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Day 7 of the 7 Day Organising Challenge

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Welcome to Day 7 of the 7 Day Organising Challenge.

If you’re just joining us… you’re my kind of person. You heard the champagne corks popping yesterday and came running! Please feel free to join us in a glass, although it may taste better if you keep scrolling and complete Days 1-6 of our Challenge. Plus, you’ll have MORE room for champagne somewhere in your house. Winning!

If you’ve been with me since the start, you’re my hero. So far you’ve completed the following to transform an area of your home:

Day 1 – Chosen one area to declutter & organise

Day 2 – Created a vision for the space

Day 3 – Decluttered

Day 4 – Organised

Day 5 – Contained & Styled

Day 6 – Labelled

And now,

Step 7.

Maintain. I can almost hear the audible groans from here. Yes, it’s true. Organising is not a once in a life time event. Sorry folks. But the good news is, you now have the structure in place that should make maintaining the space much easier.

Before we move on too quickly, I want to remind you of the pile of stuff you said you were going to sell back on Day 3. Now is the day to make a start on this or admit you’re kidding yourself, as well as actually carrying out the delivery of items you bagged up to be donated.

Top Tip: Depending on what you have to donate and where you live, you may be able to call a local charity and arrange for a free collection. Check out the Resources page on my website for lots of sustainable ways to move on your unwanted stuff.

Now, when it comes to maintaining your space more generally, you need to allow time to maintain your home and keep it organised. Sounds basic but BASICALLY NO ONE DOES  IT. You don’t necessarily need huge blocks of time but you will if you neglect if for too long.

  • For the smaller, day to day tasks, a little done frequently is best. Just like it takes time to maintain a garden, or do the housework, so too for staying organised
  • Consider scheduling the bigger tasks. How often do they need to be done to stay manageable & how long will it take? Then make an appointment with yourself in the calendar to get it done. If you use an electronic calendar, make it a recurring appointment
  • Enlist the people you live with to help you. At the very least, show them what the purpose of the area is, and tell them what does and doesn’t go there

Some organising principles that you might find helpful for maintaining your home include:

  • Don’t put it down, put it away
  • Never leave a room empty handed. Always take something with you and put it away
  • Establish a permanent “out” box where you can place items you no longer want. Drop it off to your local charity store when it gets full
  • Remember the One In, One Out rule. If you come home with a new shopping haul, what can you let go of to make space?
  • Say “no thanks” to freebies
  • Put a No Junk Mail sign on your letterbox
  • Stop shopping for stuff you don’t need
  • Go paperless wherever possible
  • Create destinations for everything that is staying

So that’s it! Congratulations on getting sorted. Are you off to tackle a new area or will you take a break for now?

Whatever you decide, enjoy your new found space and time.

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It’s not too late to make 2019 great

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s-o-c-i-a-l-c-u-t-542907-unsplashI have a confession to make.

I have only just updated my 2019 vision board.

It’s February. I broke the unwritten organising commandment of “Thou shalt have it all planned and promised by 1st of January or do not bother until next year”.

And you know what? I’m not sorry. In fact, I am high-fiving myself. Because I have done it now and that’s all that matters.

And so I want to remind you that it is never too late to start your organising journey for 2019, or make a change in your life this year or put together a new plan for yourself.

I’ve been looking forward to 2019 for quite some time. My youngest started 3-year-old kinder in late January which meant I spent a significant portion of 2018 looking forward to some much-needed ALONE time (much as I love the little guy)! I’ve been dreaming about all the ways I can use these precious-but-rare kinder hours to best effect since mid last year at least. Needless to say, I was anxious to get started with the crisp promise of the new calendar page when January 1 rolled around.

But, you know… life happened.

January is still school holidays here in Australia. My son had his birthday party. My mum celebrated a significant birthday. Kinder didn’t start until the last day of January and even then, it was very short transition sessions until mid February… I could go on.

So I decided to wait. I decided I would enjoy my last few weeks with my littlest love and I’d make my Vision Board in February.

And I enjoyed my January days so much more than I would have if I’d continued to ride the guilt train about not doing everything by some arbitrary date that the universe says we must adhere to.

I gave myself the gift of time. Time to be with my kids, fully. To celebrate the people I love, fully. And then, time to devote to my business fully. And even a few slices of heavenly ME time thrown in for good measure. And all in all, things have turned out for the best because I did this.

My son is settled in kinder.

My Vision Board is done and I enjoyed the process.

I have two days a week now in which to drink my coffee hot.

And the world didn’t stop turning because I waited until I was ready. But it might have, if I’d tried to adhere to the January 1 ‘deadline’.

So, what To Do is nagging you? And have you already decided that it won’t happen this year because you haven’t started yet or made as much progress as you hoped? It’s not too late to make a new decision.

Let me know below and I’ll be happy to help keep you accountable and then celebrate with you when it gets done.

Because there’s no time like the present.

All we have is now

 

 

7 things organised people are doing NOW to save time in the morning

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Are your mornings rushed and stressful? See what organised people are doing as we speak to get out the door tomorrow with less stress. Because who among us couldn’t do with a little more sunshine to start the day?

1. They’re checking their calendar for tomorrow to remind themselves of what’s on & visualising how the day will run.

“What do I need to prepare, take, plan?”

And organised people include time-buffers in their schedule to allow for travel and the unforeseen. They don’t schedule their events back to back because let’s face it… Meetings! Children! Traffic!

2. Planning their meals & preparing them in advance if they’ll be away from home. I highly recommend doing a weekly meal plan, but at the very least, plan & prep the day before.

