier to continue. I plan on continuing with daily Mini tasks of our own. Thanks so much for all of the work you put into your site.
This has been my downfall so I will have to give an extra effort to make this a new habit!!
I have finished all 30 tasks and I and my family thank you!
Great tip to incorporate into my life.
Inspired by earlier post on your blog I have already incorporated this in my daily life – or that is – I intend to do it, so you could say that I am practising 🙂 Now I need to incorporate it for my daugther and my husbond as well for the ultimate effect. I also enjoy the “do it now” thought, which I especially put to use when it comes to bills that need to be paid, and then thrown away or filed.
It’s been great to be in this organize-athon and it came just at the right time, when I felt I needed to declutter the whole house and was totally overwhelmed by the thought. I love the small tasks, that make it easy to get started – and then sometimes I spent several hours doing a task that really needed doing……
I have finished all 30 tasks – and feel great about it. Thank you Michele
Hiya Michele and all my other compadries. I have completed tasks 1-30. Some much more thoroughly than others. Today’s task I do as a habit already. Tidying up as you go just makes sense.
I have found it has taken a lot of willpower to do all the daily tasks when sometimes I could not be bothered. I only did it to keep up the challenge. I love being organised. It was a bother that it was over the Easter holidays as we always go away to plant trees or do some other feel good task to help the community.
But there are a great many times when my house and surrounds are not up to par. Such as: I tend to ignore marks on the carpet, although they annoy me, until I can’t stand it anymore. The best way to keep me on track I find is to invite people to my home. Then I usually make the final effort – and feel good because of it.
Thanks for the exercises Michele (and Craig). Well done.
done…So far I’ve done every challenge!
Today is done. That means 30 missions completed. Thanks!
Completed and commented on all 30 days.
Before we started, I really didn’t think I would stick with this past the first week. I’m great at starting–not so great at finishing. Anyway, I actually got up each morning looking forward to these daily emails.
When I read through the comments, it’s heartwarming to see how many people you have helped in this challenge. Thanks very much!