To narrow it down so I can be specific and purposeful, here are my main two goals in this area: (I plan to continue to the rest of the house after these first two steps)
1. Organize my paper clutter build-up.
I do not throw away any paper until I am for sure safe to not need it again...this habit while has been useful on occasion, has created piles of clutter. Last year I was able to get through my office paper clutter, so I know it is possible (see the before/after pics below!). This year I hope to demolish the remaining piles of clutter from the past and organize future clutter!
 |
| 2013 - BEFORE |
 |
| 2013 - AFTER |
2. To develop a system of organization to avoid developing piles again.
I have filing cabinets. I have some shelving and obviously some skill at organizing. Now I need to make the time to find the best way to accomplish this and make it work for my style of home management...
1. Does organizing/decluttering follow God's plan?
Oh, in so many ways this follows God's plan! Now, it isn't truly the highest priority in my life and should never replace or become more important than time WITH God, Husband, or Children, but it is an important need for our home. Right now, this clutter has taken over the space that could be used by our family, and that is not good.
2. Is it a reasonable goal to accomplish given my strengths and weaknesses?
At work I am known for being organized...it is silly for me to do so well at work and struggle with this area at home! My weakness is my own pride and selfishness. I would much rather re-arrange a different room of the house to make it look brand new than spend the same amount of time cleaning up a pile of paper. I like the instant gratification and sense of accomplishment when I can see a drastic visual change for my efforts. Paper clutter on the other hand...oh dear...I can spend hours and not be able to see much difference. My strength however is determination and putting my mind and heart to it, especially knowing how it will impact our family life for the better is a great motivation!
3. How will it enhance the lives of those around me?
Our basement/family room is currently used as a multipurpose room. It is the one room in our home that can be a dedicated work space. My husband and I use it as a home office. It also contains our laundry room (aka closet), our treadmill, and storage for papers, games and arts & crafts. Because of my piles, my children have had to use the kitchen table for their workspace and do not have a designated space to work on projects or save a work in progress for later. Getting my paper clutter organized will allow the children to have a dedicated workspace in the same room as mom and dad's workspace!
4. Do I have support and accountability in accomplishing this goal?
The mess is in perfect sight every time I sit down at my computer so I isn't a goal I will forget or ignore for long. My husband will probably throw a party once this goal is complete because he hates it too, but is kind enough not to nag me about it. Making this public on my blog is another motivation and accountability method for me. I would be wholly embarrassed to be posting 6 months from now and not have made any progress to share with you.
5. Do I have a specific plan of action?
The first step will be to sort out what to keep, what to trash, and what to shred. That should decrease my pile of by at least 30-50%! Then I will have to sort the "keep" items and decide where each one will be stored or create a storage system that is easy to use and not just a clutter-hider.
Working full time, weekends are my best opportunity to focus on a big project like this, although weekends are also the best time for family events and other projects that are a higher priority for my husband than this project. I think a good goal would be to get the initial sorting process done by the end of March and the beginnings of sorting the "keep" items by the end of April.
Here is a "Before" picture, and God-willing, the After pictures will be here soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment