30-Day Organize-athon | Day 7: Organize Your Books, DVDs, and/or CDs

30-Day Organize-athon 07

Welcome to the 30-Day Organize-athon!

In today’s 5 minutes we’re going to express-organize your library of books, DVDs and/or CDs.

Before you start, inhale a sense of clarity, freedom and order; now let’s get going.

Day 7: Organize Your Books, DVDs, and/or CDs

Decide if you want to tackle books, DVDs, CDs, or a combination. What you can achieve in 5 minutes will depend on the size of your various collections.

Step 1: Take a large box (or bag) to your bookshelves, or wherever you store your library. Moving quickly from top left to bottom right, put into the box:

  • Books you’ve read and won’t re-read
  • Unread books you’re never likely to read
  • Books that contain out-of-date information (that means most reference books, encyclopedias, etc)
  • Old textbooks – unless you graduated, like, this decade
  • Binders of seminar/course info (unless you really believe you’ll refer to them)
  • Archived magazines (do you ever look back at them?)
  • Manuals for software or computers you no longer use
  • Software CDs for programs you no longer use
  • Computer games the kids (or you) have outgrown
  • CDs you no longer listen to
  • CDs ripped to your iPod and backed up on your computer (if you only want the CD booklet, just keep that)
  • DVDs you’ve seen and won’t re-watch
  • DVDs the kids have outgrown
  • Unseen DVDs you’re never likely to watch
  • Photo albums you never look at
  • Photo albums that have negative memories
  • Video or audio cassettes if you no longer have players for them.

Step 2: Take your box(es) to the door or straight to the car. You can usually donate novels, non-fiction books, CDs and DVDs to libraries; the rest can probably be recycled. Take care with data and photos.

Step 3: Do a quick re-order to make better use of the newly liberated space on your shelves. Dewey Decimal, anyone?

And you’re done!

Got an Extra 5 Minutes?

  1. If you only did books, do DVDs and/or CDs – or vice-versa.
  2. Get a damp cloth and wipe down your shelves and your collection.
  3. If you haven’t already, investigate your local library. It’s a fabulous way to enjoy books, DVDs and CDs without cluttering up your home.

Now don’t you just want to make a cup of coffee and settle down with a good book?

The 30-Day Organize-athon Mantra

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

Start the 5-minute timer now.

Leave Your Comment Below…

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

See you tomorrow!

[Image by aussiegall]

248 thoughts on “30-Day Organize-athon | Day 7: Organize Your Books, DVDs, and/or CDs

  1. Tracey says:

    DONE! we actually recently got apple t.v. so we’ve been putting all of our movies on our computer and then storing or giving them away! same with cds! and books are now in aplhbetical order by authors last name 🙂 😀

  2. Brandi M. says:

    CD’s and DVD’s already organized. However, I had to take a lot of time evaluating the books. Longer than 5 minutes, but more than worth it!

  3. Michelle says:

    Done! I have completed and commented on these first 7 days and can’t wait for the next 7! I am finally getting the clutter out of my house 5 minutes at a time!

  4. Arielle says:

    7 tasks done—7 comments left—7 steps closer to being organized! I now have a box of books ready to donate to our library’s next book sale. I don’t own many Cds or DVDs, so those were easy to organize.

  5. STacy says:

    AHA!! i posted earlier about needing to remove my bookshelf and put it elsewhere..

    DONE all by myself!! (unless you consider the little man age 4 helping me 😉 )

    so now my books are all organized.

    but now i have to patch holes and patch the bare spot on the wall 🙁

  6. Kim says:

    All 7 done! This one was started about a month or so ago…we’re preparing for a cross country move and it’s silly for unused/unloved books to take up so much of out allotted moving weight!

  7. bee says:

    this was a small bite out of a HUGE task. Thanks for kicking me into action. I have an enormous collection of books & music. in 3 rooms & a hall and I would always rather sit down with a book than do any housekeeping task.
    I managed 10 min on books and 7 on CDs today and will add % min daily for the rest of the month as i see that this & paper clutter will need the most attention but I now “get it” that even 5 min can be enough to get some of the mountain moved.
    Thanks again
    bee

  8. Arlene Gianelli says:

    Done. I hit the books this morning. May take an extra 10-15 this afternoon to do my CD;s.

    So this week I’m 7 for 7

  9. Annette says:

    All 7 tasks done and 7 comments made.

    I’ve spent the 7 minutes on CDs and DVDs. My revolving shelves really made this easier to do. Found some DVDs I have watched. Have to work on the book shelves as an ongoing project. No buying anymore books or DVDs until I have read and watched the ones I have.

    Think I’ll sit down with some popcorn and watch one of those DVDs tonight.

  10. Suzanne says:

    No bookshelves yet – recycle most of my books with Paperback Swap – they take hars, soft, text books, etc.

  11. Nicole says:

    7 tasks complete. Bookshelves were cleared. Some tossed. Some given away. Some ready for a garage sale. By the end of April it is going to be insane how much stuff there would be for a garage sale in May. Hip Hip Horray!

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