I find I have this terrible habit of dreading tasks, so I wrote about this problem and a simple solution in a prior post. I have also found that it takes more time to dread and huff and puff about a task than it actually takes me to complete the task.
I am trying to be better about diving into various areas of my home that need attention and working for just fifteen minutes to see how much I can accomplish in that short amount of time. It is surprising how much can be done in a focused amount of time.
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Today begins Post 1 in a series called Got 15 Minutes?.
We live in a small home with small closets that can quickly become a bit disorderly, so my bedroom closet was the perfect spot to start my Got 15 Minutes? series.
The Bedroom Closet
Yesterday I put on some music, set my timer for 15 minutes and tackled my bedroom closet.
These were the 4 tasks I was able to accomplish in 15 minutes:
1. I pulled out unwanted clothing.
I quickly looked at everything hanging in my closet and pulled out items that I no longer was wearing including items that: didn’t fit well, were damaged in some way, or I just didn’t like.
2. I reorganized hanging items by category.
I took a few minutes to make sure like-items were hanging together. I put pants in one section, skirts in another, long sleeved shirts and then short sleeved shirts, etc. I know I don’t always keep things this orderly all the time, but it’s nice to reset when I can.
3. I removed any items that did not belong in my closet.
Why is my closet the catch-all? It seems that so many random items end up in the bottom of my closet. I took some time to pull out those items that should be living in another “home”.
4. I organized my folded sweaters.
I keep my sweaters in a wire basket on my top shelf. I pulled all of them out, got rid of a couple unwanted ones, refolded the keepers, and placed them back in the basket.
When the timer went off I was pleased with all the progress I made in a short amount of time. My closet was cleaner and more organized than it had been 15 minutes ago!
(My closet is not large or fancy, but it does the job & it does the job even better when I keep it clean & organized!)
Another 15 Minutes
I was actually so pleased with the progress I made that I decided to set the timer for another 15 minutes and see if I could bring even more order to my space. Another 15 minutes later, and I was smiling with satisfaction.
I’m so glad I stopped dreading this task and took some time yesterday to work on a needy space in my home.
What about you? What space can you tackle for 15 minutes today? I would love to hear from you, so leave me a comment below!
If you’re curious to learn what I do with the clothing I do purge, check out this blog post!
Until next time,
Charissa
Yes! I need to do this. I also treat my closet as a catch all!
Hi, Vicki! Yes, the catch all. I kept staring at all the “non-closet” items, but I wasn’t doing anything about it. I don’t know why I waited so long!
Such great tips. We just did a mini Reno of our master and dressing room
And it was so cathartic to get rid of stuff and organize!
So much more space and peace without the unneeded items!
I always say I get the most done when I’m under pressure, like for example, 20 minuets before guests come over LOL this is a great way to accomplish that time crunch factor!
Yes, Vivianna! When the pressure is on, I get it done!!
I’m in the middle of doing this! A good friend of mine is putting together a ladies free clothing swap where everyone bring the clothes they don’t wear anymore for shopping!
Allison, I love the idea of a ladies clothing swap!
I so need to do this. And I have so much stuff in my closet that doesn’t belong there!! It needs to get out!
Hi, Corey! I slowly started to accumulate non-closet items within my closet. Then I looked at the floor one day and thought, “Why is all of this in here??”
I so need to do this…on my husband’s side of the closet. He is a clothes hoarder and has 36 gray tshirts. And there’s tons of stuff in there that should be elsewhere. Thanks for sharing. Now maybe I’ll get my butt in gear!
You can never have too many gray t-shirts! 😉 Well, I guess you can!
Love this series!! I am so going to try this… I started yesterday with getting unwanted clothes out and removed two full garbage bags!
Two garbage bags!! Way to go, Tineke!!
I’ve been wanting to really re-organize my closet but haven’t know how to dive in. These tips are great!!
You can do it, Patricia!!
This is fantastic! And oh, I love the take out things that don’t belong. Since we added my son and he became mobile, man oh man, he brings everything in there! And I love the take out unwanted clothing–I need to do a big purge of stuff that doesn’t work anymore.
There were some things in my closet that made me scratch my head! 🙂