Adopting these 5 habits will make a huge difference in how organized you are!
We're going to take a break this weekend from new projects so you can work on the ones you've already started! Sound good?!
I've talked with several of my real-life friends, and I've heard a few comments that it's hard to keep up with the daily "The Messy Work" challenges. So I want to clear something up! Some of these challenges can be done in a day or a few minutes, but others won't be tackled now, or even soon!
Welcome to Day 14 of the 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess Challenge! We're decluttering, reorganizing and getting some fresh air to make a home we love. If this is your first time joining, you may want to start here at the beginning. Affiliate links used for your convenience.
Some things, like decluttering an entire room, can take months. I know we're all busy with jobs, kids, spouses and the regular daily chores to keep up with!
Other challenges, like cleaning out your purse, should be fairly straightforward and can be done in a day.
Remember that decluttering is a journey. We're all going to make progress at different rates because all of our homes are different. You may have a super-organized laundry room but a bathroom in disarray. It's all good! Do what you can, and don't give up!
5 Habits of Highly Organized People
So I want to recap 5 habits we need to build on the decluttering and organizing journey. These habits (along with a new mindset) are key to becoming successful masters of our stuff!
1. Everything has a place, and if it doesn't, then make one or get rid of it!
This one habit (and mental shift) has been huge for me. I used to have things floating around my home for months, even years. Not anymore! A paint sprayer doesn't need to live on top of the dryer for years. It needs its own home, and not in the middle of the laundry room!
2. Staying on top of organization takes regular discipline.
I have my Morning 3 (unload the dishwasher, pray/devotions, prep for dinner) and my Evening 3 (run the dishwasher, make my to-do list for the next day, pick up). These were my sanity when I had my second daughter and needed to prioritize the simplest daily tasks. Now that she's a little older, I'm adding more habits to my daily routine, like clearing the kitchen counters every night and wiping them down, doing a little laundry each day and making my bed every morning. Keeping up with these simple routines makes everything run more smoothly!
3. Let go of extra stuff regularly.
Throw things away and donate them all the time. I'm literally throwing away papers multiple times a day. (Can anybody say kid papers?!? Those things multiply, I think.) I never keep kids' meal toys. I just toss them with the rest of the fast food trash, or I don't accept them in the first place. I don't need any more toys in my home, especially the little cheap plastic kind. I'm constantly putting unused items in the donation box.
4. Ask yourself, "Does this add order to my life or take away from it?"
When you set your purse down on the kitchen chair, could you walk three more steps and hang it in its designated spot in the mudroom? Or your keys? Will you remember you put them down in the bathroom when you got home? Choose a spot for them and put them there every day! If you take your shoes off in the living room, could you take a moment to put them away right away? I've been asking myself this for the past year, and it makes a huge difference. It also makes me irritable when others in my family don't follow suit. Fair warning.
5. Adopt the mindset that "There's More Where That Came From!"
Instead of keeping things around because of "maybe," "what if" and "someday," if you're not using something right now (and haven't in years), tell yourself "there's more where that came from" and let it go! Chances are, if you need the item in the future, you can borrow it from someone or buy it again. This little mantra has made a huge change in my mindset on my decluttering journey.
And a bonus: Decluttering and organizing is a journey!! Don't get overwhelmed, just keep trucking. Do a little bit every day, and before you know it you'll have new habits and routines that improve how your home functions! Your things should inspire you and create a wonderful home, not boss you around. Once you've been on the decluttering and organizing journey for a little while, you'll be inspired instead of overwhelmed before you know it!
The Messy Work: Go back through the week and finish any challenges you've missed!
In the mess with you, Laura
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