Messy Closet

Is your closet a mess? Do you have stuff piled up on the floors or in the corners? It can be very daunting to look at the project and realize it will take you hours to get it done, I know!

Break it into small chunks of time, say an hour or a half hour at a time, it seems less daunting. Write it on your weekly list for one short chunk of time. When the time is up, quit and schedule it for a couple of days out.

Before you tackle the closet, you're going to need to clean up any clutter around the closet, other wise you won't have space to put things temporarily. Also, make sure you've gone through any drawers that you want to use.

Arrange boxes near the closet for different types of things, and label them - to charity, trash, belongs somewhere else, and not sure. As you sort through your items, either keep them in the closet or put them into one of these four boxes.

Work in small sections - you only have a short time, remember, or you'll overwhelm yourself. Don't attempt to empty out the entire closet and sort through it all at once, you'll end up with more of a mess than when you started.

If you know you'll never need something again, it should go in the trash or the charity box, be ruthless.

Sorting criteria

1. Have you used it in the past year? Will you use it this next year?
2. Does it have sentimental or monetary value?
3. Will it maybe come in handy some day? Usually a yes answer to this question just means you're hanging on to clutter! So be sure you mean it. But it definitely is a candidate for long-term storage, put it in the elsewhere box.

More organization tips

• Lists Setting up a calendar and lists to assist in the organization process.
• Message Center Setting up a central place for messages and important information.
• Are you organized? A quick quiz to find out how organized you are, and how much you can do to make yourself more organized.
• Make your own organizer Making your own organizer to track tasks and dates.
• Telephone tips Ways to save time and frustration with the telephone.
• Errands and appointments Making the most out of errands and appointments.
• Using short periods wisely What to do when you only have a few minutes.
• Mail How to handle mail efficiently.
• Housework Make housework more productive and effective.
• Company Preparing for, and entertaining, company.
• Company Kit Setting up a kit for when company arrives on short notice.
• Each evening Preparing for the following day.
• Simple tidying Life can be easier if you set up areas for situations, tyding up the whole house.
• Laundry Ways to save time and money with the laundry.
• Distributing the Burden You don't have to do it all yourself, you can share the load.
• Delegation How to delegate effectively.
• Child's room Keeping your kid's rooms tidy.
• Storage Where to put things.
• Pack rat How to avoid being a pack rat.
• Messy Closet Cleaning out a messy closet.
• Garage Sale How to have a successful garage sale.
• Moving Sorting through your stuff for a move.
• Prevention Some ideas to prevent cleaning chores.
• Odds and ends How to deal with odds and ends that just kind of show up to clutter a room.
• Organizing Your Home Basics of organization.

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