So last week I weeded my soon-to-be-garden spot and wrote about how decluttering is like tending a garden. Weeding was picking up any trash. Today, I submit that putting fabric barrier down would be akin to putting some systems in place to keep the weeds at bay. But there are other things besides trash that need to be weeded out of a room.
The definition of a weed is anything that doesn’t belong where it is currently growing.
The usual weeds in any room are:
Laundry
Mail/Papers
Items that belong in another room, and
Items that belong there but are out of place.
So what systems can we put in place to act as a weed barrier?
What if you had a small laundry basket in the living room (or entry, or wherever laundry seems to grow wild) ?
Is there a pretty basket you could collect the mail in each day so it doesn’t fill the counters or tables? (Only put “real” mail in the basket. Toss the junk right away.)
Loose papers usually need to have a follow-up action or be filed for future reference. What if you label two file folders as Action/File and drop papers in there?
If you have more than one level of your house, could you put a basket near the steps for items that go to the basement or upstairs? (Be careful not to block the steps or create a tripping hazard here.)
For items that belong in the room, but are out of place, you may want to diagnose why this might be happening. For instance, if the Legos aren’t being put away, is it because there is a lid on the container? Would it be easier to leave the lid off? Are there books scattered about? If the book shelves are jammed, it’s probably time to cull some out, making them easier to put away. If something is hard to put away, it won’t get done.
You will note that in my suggestions, I ask a lot of “what if” questions. If you take anything away from this, I want it to be that, whatever you do, it should work for you. It doesn’t have to be perfect or Pinterest worthy. Life is not meant to be a photo shoot. Decide what is important to you and just do that thing. It’s all about progress, not perfection. I’m just shooting ideas your way. Feel free to reach out in the comments or pm me if you want to discuss your situation. I’m here for you.
You can do this.
Laura ~ your organizing girlfriend
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