3. Packing their bag with all the things they need for the following day, ready to grab & go. This includes making sure their essentials have a home and are where they should be. Think: the bag itself, keys, wallet & phone (on charge if needed). The Uber-organised even make a note of anything that can’t be prepped in advance so nothing gets forgotten in the morning.

4. Checking the weather forecast. Knowing this allows organised folk to choose & prepare their outfit the night before, ready to put on. No one likes ironing in the morning. In fact, no one likes ironing full stop but definitely, not in the morning.

5. Updating their To Do list. A clear mind is conducive to better sleep. Get everything out of your head and onto paper or your favourite productivity app before you go to bed. Get clear on your priorities for tomorrow and revel in crossing off the things you’ve completed! The rest will be there waiting for you when you’re ready, I’m sorry to say.

6. They set an alarm and go to bed at a reasonable time. Enough said.

7. And because they did point 6 above, organised people get up without hitting snooze. Don’t you just hate ’em?

 

I want to hear from you!

  • How did you score out of 7?
  • What do you do to make your mornings more organised?
  • Are you one of those weird people that loves ironing?

What’s in your garage?

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Welcome to Day 7 of little miss sorted’s 7 Day Sustainable Declutter Challenge:

Garage Clutter

The garage is often home for everything but your car. Car parts, boxes that haven’t been unpacked from 2 house moves ago, all the things you’re “definitely” going to repair, craft supplies you will use one day but can’t fit in your house at the moment, baby gear “just in case”, tax papers from fifteen years ago that you’ll sort out one day and all the amazing art your children have brought home since they were 4. And sometimes there’s even some junk that’s actually been earmarked to go but hasn’t quite made it out the door yet… It all makes for a cluttered mess and when the time comes to turf it, a serious health and environmental hazard if not disposed properly.

The World Health Organisation say that stockpiles of waste tyres sent to countries like Vietnam has caused the spread of Dengue Fever and other mosquito borne diseases by providing a perfect breeding ground. But recycled, they are useful for making sporting & playground surfaces, brake pads, insulation and constructing roads and drains among other things.

Another big problem is batteries. Australia has one of the lowest battery recycling rates in the world. Each year, over 300 million household batteries are thrown away with ordinary waste, meaning a staggering 8,000 tonnes of batteries end up in landfill. Batteries leech toxic metals into the ground which contaminates our soil and finds its way into our water systems.

Top Tips to sustainably declutter the garage

  • Hazardous waste should never go into landfill. Check out this blog post for destinations for most types of rubbish including making use of your council hard rubbish collection service which is often your best friend when it comes to cleaning out a garage
  • Determine what is of no use to you, and what is of no use to anyone. Donate the former and ensure the latter is sent to its proper destination. The RecycleNearYou website is a great resource
  • Anything sentimental or of value should never be stored in the garage, where temperatures can vary wildly. If it’s important, it deserves a place in your house

Top Tips to organise the garage

  • Create zones for the different types of things you keep in your garage, such as tools, gardening equipment, car paraphernalia, sports gear, outdoor living and the like. Store like things together and ensure small items are contained
  • Keep the floor clear as much as possible by utilising vertical space. Shelving along a wall, hooks, brackets and even rafters are important to make the most of this space whilst still being able to park your car here
  • Create a dedicated area for items that are ready to be donated or disposed of. Don’t make it too big. That way, when it is full, you are reminded to empty it (regularly) in order to make more space

Environmentally friendly resources when decluttering the garage:

ITEM

DESTINATION
Chemicals, paint, batteries, fluros, etc Detox your home collects items throughout the year at various locations. Use this link to find a date, time and location near you and to see what they accept

Battery World accepts all types of batteries

Aldi accepts household batteries  (AA, AAA, C, D and 9V sizes)
Sports/Playground equipment Progress Pikinini donates suitable items to children and schools in need in Vanuatu
Furniture suitable for a classroom such as desks, large tables and chairs Progress Pikinini
Old tyres Tyrecycle is one company recycling used car tyres. Check the list of participating retailers on their website to ensure the place you get your tyres changed is committed to recycling them, or if they’re not on the list, ask them before you book in.
Bicycles Bicycles for Humanity
Cars Kids Under Cover
Tents & Swags Rumbalara
Everything else 1800-got-junk? is a handy resource for your back pocket. They will remove your unwanted item (whatever it is and from wherever it is) and take it away. They divert as much as possible from landfill and you pay based on the amount of truck space you use. Considering it includes two men with lifting power this is often a very good solution when you just don’t know what to do with your unwanted stuff or can’t move something yourself

These resources and more will be added to the little miss sorted Resources page on the website. We are constantly updating our Resources Lists so check back regularly.

Today is the last day of National Organising Week and our week-long sustainable decluttering challenge. Congratulations on making it to the end and I hope you’ve learnt something new and got a little closer to finding your Organised Sweet Spot.

Getting organised is not a one-time event. It’s a life long journey that requires your ongoing commitment and prioritisation, much like you health and garden. At the end of the day, its a choice between the stuff or the space. There is no right or wrong choice, but it is important to acknowledge you can only have one or the other and to work out what the right balance is for you.

If you want to maintain momentum on your decluttering journey and would like one-on-one help with sorting your space, please call or email me for an obligation free chat. There is no pressure to take any action right now, but it is always empowering to know your options for when you are ready. I can do in-person consultations in Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and West Gippsland. I also have a brilliant & trusted colleague based in the Gold Coast for our Northern Friends in Brisbane, Northern NSW or anywhere in between. So whenever you are ready for more time and space, we are ready & waiting.

Happy Sustainable Decluttering! The planet thanks you.