Dear Friends,

February is Declutter for 15 minutes, and we are going to take full advantage of our time. Monday through Friday this month you will get a new Declutter Mission that follows the Zone we are in. If you have a declutter story or an idea that you have found to be useful please send us an email with MY DECLUTTER STORY in the subject line!

FlyLady Rebecca

February Declutter Mission: #1 Zone #5

Zone 5 is the living room and I want you to pick a drawer or cubby to spend 15 minutes decluttering. This can be in your entertainment center, side table, or coffee table.

Dear FlyLady,

When it comes to decluttering I tend to freeze. I have two young children (4 and 2) and not only do things seem to find their way to the strangest places in my house, but there are a lot of things that I find myself wanting to hold on to, or leave where I find it, “just in case” since with kids…you never know! One thing I found to help me get past my initial freeze-up is that I made a list of all the hot-spots I could think of in our home: tops of bookcases in the entry and family room, the dining room table, the tables next to our beds and couches, the kitchen counter, etc. I then typed them all up into a Word document with a table – my very own Hot Spot Bingo board! I laminated it so I could write on it with a dry-erase marker, and when I find myself standing in the middle of a room turning in circles, I go take a look at my “Bingo” board, pick a square at random, and go check up on my chosen hot-spot. If I’m having a rough day I decide on little rewards for myself if I hit a certain number, or a big “prize” when I hit blackout at the end of the week (like a soak in the tub, or a piece of chocolate) so that I have a little something to look forward to when I’m done.

Turning it into a game takes away the indecision and the dread! Doing it with a timer makes the time fly right by! And I have yet to toss or re-home an item and regretted it – children are unpredictable, but they’re also adaptable. They don’t need much to be happy, and I’m learning that neither do I!

—
Nicky