Dear Friends,
Moving is never fun, but it can be made easier if you will not get overwhelmed by the whole process. The very first thing you need to do is read my moving tips. Many people move during the summer. We have some tips to help you.
Every week we have several members that holler HELP! “We are moving and I don’t know where to start. We have to put this house up for sale and it is awful. Please tell me what to do.”
“We are moving cross country and I don’t know where to start to pack.”
“When we move, I don’t know how I can unpack and keep the chaos of the move from overwhelming me.”
These are some hard questions, but I have a simple answer.
BABY STEPS! YES YOU HEARD ME RIGHT, WE HAVE TO BREAK THE JOB DOWN INTO SMALLER PARTS.
DON’T MOVE ANYTHING YOU DON’T LOVE!
You know how we do Crisis Cleaning: 15 minutes at a time in three different rooms, then take a 15 minute break. This is the most important part. Rest so you won’t burn out.
I want you to think about the hardest room in your home to pack up and also the easiest. For most people the hardest room will be the kitchen or the storage room/basement. Then the easiest will be the bathroom. Split your time up between these two rooms so that the worst room does not get you down and when you change to the room that is easy, you will have a sense of accomplishment.
1. Get your favorite drink as well as a bottle of water. So you will not get dehydrated.
2. Set your timer for 15 minutes and get started doing 15 minutes in your toughest room.
3. The first thing to do is get rid of all the trash; Bag it up and get it out of the house.
4. Then get rid of everything that can be given away to friends or charities. This the hardest part.
5. Next you have to get all of those bags out of this room right this minute.
6. Do not let the trash or give aways pile up.
7. Pick a place to stage them until the truck arrives to accept your give away items.
NOW FOR THE PACKED BOXES
1. Now pick a staging area for your boxes that will be going to your new home;
2. Get the boxes out of the rooms where they were packed.
3. Don’t mark every box with the word STUFF and More STUFF.
4. Color code your rooms and mark your boxes as you pack them. Number them too.
5. Last boxes packed will be the items you need first. Label them START UP. Load on truck last.
6. Unload Kitchen stuff first. The kitchen is the heart of the home.
Now be sure and read my moving tips. This is all detailed and our members have given us some great tips for getting settled. There is also a section in my book Sink Reflections if you have it.
Keep in mind that once you have the necessities unpacked and placed in the proper rooms, the rest can be unpacked 5 boxes at a time. You did not get it packed up in a day and you are not going to be settled in to your new home over night. BabySteps will get you there. Besides if you were not ruthless with your decluttering while you were packing, then you can take the time to find the right place for your stuff in your new home. If for some strange reason, it does not have a home, then you may need to rethink your decision to hold on to this item. The box you packed it in can also be the box that gets taken to your new charity thrift shop. Get to know these people well!
Now as you are packing up the old house, you need to keep one area clear, just for sanity of your family. You still need to eat and rest. So you will need a clear dining table and comfortable chairs in the family room to relax in. Make it a priority and you will have a place to sit when your timer goes off.
Please do not crash and burn! Now is not the time to get sick, so pace yourself! This is a direct order. If you will take BabySteps, before you know it, you will be settled into your new home and all of this moving will be just a dream.
Now for those of you that are not moving to a new home, you can make your current home feel like a new one if you will pretend that you are moving and join in with our decluttering. It is all of your clutter that makes your home feel small and cramped. It is also this clutter that makes you feel overwhelmed and depressed. Release this clutter and you will find that your home will become new and joyous place to live. Peace is just a declutter away! Try it.
If your home is declutter and you are not planning on moving, then you can join us in spirit by asking yourself the important questions: Do you love it, Do you have a place for it and Does it make you smile? There is always some decluttering to do.
Moving is always hard, but when you take it in BabySteps, it will not kill you!
Are you ready to FLY through your next move?
FlyLady
