Dear FlyLady,

I just moved and have 3 children, 10,8,5.  I am so overwhelmed with boxes and stuff everywhere! Laundry and dishes still have to be done!! Where do I start? Do I go room by room?  I feel like I’m drowning.

FlyBaby R.

Dear FlyBaby R.

Moving is tough even for someone who is organized. Our perfectionism wants to see the whole house unpacked and put away in the blink of an eye. That does not happen in the real world.

We have a whole section on our website about packing up your home and getting it ready to sell. We also teach you how to organize the move and stage your boxes so you can make beds, take showers, and have dinner and breakfast the next day. But then what….

The first thing I want to say to you is that you can do this but you are going to have to quit looking at the whole house and focus on one box at a time.

1.  Get dressed to lace up shoes!
2.  Go shine your sink. Yes you heard me right. Do a simple morning routine.
3.  Make a plan for dinner. Carry out or Crock pot if you can find it.
4.  Set your timer for 15 minutes
5.  Get some help to put boxes in the room where they belong
6.  Put all the boxes against one wall in each room!
7.  Don’t start unpacking yet. You are going to focus on one box at a time.
8.  If you decluttered as you packed you are so wise.
9.  If you didn’t; you are going to declutter as you unpack.
10. You will need a trash bag and a give away box as you find homes for items.
11. Start in the kitchen with one box. You may have to up Post-It Note Labels.
12. Take the Give away box to the car.
13. After each box, take a break! Set your timer for 15 minutes.
14. Go to the living room. One box at a time.
15. Then rest and go unpack a box in the bathroom.
16. This is crisis cleaning with a twist of unpacking.
17. Your focus is getting the house functional. Don’t look at the whole house.
18. Please pace yourself and drink your water.

19. Do one load of laundry each day.

Let’s Pretend that we are moving and we have to get rid of your clutter. We can get though these next few weeks and at the end of April we will have the home we always wanted!

FlyLady