30-Day Organize-athon | Day 1: Declutter Your Living Area

Welcome to the 30-Day Organize-athon!

In today’s 5 minutes we’re going to express-declutter your living area.

Take a deep breath, and imagine inhaling a sense of clarity, freedom and order. Then get started!

Day 1: Declutter Your Living and/or Entertainment Area

Step 1: Grab a large garbage bag.

Step 2: Quickly make your way around your living and/or entertainment area, tossing these items into the bag as you go:

• Magazines other than the current month’s
• Newspapers other than today’s
• Knick-knacks – unless you really love them
• Tatty coasters
• DVDs no-one watches any more
• CDs no-one listens to any more
• Games no-one plays any more
• Remotes and technology no-one uses any more (including old game consoles)
• Food
• Books you’ve read and won’t re-read, or will never read
• Videos, cassettes, computer floppies, camera film – any storage device for which you no longer have hardware
• Framed photos – unless they’re genuinely special to you
• Tatty cardigans, socks and other apparel strewn around the furniture
• ‘Displayed’ items on shelves that collect dust but hold no meaning for you
• Dead potted plants
• Threadbare or stained cushions, throws, rugs, etc
• Anything else that isn’t loved and/or used regularly.

Step 3: Put your bag by the door or take it straight out to the car. (Take it to the tip as soon as you can.)

Step 4: If there’s something genuinely valuable in there, and you’d lose sleep over tossing it, then you can put it into a separate charity store bag. But if it’s junk, just let it go. If it doubt, don’t over-analyze – toss it.

And you’re done!

Got an Extra 5 Minutes?

1. Return items that don’t belong in the living area to the proper place – the kids’ bedrooms, the office, the kitchen, etc.
2. Straighten the coffee table and wipe it down.
3. Neaten remotes, DVDs, and anything else that lives in the living room.
4. Fluff up the cushions.

Now doesn’t that feel more like a ‘living’ room?

The 30-Day Organize-athon Mantra

Move fast. Don’t overthink. Let it go!

Start the 5-minute timer now.

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Please leave a comment below to say you’ve completed today’s task.

And I’ll see you back here tomorrow!