Jodi Sharpe at The 25th Hour
Day 1 -
Getting in the ZONE !
"Getting in the Zone" is often applied to athletes and creatives when they are hyperfocused and get on with their best work. I feel there is something we can pinch from here that will really enhance our decluttering & organising. We can experience this "FLOW" when we are fully engaged with our task. Alas, this doesn't just happen! It is necessary to create the optimal conditions.
Heres' some tips to ease towards that zone:-
> First things first – get your favourite sounds on! Making your environment as upbeat as possible can really help to keep things flowing. It may be that you prefer radio chat in the background. Silence is ok if that really is a pleasure for you. You might want to consider some digital background noise e.g. Waves, raindrops, coffee shop or tweeting birds! Noisli offers a good range here. If you want to grab a cuppa now’s a good time.
> Remove DISTRACTIONS where possible. Turn off digital notifications, Tell others you'd like space and time.
> Now shut your eyes and imagine how you want your space to look and feel by the time you finish. Having this vision will help to steer you along your chosen route.
> Take a BEFORE photo. It’s so easy to forget where you started.
> Create your WORKING AREA. You will need the following signs with associated bags/ boxes
STAY RE-USE RE-CYCLE RELOCATE DON’T KNOW BIN TO Action
You are now ready to BEGIN !
The Practical STUFF
You will be asking yourself “Do I use it or love it?”. Try to be honest and realistic. Aim to take up to 30 seconds on each decision. If you start to struggle you can use the “DON’T KNOW” section.
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If you can answer yes to this then it can go in the STAY pile.
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If it’s a no, then decide where it should go from the following options in your work area:-
REUSE – these items are to be moved on either to charity, to sell or donate elsewhere.
RECYCLE – all the usual items that go into your blue bin i.e. paper, plastics, cans etc.
BIN – stuff which can’t be moved on or recycled and has to go to landfill.
RELOCATE – you may find bits and pieces that belong in other parts of your home/garden. Instead of heading off to return them each time you place them in this section. At the end of your decluttering you return them all at once. This is vital to keep you going at a good pace and make the maximum use of the time you have set aside.
TO ACTION – if you find things that you wish to keep but they are broken or need some sort of action taking then place them here to do at a later time.
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At the end of your decision making revisit your “Don’t know” pile and see if you can now make a choice. It can be easier when you see all the stuff that you have kept. If you still feel you don’t know what to do with something then you can start an “Unsure box” – place items inside with a date and put away in a cupboard. You can get this box out again in 6 months to a year and see if you have missed or needed any of those things.
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> Top Tip to keep you moving -Remember you are decluttering FIRST and organising later, so don’t worry about what you are going to do with the items (I.E. How you will display or store them) whilst you are decision making. That comes later.
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> Once you have made a decision on ALL the items in your chosen area you can take this opportunity to give it a quick clean.
> It’s now the fun part - arranging and ORGANISING the items left in the STAY pile. Now that you have LESS stuff it is likely that you already have all the storage essentials you need. However, you may wish to source additional boxes, shelves if it is appropriate to make the most of the space.
> LASTLY, take a peek at your BEFORE photo! Take an AFTER photo. Compare. Congratulations. Celebrate your gains before considering the next steps. (Make sure your reward does not add clutter 🤣)
How does this system work for you?
Which areas need the most attention to make it effective for you and your challenge?
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