Step 4: Make a List

If I had to be good a one thing (besides going on vacation), it would be making lists!

If you've been following my blog, you have found a place for the one thing that you always lose, you are getting a good mail system down and have a very neat and organized purse (or other small area).

Now it is time to make a list. I keep a small notebook (measures about 4x6) in the drawer of my computer desk. This notebook has all my lists (and I have quite a few)!


What are all the small areas you want organized? These are areas you can deal with in 15 minutes. This is going to be the first part of your list. You could actually cross off one item a day, and be done with all of your small areas by the end of the month! This part of my list usually includes junk drawers and the cabinets under sinks. I have found that most small places with the exception of your purse really don't get messy very often once you get in a good routine and get them neat and organized. You won't have to spend 15 minutes everyday of your life doing this. Plus once they are very clean and organized, you will see that you can do this and it will give you the motivation to continue.

The next part of your list are the "medium sized" projects. These would be things like the computer desk, pantry, refrigerator, dresser, kitchen cabinets, laundry room, coat closet or the linen closet. These are things that really need to get cleaned out and decluttered. The first time you do each one, it will probably take a good hour. This is something you might want to work on 1 time a week and be done by March 1. I have found that once I have these areas clean, the pantry and refrigerator are really the two areas that take extra effort during the week to keep organized and clean (5 minutes top each week).

Then the last part of your list has the big goals of things that need organizing. This would be the dreaded tasks! For example, my bedroom closet, my child's room, the garage, my scrapbooking "stuff". These would take an entire morning or possibly more!

At this point, I wish we all had a magic wand or a fairy godmother or a genie to make this list a reality. However, by starting with the small stuff, and working your way down your list you will be learning how to be a more organized person with each item you cross off your list and by the time you get to your large goals, you will be a pro!