RazzWorks

Do you have some place or space you would really like to get cleaned up and somewhat organized? Well, you’re not alone. Most people are in the same boat. Sometimes it can just be overwhelming and you pretty much give up before you even get started. Other times it’s because the task is so unimportant that you just keep forgetting to get to it. Now, this space or place can be really small or even huge. Some examples would be things like junk drawers or boxes; perhaps it’s a closet full of junk. For others, it might be your closet of clothes, blankets, or towels that you just want to go through and get rid of some things. Perhaps it’s a particular room you want to gut. Outside it might be a shed, barn, or even a garage; back yard, front yard. Well, anyway, you get the idea.

Well lucky for you I have 3 time tools that can be used to make the job easier. For the big jobs, it will help to reduce the stress of the project. For the smaller or boring projects, the time tools help you to at least get started on them.

One thing to keep in mind is that doing something slowly still completes a project faster than not doing it at all. For example, let’s say you wanted to get a closet, desk, or tote emptied out. Also, let’s say this task if you worked on it nonstop, could be done in the fashion of sorting – a pile to keep, a pile to donate, a pile for trash. When you’ve finished 4 hrs have passed. With the tools I provide it could take you 5 weeks to complete the same task. I know, you think that makes no sense. However, if you keep putting the task off until next weekend or when you’re not busy or when you have more time you could easily put it off for 8 months. So that really means it took you 8 months and 4hrs to complete the job. I know you know what I’m getting at here. So what do you have to lose in trying it my way? Here you go, check them out. Use whichever one you think is the easiest.

Time Tool #1 – Easy Peasy and I’m outta here

For this method, you set a length of time or work only until a certain time. You could also set up a simple reward such as ‘I will do this and as soon as I’m done I’m going to play my fave game, watch a fave show or movie, hang out with a friend(s) or go somewhere.’

Basically, it means do something simple and you’re done. Sounds weird I know, but believe me it works, or at least for me it does. You see I have a lot of bad days. By that I mean, feeling fatigued, sluggish, etc. Even if I’m having a good day, I might have an important task to tend to. Well, this method comes in hand on either of those days. What you do is set a time goal. It could be say 5 mins. or I will work at this until three o’clock. Now the real trick is having a small reward planned for when you’re done. For example, you set your goal and decide ok I’m going to grab a bag and throw some of the junk in it for 5 minutes then I’m heading to the kitchen to make a sandwich. Basically set up some sort of little reward. It doesn’t really matter what you decide. Choose an activity or treat you will enjoy more than being here working.

Time Tool #2 – Turn it into a tiny habit or routine

You do one little thing, each day or as you walk by the area. Work it into your routine daily, say before or after a core routine you already do every day i.e. brush teeth, jog, shower.

The real trick here is to first determine what exactly you want done. Know what you’re doing before doing it. For example, you want to clear out a shed or barn. Well, I myself, would likely divide it by section and task. Maybe pick a wall and go in a circle. Each pass would be looking for something to toss or put away. Now you have an idea of how you’re going to do it. Next is the ‘when’. With the ‘when’ you want to attach it to something you already do. Tackling the barn can come before or after your core routine depending on what is best for you.

Since the shed/barn is outside it’s best to pick something involving leaving the house or coming home. In this scenario, we will say coming home. So this is what it would look like. Every day when I come home from school/work/jog/gym… whatever your chosen routine task is, I will stop by the barn and find an item to throw away or put away. Toss it or put it away. That’s it! You’re done! Go in the house and continue with your day.

Keep doing that daily and you will end up with the simple habit of tidying the barn or shed before you go into the house. This way if the location is a disaster it will just slowly become organized, with almost no effort.

Time Tool #3 – Like with Like

The ‘like with like’ rule is about breaking the task down one section at a time. Create subtasks or piles, or groups such as keep, give, and trash. The idea here is to make it so you don’t have to think of the big picture, rather zone in on something smaller that is doable. Break it down as many times as it takes.

This tool is the one I generally start doing first anytime I have a new project, task, or chore to do. I sometimes call it my 50 50 rule. It just means I will tackle something by dividing it into stages or parts. Ok, this time we will say it’s a closet. Doesn’t matter what kind of closet – clothing, bedding, or utility. The idea is to just pick a category.

The first one could be garbage. So go through and find anything you consider garbage and get rid of it. Done! The next day come back and start a new category ‘does not belong’. So grab everything that does not belong in this closet and take it out. You can put it in a box for sorting at another time and just set it aside for now. The next day you focus on stuff that hangs, the next stuff on a shelf, and so on and so on.

Each time you only focus on the category you choose and ignore the rest. You can make a mental note of what you will tackle next but not today. The main point is you don’t have to do everything all at once. Break it down and tackle it one section at a time. Any mess worth its weight was created over time. So, therefore, declutter it over time.

Take your time

I’m sure you noticed what makes these tools all the same. That’s right. Time. Time, as in, doing it more slowly over a period of time. The cool thing is these time tools can be used by themselves or can be combined in whatever order or fashion that works for you. So pick the one you like best and sample the rest.

The way of tackling some of the big jobs in your life is to turn them into a lifestyle change. To give you an example of how to combine them, I will use something I do. Generally about once a year I deal with paperwork. First I gather it all together. Now I do the ‘like with like’ by sorting it into categories – bills, notes, gov, checks, etc. That’s tool 3, at the same time I use tool 1. On the first day, I gathered it all together. Done! The next day I put only the bills into one pile. Done! I go do something else.

Also, I use tool 2 . Each evening before I start my nightly movie I’ll do something with the paperwork first. True, it takes me about 2 1/2 – 3 months to get the whole job done. So what! It took 12 months to create the mess. Also in the end whatever I’m keeping ends up in a filing cabinet, in folders, organized, in chronological order to collect dust for the next 10-20 yrs. At the same time it was effortless; no stress. Each evening it would take about 3-5 minutes at most. It may be slow but it’s faster than not doing it at all.

So give it a shot. Let us know if any of my best time tools helped you and in what way.

Razz