Picture yourself lounging comfortably in the large armchair in your bedroom, whiling away the hours, devouring your favourite novel. One problem! There’s a pile of stuff on the chair that would make it impossible to sit in. Follow these steps to tame the pile and get you reading and dreaming again.
Commit for 30 days
Find an accountability buddy and commit to sticking to the task for 30 days.
Use the below Monthly Habit Checker to keep you on track.
Deal with the backlog
Put the items away that are on the chair. Make note of the things that have accumulated and create permanent homes for the items going forward.
Set up a new system
Set up a new system to implement every day to stop the backlog from accumulating again by working on these 3 habits:
1. Decide when you will change out of your clothes
Perhaps you’re going to bed too late so it’s too much effort to put things away properley. Change the time of day you change. Perhaps it’s as soon as you get home from work, or straight after dinner?
2. Washing
Your clothes probably don’t need washing every day. Look out for marks (and of course odour) as you undress. Set up a section of your wardrobe to air clothes you have worn, but do not need to be washed.
Ensure your clothes hamper is not far away and holds about the same as your washing machine so you know when you have a full load when it’s nearing the top.
3. Miscellaneous items
What other miscellaneous items did you put away when you tackled the backlog? Complete the set up of permanent homes for these items. If you read before bed add a bedside table or magazine rack for books and magazines.
Next steps?
Continue to return items to their permanent homes each and every night to ensure the backlog does not build up again (don’t forget to fill out the habit tracker to see your progress.
Too hard?
Is the backlog just too much for your to handle on your own? I’d love to work 1-on-1 to help you tackle the backlog, set up permanent homes for items and create a maintenance routine that is a breeze to implement. You can book me here or see more about my services here.
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Julie Cliff is a Professional Organiser at Space and Time which helps busy working mothers live easier, far less stressful lives through simple, easy to implement organising systems to clear the clutter – both mentally and physically. Sound familiar? Julie would love to hear from you via info@spaceandtime.com.au