Getting Organized: One Mini-Project at a Time

Was "getting organized" on your list of New Year's resolutions? So, how is that going? Would you like some encouragement, or perhaps a little push? How about a secret to get you started? You have come to the right place! Here is the secret to organizing success......mini. Yes, that is right – mini. Mini organizing projects are the secret to your organizational success.

What is a mini organizing project? A mini-organizing project is anything you can do in 30 minutes or less. For example, organizing the junk drawer in your kitchen. This is not to be misinterpreted as "organize the kitchen" because that is the farthest thing from a mini project! I know you are thinking, "But my whole kitchen could really use some serious attention." Tackling a kitchen is a big, overwhelming task that makes most people want to crawl under a rock. However, if you break down "organize the kitchen" into mini projects you will be amazed at how manageable they are and how inspiring they will feel. Here are other mini projects for the kitchen:

- Plastic storage food containers: match up bottoms to lids and discard any that do not have a match, are badly stained or corroded. Be honest with yourself when it comes to how many you need to keep in your kitchen. If you are not using half of the containers then it is time to recycle them.
- Under the kitchen sink: go through the supplies stored under the sink and discard anything expired or no longer useful.
- One shelf of your pantry
- One counter top
- One shelf in the refrigerator or freezer
- The outside of the refrigerator door

Mini organizing projects can be done anywhere:

- Clean out the inside of your car
- Organize one medicine cabinet
- Go through your stack of magazines
- Clean out your pocketbook or briefcase
- Roll the coins you have been collecting on the counter
- Deal with one pile of "stuff" in the corner that has been there for months

If it helps, write down a list of the mini organizing projects you would like to accomplish and use the list as a guide. Be true to yourself and only do tasks that can be done in 30 minutes or less. Use a kitchen timer or the timer on your smart phone to keep track of the time. Trust me when I tell you that accomplishing mini organizing projects will leave you feeling motivated and hopeful about your home. A series of mini organizing projects, whether you do them once a day, or once a week, will set you on the path to an organized home.

Jocelyn is a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) and ICD (Institute for Challenging Disorganization). Jocelyn has been helping Westchester residents organize their homes for the past six years. Jocelyn is skilled at identifying her clients needs and implementing personalized, useful, and painless ways to manage the contents of their homes. Jocelyn lives in Scarsdale, NY with her husband, two children, and three cats. She can be reached at Jocelyn@kenner.org or www.seeyourwayclear.com.