Day Two Complete, Day Three Begins

Motivated?  Not overly at the beginning of the day but that changed once I set my timer.  I had said I would do it before lunch and I managed it - even getting a little help from Hunter since half the living room mess was his anyway.  When I first asked him, he said "no way".  Then I mentioned that we couldn't go to the park until it was tidied up and he said "okay!".  Live and learn.

I set the timer for fifteen minutes. The greatest thing about the timer is that I move a lot faster for it.  I also focus the entire fifteen minutes on the one room which is something I don't normally do - usually I'm moving around between rooms because there's so much to do in each. The before picture, and then the after is below.  I took the picture directly upon finishing the fifteen minutes.  I did not declutter this room so to speak - sure I removed stuff that shouldn't have been there, but that was just basic tidying.

Onto the matter of decluttering.  Fifteen minutes per day in the Zone. Since we are on the living room, family room or den, and I am working in the living area, I did the bookshelf.  Since I am at home with the kids, I have other things to attend to that just come up.  Like the additional laundry I had to do today because Hunter crawled into bed (mine) without a diaper. 

The bookshelf.  That area is often a dumping site and it is overflowing.  I actually removed one shelf of books and brought them to another shelf in my office because I had an empty one there.  I realize that makes a huge difference - to have had somewhere else to put those books.  However, that allowed me the room for the ever-increasing kids books upstairs.

The whole process took about 5 minutes from pile to restocking downstairs.  Then a quick wipe of the shelf.  I admit, I did not remove all of the books from shelves and wipe it down super proper.  That would have taken more than fifteen minutes.  I was aiming for mostly complete so I quickly wiped down around the books and pushed them up and over while wiping underneath.

Since the main goal was declutter, not clean, I'm ahead anyway.  I also got a chair and checked the top of the shelf.  I was not impressed.  Votive candles, a flashlight, sewing kit stuff that never made it to the kit and a bit of banana peel.  Expletives were silently running through my head and I showed Aaron the peel. "I didn't do it" came the not unexpected reply.  Be that as it may, how gross.

Now one thing I was aware of while doing the bookshelf is that I couldn't just put that extra stuff (minus the banana peel which had an obvious destination) anywhere.  I put it where there is a bunch of other sewing stuff; my dresser.  Yes, I will have to put it somewhere better in the future, but right now I'm putting it in the same place until I find something to put the sewing stuff into.  Maybe it will be some unused Tupperware, maybe I will find a drawer or a basket as I get through the other rooms. Whenever I get to that spot or find that perfect container, I will know where everything is.  The votive candles?  Why do I even have those?? Garbage.  Done.

 Again, a fifteen minute process and one more item off my list.  The fifteen minute intervals are working well and I am more motivated than I was this morning to do a few more spurts in other rooms.  I did not make it into any other rooms however, just kept up with the living room and kitchen.  A swish and swipe in the bathroom, and laundry for sure, but only the main rooms I've been working on. 

Today we are doing another living room declutter but can also move to the entry way and dining room if there's nothing more to do.  Hah.  I imagine that a cursory look behind the furniture will take care of another fifteen minutes anyway.

Remember when I said that a spouse "may" help out?  Well I actually got a whack of help last night after he got home and I was thrilled.  I noticed something though.  He wasn't in the rooms to declutter, he just tidied up.  Sure I don't have to tidy up those areas now, but they still need to be decluttered.  That's where the mess comes from, having too much stuff in one spot that makes it's way to another.  So I now see how all the help in the world will not get us where we're going if we don't get rid of the extra stuff.   It will still need to be done but the help is much appreciated anyway :)

I woke up to a shiny sink again and this is now four days in the running.  I know the greater challenges lie ahead because I've had the organized looking house many times before - it just doesn't stay that way.  Do check out FlyLady.net if you're struggling with organization yourself - I'm only telling you my story and there are many other parts to the help they give: motivation, Q and A, plus other helpful hints like the Swish and Swipe habits.  I like to think that the past four days of keeping my kitchen counters clear are a tribute to this habit.  In my house, that's about three days more than I've managed it before.  Happy Organizing!