Fifteen Minute Friday!

My wheels have been spinning.... sometimes this could go oh so wrong.  I am known for having some crazy ideas.  But not this time. 

I get asked a lot about either where to begin or how to find time or getting through that initial feeling of being overwhelmed to organize.  It comes naturally to some people.  I could go into a room, tear it apart, empty it out, and just go hog wild organizing crazy.  I am a lucky one.  I also know I am a rare one.

Of course, that's not the best way for someone to begin.  If you are feeling overwhelmed, you really should start small.  Pick one small project and go from there.  Often times when you organize, I believe you will have a fabulous feeling of success when you are done.  You know, that giddy smiley feeling where you re-open that cabinet 17 times in 10 minutes to gaze at your accomplishment?  That feeling that makes you want to take before and after pictures and share them with the world?  That feeling of wanting to sing and dance in joy and then go on to the next project?  You should have those feelings.  Because organizing anything big or small is a life changer.  You just saved yourself time down the line.  You just simplified and bettered your life.  Hopefully you will be a full blown addict after a couple of small projects are knocked out of the park.

So lets chat about small projects.  Simple quick things you can do to get the ball rolling.  Projects that really should only take about 15 minutes or less.  We all have a spare 15 minutes.  Whether it's each day, every couple of days or even once a week.

I decided to start a new series.  One Friday per month, I will pick some of my favorite fifteen minute or less organizing ideas that you can use as a "motivation spark".  Just pick a project, and schedule that fifteen minutes in your planner, and then be prepared to pat yourself on the back!  Why Friday?  Because most people can find a few spare minutes over the weekend. 

OK, so you may or may not be able to give your entire closet an overhaul in fifteen minutes or less, however, you can add a paper shopping bag inside your closet, to keep as your "donate" bag.  And then go through some of your pieces and ask yourself some simple questions: Do I LOVE it?  When did I wear it last?  Is it dated, worn, stretched or faded?  Challenge yourself to start by placing five items in that donate bag.  Leave the bag in your closet until it's filled and then haul it over to your local donate center.

 

Take 15 minutes each weekend to go through your mail/paper stack.  Take action, file and recycle to give yourself a fresh start to the next week.

Bathrooms are the perfect place for collections to secretly form, without you even knowing.  Half used shampoo and conditioner bottles, outdated makeup, first aid supplies, overstock purchases.  Take 15 minutes to sort through all of the products and combine bottles and say farewell to expired or unused items.

I am the kind of gal that tries to encourage everyone to put things back right where they belong, right away.  If you don't, piles form.  But I am also a human.  I understand that being extremely disciplined about picking up isn't always realistic.  We are busy busy peeps.  Something that has worked well for me, is to dedicate a basket {either one per person or just one for the family}, in which you are allowed to dump your belongings.  As long as you don't let your pile escape the basket and vow to take 15 minutes to empty it every couple of days, you should be able to keep your surfaces clutter free.

Along the same lines as the pile basket, create some donation and garage sale bins or boxes.  Something that you can keep tucked in a storage room or garage, that gives you a quick place to place items you are purging.  Sometimes, the mood will just strike you and you will realize that something may not be perfect for you any longer, but someone else could benefit from it.  Now you have a place to quickly say goodbye to that item without hesitation.  Once the boxes are full, time to haul them away or hold that thrift sale!

Take 15 minutes to clear your car of clutter.  Empty pockets in doors, the center console and the glove compartment.  Check under and in-between the seats.  Pop a small garbage pail inside to eliminate future piles.

 

Taking just 15 minutes per week to plan out your meals is such a time and money saver.  You can remember to take out that frozen chicken the night before, only purchase items that you plan to eat, and eliminate that awful "what's for dinner?" question that haunts you all day long.

Any drawer.  But just one drawer.  Empty the contents, wipe out the drawer {get extra credit for lining it with pretty paper}, and place only useful items back inside.  Use anything from clear acrylic dividers to random dishes to act as dividers and to give everything a home.

Why does it seem as though the kitchen counter is the magnet to all piles and things?  Everything lands on the counter.  And the kitchen is one of the most used and seen places in our homes.  Keeping your counters clutter free will be a life changer.  You will learn to LOVE the space you are spending so much time in, so much more!  Take 15 minutes to clear the counter clutter, only keeping items that have function and actually belong in the kitchen.

 

It's so important to schedule 15 minutes of your time to give your fridge and freezer a quick clean sweep.  Because foods are perishable, frequent checks to empty out leftover containers, fruits and veggies and freezer burnt items will ensure that when you open the fridge door, you can quickly find exactly what you are looking for and also allow you to always know your inventory to avoid over purchasing.

All simple and do-able right?  Let's get a strong list going for future post ideas.  What other tasks do you do to keep your life organized, in fifteen minutes or less?  Which one of these are you going to tackle this weekend?

Sources: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}