iCount Youth Account
Get Organized & De-Clutter
Being organized is proven to contribute to success, and living in extreme clutter can cause stress, so it is good sense to straighten up your space. Every personality has a different way of approaching tasks, so if you like to be in charge and cannot imagine someone else touching your stuff, you’re best on your own. If you are overly social and hate to be solitary, try and get help from a friend, sibling or even a professional!
Getting truly organized usually means breaking some bad habits, which can be hard. You may fail at sticking to the plan once or twice before it starts to feel normal. Do not beat yourself up over a few backward steps…just keep moving forward. Organization of your stuff is one task, and keeping track of your social agenda is another.
Your Social Life
Experts recommend ONE calendar, either on the wall or electronic that everything goes into so you do not have to juggle between paper copies and other sources. Check it every day, and always look ahead a few days too, so you don’t forget something important!
Your Stuff
First job: clean up! If you don’t know what you’ve got, you can’t make effective use of it. You’ll need a couple of big garbage bags, a large laundry basket and some kind of bins, shelves or closet space to help you keep up the good work!
To begin the clean up, label some bags, buckets or bins with:
- LAUNDRY
- GARBAGE
- KEEPSAKES
- DONATE
- NEED NOW
- NEED SOMETIMES
LAUNDRY is the easiest, so fill the hamper with the dirty stuff and PUT AWAY the clean stuff. Yes, it’s a lousy chore, but you have to find the floor.
Be strong – shredded bits of old notes or the sleeve you cut off a t-shirt – these are not things you need to keep! Fill the bins with the items that apply. This may take a short while or it may take hours.
Take breaks when you get tired, but limit them to 10 minutes. Play music as you work. Try to make it enjoyable.
The GARBAGE bags are obvious. Take them right out to the garage or outside bins so they are gone from your space.
KEEPSAKES need to be put into a container and stored in a good place so that when you feel like looking at them, or even scrapbooking them, you have easy access.
DONATE items should also be removed immediately and put somewhere until you can deliver it to the thrift shop or charity.
NEED NOW could be your homework, the nametag you have to wear to work or your camera and mp3. These are the items that get scattered the fastest, since you use them most frequently, so these are the ones that need some kind of system on your desk or dresser-top or at the front door. You could have some office trays or baskets with labels that say: “work”, “school”,” play” or whatever suits your gear the best.
NEED SOMETIMES is made up of that new pack of guitar strings, the gift card for the mall, the extra memory card for your camera…all the stuff that can’t really be put away permanently, but you are not reaching for everyday. A box in the bottom of your closet (make all lids easy to remove, otherwise using them becomes another chore) or a designated drawer for stuff like that can be useful.
NOW - You’ve cleared out the laundry, thrown out the garbage, given some stuff away, straightened up your sometimes pile and organized your everyday belongings. You deserve an ice cream sundae or some time with your favourite video game!
Take a picture of the space now that it is cleaned up and hang it somewhere for future inspiration when things start to pile up. It takes willpower to walk in and actually put your nametag in the “work” box, but it pays off! Arrange to have the donate bags dropped off and do the laundry. You are all set up for success and no clutter stress!
