Every January I get a bug to clean out every nook and cranny of my home and office- and this year is no different. My one hang-up? The project seems too huge to undertake. By January 5th I’m burned out, over it, watching reruns on Netflix in my half clean/half cluttered home.
Not this year my friends! Nope. 2018 is the year of little steps. Not just striving for perfection. I may not have 12 hours a day to focus on decluttering and organizing (how dreamy would that be?), but I betcha’ I can find 15 minutes a day for a week! I asked friend and marketing director, Nataley, who recently decluttered and organized her studio space, to share a few tips with me.
Let’s start the new year with a little less clutter and a little more physical and mental space to create and do what you do best. Grab yourself some trash bags and your favorite playlist and let’s get started!
15 minute studio/office clean out:
Monday: Part with your pen collection
Dump out your entire junk drawer and round up all the random pens, paper, paper clips, sharpies, etc. floating around your car, bookbag, purse, diaper bag, nightstand etc… Trash any pens that are out of ink and only keep the ones you love. You don’t need 50. Five or six will do. Are you a free notepad saver? If you haven’t used it in the last year, you probably won’t use it next year either. Free up space for only the things that are useful and needed in this drawer.
Tuesday: Group items together
Curb the temptation for future clutter, group similar items together. For example, don’t put scratch paper and a pen in the drawer, and on the desk, and on the coffee table. Just store each item together in one place and you’ll know exactly where to go the next time you need a pen. You also might realize how many multiples of things you have and be able to get rid of a few.
Wednesday: Do a quick edit of your bookshelf
Books- keep only books you loved reading so much that you want to pass it on to a friend, family heirlooms, must-have reference books, and books that you’ll use in the next 6 months. Magazines- If you’re not currently reading it and don’t have a beach vacation coming up in the next month, recycle them. Decor items- if you don’t absolutely love them- into the trash or giveaway they go.
Thursday: Invest in a calendar you love
Find a calendar that’s big enough for quick reference. More of an online scheduling person? Great! Use this space for a pretty piece of artwork or inspirational quote to get your creative juices flowing.
Friday: Think up
Hang up a pin board or cork board to keep all those invitations or brilliant business ideas you have in one place where they can be quickly changed out when you’re done with them. To clear up even more space, take a picture of it and start a private pinterest board to keep track off all the things you feel like you just can’t part with.
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