Home Management: Getting Started

It's time for me to admit something to you...

My home is disorganized....

It's time for me to change that.

I have tried several different systems to get myself and my home organized.  Nothing seems to work.  For the last three months I have been trying to figure out why that is.... I have the answer.  I don't stick with a system because those systems don't work for myself and for my family.  So, I have decided that I am going to create a system that works for me by combining the bits and pieces of the other systems that did work.

First Things First

I am a list maker.  I live by the lists that I create.  So, for me, the most logical place to start is with a list of every room in my house and all the things that need to be done in each room.  Take for example my bedroom.  So I am walking through my house today, room by room, and placing on my list all the things that I would like to get done.  Some of those things include:

• Master Bedroom closet
• Mine and Paul's dressers
• Office desk
• Kitchen junk drawer
• Entertainment center

Some of the areas on my list are going to take a few days to complete.  I am going to break those down into realistic chunks of time.  Doing that is going to allow me to cross more items off of my list, which in turn will allow me to feel like I am accomplishing something.  It will also keep me from feeling overwhelmed within the chaos of my home.

Now that I have my list, I am going to pick a room to start.  Because of my many sleepless nights, I am going to start with my Master Bedroom.  No, we don't currently use it as a Bedroom.  It is being used as a storage room.  With all the stuff in this room there is no room for me.

Getting Rewarded

Now that I have my list of what needs to be done in the Master Bedroom it is time to get started.  The next step is to set my reward.  (Nobody likes to feel as though they are doing something for nothing.)  My reward for completing everything on my Master Bedroom list is going out for a nice dinner with a couple of friends.

Setting a Deadline

The one thing I don't want to happen is for the list to just sit on my desk.  Setting timelines will help me to stay on track.  I am only going to set a timeline for the room that I am working on.  In this case, it's the Master Bedroom.  A realistic timeline for me will be five days from now -- September 10.

I can now use that deadline date to schedule smaller chunks of time to work on my Master Bedroom.  So I will now sit down with my daily planner and schedule those times.  Putting it on my calender will remind me to work on my list.

Here is what my organizing schedule looks like:

Saturday, September 6:  10 AM to 11 AM -- Clean out closet

Sunday, September 7:

Monday, September 8:  10 AM to 11 AM -- Clean out dressers

Tuesday, September 9:  10 AM to 11 AM -- Clean out nightstand / Clean under the bed

Wednesday, September 10:  10 AM to 11 AM -- Wipe down walls / ceiling

I will repeat this process for each area in my home.