S is for System: Create Systems to Simplify Your Life

S is for System

One of the key things I have found helpful for both myself and my clients is finding a system to manage all the household tasks.

Dealing with mail the minute is comes in the door.   Recycle the junk immediately; do not bring it in the door!   Putting the bill to pay into a “to pay” file right away, and anything thing else that needs attention into an easily accessible “to do” file.  That’s it – mail in, easily dealt with and done.

Instilling a 15 minute pick up time immediately after dinner, or immediately before bed is also a huge help.   The tidy time is for the entire family – no one is let off the hook.  Small children can pick up dog toys and return them to their home, older kids can pick up laundry and all their belongings and put them away.  Another child can tidy the bathroom counter.   Having a daily tidy “time” creates big impact on a house.  Use the timer on your stove or phone and make a game out of it.    In a family of 5 x 15 minutes that leads to 1 hour and 15 minutes of clean up each day.   That is big impact.

Use TV time productively.    Sort a drawer, clear off the coffee table while you are watching go through a pile of magazines or recipes…use commercial time to put things away.   Commercials make great cues to get moving – toss a load of laundry in, fold another, and put some away during each commercial.  

In 2012, according to the BLS American Time Survey, the average person spent 5:11 hours watching television per week and the average person spends 9 years of their life watching television.  

Just image, if you spent just half of that time, taking care of the backlog of tasks and filing around the house what your life could look like. 

I’m not saying don’t watch TV, but rather find a system to make that time count, make those minutes matter and be productive.

Make those minutes count.

If you need help making your minutes count, contact us today to see what we can do help you Lose Clutter, Gain Claity and manage your time.  

The Organizing Olympics, Day 4: Hat Hoops

Love this pic from wtfeck.com ~ too funny!

Today's event will be.....HAT HOOPS.


Just like basketball, this will be a team event.    Get the entire family involved because they will need to make some decisions about what they still like, what they still wear, and what they can let go of.

The event involves...     

Gathering all of your hats, toques, ball caps, cowboy hats – basically anything that will sit on your head -  into one location.

What is your strategy to win at this game? 

Sort all the hats into categories.   Same type with same type…all the ball caps together, all the winter hats together.   Get everyone to look at their head wear and make decisions about what to keep following the same “rules” of the game we did yesterday.

1. Keep what you love, wear and have space to store
2. Toss what is no longer in good condition and beyond repair
3. Repair items you love but need a little rehab
4. Donate items that are in good condition and you could bless others with
5. Store items that are off season in a location that will keep them clean and protected until needed

If you have tons of hats, you may need to use a timer to take regular breaks.   Keep in mind, as with any athletic event, time matters so make your decisions quickly and spring into action.  You are heading for a gold medal....GO!!!

• Keep

• Toss

• Repair

• Donate

• Store

I would suggest you store winter hats all together in a clear bin with a lid.   Clear so you can see what is inside – with a lid to keep items clean off-season.  The lid is also a good indicator of when you need to clear your hats out in the future.   If the lid is hard to get back on, it is definitely time to clear some more out.   Do the same with summer hats and label each bin by season. Off season hats can be stored in the front closet if there is enough space, or in another part of the house if storage is at a premium.

Hatboxes protect more expensive hats that are worn less often.   Label the boxes so you know what is inside.

Ball Caps can get a little out of control and you might need to get a little more creative – they can be washed in the dishwasher (top rack) and if you cannot store them in a bin, try searching on line for Ball Cap Storage Solutions.    Here is a link to one option found at WalMart 

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