FLY BabyStep #9

Day 9 - Declutter A Few Minutes At A Time.

Today we are going to declutter.

1.When to Declutter: Decide how often you are going to declutter a zone. Do a little each day - use a timer. Stop when the timer goes off, you don't want to burn yourself out. Do a small amount at a time, remember the house did not get dirty overnight and will not get clean overnight. When you set the timer you can only do 2 sessions each day. In a few months your entire house will be clutter free.

2. Decluttering Equipment: You will need garbage bags, boxes, magic markers, and a dust rag. Label the boxes "Give Away", "Throw Away", and "Put Away". Line the "Throw Away" box with a plastic garbage bag.


3.Set your timer: for 1 hour (or 30, 15, or 10 minutes - it does't matter how long). Just do the job as fast as you can and do not pull out more stuff than you can put away in that length of time. This means just one drawer, one closet (or even one shelf in one closet), one magazine rack, or digging under just the furniture in the zone. Not all of them at once!

4. Start at the entrance to the room: Then, work your way around the room clockwise. Do not skip a spot. Whatever happens to be next, just do it.

5.Declutter Away! With boxes at your feet and dust rag in your waistband, start off by cleaning out and getting rid of the things that do not belong in this room. Put garbage in the "Throw Away" box, donations in the "Give Away" box, and stuff that goes somewhere else in the "Put Away" box. Don't worry that you do not have a place for everything right now. By the time you finish you will. That's a promise from FlyLady!

6.What to declutter? Things to ask yourself as you get rid of your clutter:
Do I love this item?
Have I used it in the past year?
Is it really garbage?
Do I have another one that is better?
Should I really keep two?
Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it?
Or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item?
Cleanse this room of everything that does not make you SMILE.

7.Sing this song: "Please release me, let me go" as sung from the stuff's point of view. It needs to be loved by someone and if you don't love it - GET RID OF IT!

8.Get rid of the garbage! When the "Throw Away" box gets full, pull out the garbage bag, close it, and put it in the trash can, the pickup truck, or wherever you keep your garbage. Put a new garbage bag in the "Throw Away" box and keep on Flying until the timer goes off.

9.Donations: When the "Give Away" box gets full, seal it off, and put it in your car. The next time you are out, you can donate to the area thrift shop. Do not save your clutter for a yard or garage sale, you will be blessed by giving it away. The value can be deducted on your income tax. Remember you are trying to get rid of clutter - not relocate it somewhere else in your home. Now, grab another box, label it "Give Away", and get back to work.

10."Put Away" Stuff: When the "Put Away" box gets full, take the box in your arms and run around the house (good thing you have shoes on - right?) and put the items in the room where they belong. If they have a place, put them there, if not put them in the room where they logically belong. By the time you have finished you will have a place for everything and everything will be in it's place.

11. Timer Goes Off: When the timer goes off, you have to put away all the boxes, but first you have to empty them all. Go as fast as you can.

Add a 5 minute Room Rescue to your morning routine.

Our Routine So Far...

MORNING ROUTINE
-Get up and dressed to lace up shoes; fixing your hair and face.
-Looking at your posted reminders in the kitchen and bathroom.
-Going to Big Tent and reading messages.
-Recognizing the negative voices and changing them: YOU ARE FLYing NOW!
-Put out your Hot Spots for 2 minutes.

BEFORE BED ROUTINE
-Keep your sink shining
-Put out your Hot Spot for 2 minutes.
-Lay out your clothes for tomorrow.