Molehills out of Mountains

Here in the Austin area, I think the only thing happier than Lake Travis with all this rain are the weeds in MY yard. They have taken over! But, I have decided to take on the challenge of eliminating them, one tuft at a time. Originally, I thought, "This project is too big. I can't do it." But, I devised a plan to conquer it. Instead of trying to get rid of it all at one time, I now do a little at a time. I use one of those 5 gallon Home Depot buckets to collect the weeds as I pick them. I set a goal of how many times I will fill that 5 gallon bucket each time I start out. That way, I have a sense of accomplishment by reaching that goal, instead of looking at how much more I have to do. Yesterday, I vanquished 15 gallons of that pesky weed!



You can use this same plan on any organizing project that seems overwhelming. If your whole house needs organizing, don't try to take it on all at once. Break it into smaller portions. Start with a single drawer, one closet, or one room. A small portion that you know you can finish. Do not get distracted by the other areas that need to be completed. When you are finished, stand back and look at what you have achieved. Be proud of what you have accomplished. Move on to the next area only when that first one is completed.

Break those mountains of clutter into small, manageable molehills. You can do it, one step at a time.

Now, I have to get back out there and take on another 3 buckets of weeds!

Kids are a mess!

Even as a professional organizer, I struggle with trying to convince my kids to keep their rooms clean. I, of course, would love it if they would put away their toys as soon as they are finished playing with them. Or, to not pull out everything in the drawer or box while looking for that one specific Lego or Star Wars figure. Or, to put their clothes in the hamper when they take them off and not throw them on the floor of their room, or even better, the bathroom floor!

However, I realize that organizing may not be genetic. Or maybe it is, but, unfortunately, they got their father's genes! So, I gently remind them to pick up their stuff, put it where it belongs (because, of course, everything has a place!), and try to teach them respect for their things, as well as my house.

I think the key here with kids, and your own space if you struggle with clutter, is to not let it get out of hand. At our house, the kids are required to clean their rooms on Wednesdays and Saturdays in order to get their allowance. The rest of the days, I try to take a deep breath and keep my negative comments to a minimum. After all, it is their space. (It's a different story when it comes to the common areas).

And, this is a tip that I learned from my mother growing up. The house does not have to be perfect at all times. But, you should be able to pull it together to be presentable for company within 30 minutes. If everything has a place, and everyone in the family (including the kids) knows where that place is, it should be an easy team effort to pull the house together in a short amount of time.