5 Minutes Can Make a Difference

Recently, I’ve been looking around my house and noticing that little piles of clutter are forming, and the disorganization is driving me crazy. I get inspired to hang pictures, but then I have a stack of empty frames under an end table that just sit there. My kids medicine bin is full of empty band-aid boxes and expired infant Tylenol (from when they were babies....). And my bedroom closet? I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it. It’s just too upsetting. There are just a million little things in my house that make me want to take an entire day and just organize.

BUT, I have little kids. Can I take a day and do all of that? No, and I’m assuming you can’t either (otherwise you wouldn’t be reading my post).

What I CAN do, is take five minutes each day and do one little thing. I’ve been trying it this week, and these random little spots in my house are starting to become more and more organized.

Often, people who are “perfectionists” actually have a harder time getting organized than others. This is because they want to do it right, or don’t do it at all. Well, that’s nice, but it doesn’t work when you have kids and a bunch of other things that you need to get done. So rather than taking an entire day, afternoon, or all of naptime to organize, just spend five minutes each day and break it down into smaller projects. Here are some examples:

• Go through the fridge or pantry – toss things that may be expired or stale. These things can go overlooked until a chip is less than crunchy, or a bottle of ranch looks suspicious. This may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how it sneaks up on you.
• Pots and Pans! Even if it only lasts a few days, having them all neat and orderly makes you feel better.
• Go through your kids’ cabinet of dishes, sippy cups, etc. Pull and store the things they’ve outgrown. If your youngest child is old enough to eat steak, you should probably pack away (or pitch) those tiny Gerber spoons.
• Paperwork. Check for expired coupons, sales or flyers that are out of date, and yes – you can throw away the thank you note from your aunt.
• Tidy up the medicine cabinet. It’s good to be up to date on all first aid, cold and cough, and other medicines you’ll need. When you are up at 2am with a teething baby, that is not the time to be rummaging around for the infant Motrin.
• Set a timer, and tackle a closet. Closets can really suck you in, so be careful not to let a little project become a big project. Set a timer, and take five or ten minutes each day to work on a closet or storage space. Let the kids play in their room while you take a moment to organize their closet. This is especially helpful as we move into summer, and are switching their clothes around.
• Check out under your sinks. My husband recently asked me why we keep sidewalk chalk and bubbles under our bathroom sink. You know what? I have no earthly idea how they wound up there. What I do know, is that I can take five minutes to pull out the random stuff, put back what actually belongs under a bathroom sink, and find a new "home" for items that have migrated there over time.
  

Do you have five minutes a day? Some of us don't (raise your hands if you have small children!)  but oftentimes it's easier than you think. Finding a few minutes each day to tackle small projects over time may seem like it'll take forever, but at least you're moving in the right direction. If you are persistent, it will add up - and before you know it, you'll have made significant progress in organizing your home.