Punctuality is something I value, likely rooted in respecting other people’s schedules, and having a sense of control over the little things that I feel I can control. On the other hand, I find myself quite timeblind when I do not have a list or a schedule. Getting lost in a project, only to abandon it half finished and start another one, has led me down a chaotic path that, to the outside world, looks like a messy and dysregulated home. My children are naturally learning from example, and my husband, while clean, has his own trinkets and projects on the go that result in a bag of screwdrivers being left on the kitchen counter or a nest of cords in a pile in the office. We easily spend one to two full days of the week cleaning the house, and we rarely get to the cleaning part. We are actually tidying, and putting things back in their place (assuming that these things have a place to call home). As time keeps passing, we accumulate papers, Amazon boxes, homework assignments, craft supplies, and other random items faster than we can declutter them. It can be difficult to keep up with garbage and recycling and donation piles. I need a way to use my time wisely, and not let the week pass by messily. Every Saturday begins with good intentions to “power-clean”, and ultimately leads to a stressful day where I feel shame and guilt for not finishing my cleaning list, and never spending time getting to my hobbies. Anytime I skip the cleaning list and spend time on my hobbies, I feel the guilt and shame of not cleaning the house. This is a cycle that can breed resentment towards my home, family, and job. It is not my home, family or job's fault though: I can only change my actions. Weekends are becoming more stressful than the work week, and I need a solution.
I recently read Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter Free in 15 Minutes a Day by Cassandra Aarssen. This author spoke to my heart: a self-described “Super Slob turned Organizing Expert”. Cas’s book resonated with my minimalist heart and my clutterbug nature. I have decided to spend 15 minutes every evening decluttering one area of my home. I set my phone alarm for 7pm, with a 15 minute snooze so I know when my time is up. This has been going on for two weeks. It started with a closet, and some days have been a bathroom drawer, some a book shelf, some an underwear drawer. Slowly, I intend on getting my home organized. I keep a donation box (laundry basket), at the ready, and plan to donate the items as soon as it fills up. I volunteer weekly at the thrift shop with my students, so there is no excuse to not get my donations out the door asap.
With a bit more web searching, I found this “15 minutes a day” method to be quite popular. Many bloggers swear by it, offer resources, and encourage others to try this out. See below for some inspirational links to people who (seemingly) have their life more together than me!
Once I master my own home’s organization (and a decluttering process that works for us), I would love to help others. Cas has an intriguing Organizing Certification course that is on my bucket list. Need to put on my own oxygen mask first though.
Have a messy house that is getting away from you? Maybe a 15 minute/day commitment is something for you!
Cassandra's Website: https://clutterbug.me/
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