I find that I have to keep data on my computer organized or I don't feel like working on it at all. Anything on the desktop gets immediately processed -- either moved to a folder for permanent storage or the recycle bin. I only wish I could unclutter my life with the same vigilance! I'd love to get an idea of any decluttering or organization activities that others perform on a daily basis which make life simpler or more efficient.
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Posted 2 years ago #
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I'm teaching myself to pick up after myself. I know that sounds odd but I'm not talking about the regular pick-up. I'm talking about things like not leaving my bag in a room closer to the door (instead of the bedroom) when I get home unless I'm going out again within a few hours; putting my glasses back in their case near the TV, not on my desk where I was using them last (and would also be an appropriate place); making sure I deal with the "little things" now not when I wander back into that room sometime later.
It's about reminding myself to be intentionally "lazy" - if I deal with it properly when I have it in my hand, I don't have to come back for it later to deal with it. It also means that I spend less time looking for things that aren't in the "right" place [very important when you've just moved and are still trying to remember where the "right" place actually is :-) ].
Posted 2 years ago # -
1) Dishes are done at least once daily, which includes wiping down the stove and hood, shaking out the tablecloth, and cleaning and drying the sink when I'm done.
2) My wallet, keys, sunglasses, lip balm, etc., are always stowed and ready to go in the little table by the front door.
3) Whenever I leave one room, I glance around to see what needs to leave that space and go to the room I'm headed to. For example, at my desk here I have a glass of water. Next time I get up to do something, I'll take the glass with me to the kitchen. My checkbook is here, too, because I'm dealing with a bank issue today. When it's cleared up, next time I go toward the drawer where the checkbook belongs I'll take it with me. It's a kind of constant tidying that helps reduce the amount of work involved when I dust and vacuum or get ready for a party. This is such a habit for me now that it feels weird not to carry something with me when I go from room to room.
Posted 2 years ago # -
i deal with all mail as soon as it hits my desk.
bills are paid right away.
letters are answered.
relevant stuff is filed.if only i could be so proactive with everything else.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have found that if I don't sit down for the first half-hour after arriving home from work, I'll get a lot more done. If I try to do tasks at the computer first, I am sucked in and inertia takes over.
While moving around, I pick up, take out trash, start laundry, cook dinner. While dinner cooks I stay in the kitchen working on tasks that build up in that area. It's amazing what you can accomplish just in the time it takes water to boil! Shopping list made,trade out dishtowels, pitch an outdated leftover, wipe a counter down...
Posted 2 years ago # -
I love that I like to keep the dishes washed now. I hate it when they pile up and it takes forever to get them all done. plus i hate drying dishes, so if i have more to wash than will fit in the drainer they don't all get done.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@charmed, I am so with you on the dishes! We have a dishwasher, other than me, but I cannot stand it!
Posted 2 years ago # -
opadit - it's not a good idea to leave your wallet / keys near an external door for security reasons. There was an article in our local paper last year about how a lady's car was stolen during the night because the thief was able to gain easy access to her car keys as they were relatively near the door.
The police recommend keeping them in an inner room and preferably the bedroom when sleeping as most thefts are opportunistic; as opportunistic thieves avoid people, they avoid bedrooms where people are sleeping.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Getting all the laundry and ironing done for the following week by Saturday afternoon.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I guess it's a routine, which strictly speaking encompasses a number of smaller habits: PEEP. A place for everything and everything in its place.
My handbag goes in the same place every day when I get home from work. Everything I'll need to take with me the next day goes into it immediately. My cell phone goes on the bathroom vanity where the charger is (and where I see it as I'm getting ready for work, so I won't forget it). My watch and wedding ring likewise have specific destinations, and go there immediately when I get home.
I change out of my work clothes right after work and hang up anything that can be worn again. Everything else goes right in the hamper.
Bills go with me to the office to be paid online (or scheduled for payment) the day after I get them. Magazines stay on the couch-side table until read and are then tossed - no keeping. Books-in-progress are on the bedside table.
The only Stuff I have a hard time corralling is paperwork relating to extracurricular projects, like competitions we've entered. It's temporary and time-sensitive, so I don't want to file it; but it's definitely clutter.
The kitchen is tidy before I leave for work, litter box scooped, and trash taken out. I hate coming home to an untidy apartment, so I pick up in the a.m. I guess if there's really a SINGLE thing I'm proud of, it's that.
Posted 1 year ago # -
@Laetitia in Australia -- I have heard that concern before. However, I live on the second floor of a three-floor, three-unit apartment building. To get to my "landing strip" drawer, someone would have to break into the building first, and then also into my apartment.
Believe me, as a single mom living in Center City Philadelphia, one of the most densely populated urban neighborhoods in the U.S., I've taken our security very seriously. My two neighbors and I in the building have taken a lot of measures to deter both criminals and knuckleheads from our doors (we live between the Independence Hall historic district on one side, and a district that draws young people in for shopping and drinking on the other): strong locks, a security system on the downstairs apartment, a good neighborly relationship with one another, etc., etc. We don't give people much opportunity at all to break in, so I'm willing to assume the risk of leaving my stuff in a drawer by the door.
Also, I have no car, LOL.
Posted 1 year ago # -
For me, it's definitely getting rid of extra books, CDs, DVDs and video games I no longer use. These items in themselves can accumulate and take up massive amounts of space.
I've also gotten into the habit of keeping paper down to a minimum, and I have all of my bills and papers in order. I now do most of my banking, bill paying, etc online, so that also helps cut down the paper.
Also, my car is clutter free. The only "loose" thing I have in it is my cell phone charger. The glove box contains only the drivers manual, a small road atlas and my insurance and registration cards. The trunk only contains a spare tire and an emergency kit. I've definitely come a long way, lol.
Posted 1 year ago #
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