Easy Steps to an Organized Life: Take a Walk (Day 1)
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Read Overview: Easy Steps to an Organized Life in 31 Days or Less!
Day 1: Take a Walk
I promised you this was doable. I promised it was simply taking one step in front of the other!
Today’s objective is easy.
Take a walk
But before you do, I want you to…
Focus — on the goal
Eyes — on the reality of what is now
Attention — to the detail that will create a better tomorrow
Launching this kind of change will be monumental.
It can and will be life-changing if done purposefully.
Before you begin the effort of decluttering and organizing, take a few moments, in the center of your home… and close your eyes. Visualize not what you see, not what you feel, but what you want to see and feel. What kind of home do you want to live in? What does it look like? What does it feel like? What is the purpose?
Let that picture become crystal clear in your mind. Don’t forget it.
As an example. It’s incredibly important to me to feel space around me. I don’t like to feel crowded. Yet I love to feel cozy and wrapped in warmth. Marrying the two is my challenge.
Think about the people who live with you. What are their needs, their struggles? What kind of space benefits them?
A Final Thought
The “things” we surround ourselves with are temporal. We can find beauty in those “things.” But we cannot find true… joy. “Things” can be representative of moments in which we found joy, people who have brought joy, events that have brought joy. But the object itself does not bring joy.
I lived both with plenty and through times when things were tight financially. As most of us have. And through that, I’ve learned to hold life loosely. When I hold too tightly, life has a way of becoming challenging.
Possessions are temporal… transitory. They come and they go.
Clearing the clutter from our lives allows us to concentrate more fully on that which does matter.
Okay — moving on!
Take Notes
Grab a notebook and pencil – or the notes section of your phone and jot down what you see.
What to Keep in Mind
1. A Zone
I’m not an incredibly detailed person. I like broad strokes and general zones. That being said. All things must have a place where they belong. Clutter accumulates when it doesn’t have a home. Every time. You’re looking for zones today. General themes of use. Habits and patterns.
How are the areas in your home used… do they work? Or how can they function better?
2. A Purpose
Do the “things” taking up space in your home have a function? Is that function working, does it need to be tweaked, or eliminated entirely? Can it be re-purposed, moved or its use changed to accomplish flow in your home?
3. A Meaning
Of the accumulations, which of those are meaningful? And of those, which are the most meaningful? Do they tell a story about who and what you are and stand for as a family? Distinguish between items that are non-negotiable and those that could either be packed away or simply eliminated.
4. A Function
If it doesn’t work. Eliminate it. No one has the time or energy to collect things that no longer function, work or are broken. They take up space. And space is a priceless premium. And, it interrupts your primary goal: a streamlined life and home.
5. A Guest
Look at your home through the eyes of a guest if possible. We can become blind to our accumulations. Try to see your home through the eyes of a guest, a realtor, a friend who hasn’t visited in a while. Try to see what they would see.
Your Checklist
Checklist Download: 31Daily – Easy Steps to an Organized Life – Take a Walk (Day 1)
Go Outside
Walk into your home through the front door. The door that may not get a lot of use if you’re like us!
With your notebook or list, proceed through your home, room by room, closet by closet.
Traffic Pattern
Mimic your family’s daily traffic patterns. What happens when they walk through the door? Which Door? Where do they drop…
- shoes
- backpacks
- briefcases
- keys
- handbags
- clothing
Write it down
1. Make copious notes because patterns are sometimes easier to work with than fight against. You’ll create zones in your home to accommodate these general patterns.
2. Make notes on items that aren’t working, general repairs, maintenance issues, areas that need a little extra elbow grease. (Save those notes because they’re for another day).
Tomorrow
Tomorrow, we’ll create a Control Center. A launching pad. A zone that everyone passes through. This could be: a corner in the kitchen, a nook in a hallway, or a centrally located home office. It could even be near the interior garage door. Shelves are key. Designate that place today.
Supplies needed for tomorrow: A file box, an information board — bulletin board, whiteboard or chalkboard, magnetic clips, calendars, dry-erase markers, and push pins.
That’s it.
Until tomorrow.
GET THE BOOK:
Easy Steps to an Organized Life in 31 Days or Less (Amazon.com)