Clearing the path to an organized life
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/11/2018 (1657 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The word “empty” in the phrase “empty nest syndrome” is a bit of a misnomer for me.
My daughter and two grandchildren recently moved out and the house is now mine to reign over freely for the first time in years.
However, it certainly is not empty.
Over the years we accumulated more and more stuff, the bulk of which were toys. Their new place does not have room for all their belongings, so a lot of their stuff was left behind and some of my own belongings have been sneakily overflowing from drawers and closets.
All the rooms in the house were in a state of disorganization. The living room featured wall-to-wall toys. My bedroom had become an office, art studio, laundry folding depot and catch-all for stuff that had nowhere else to go. My daughter’s room still contains her keepsakes, clothes not in season, and other whatnots.
In the foreword of professional organizer Peter Walsh’s book, How to organize just about everything, he says, “Being organized is the key to a simpler life, in which the things we own reflect who we are and everything has its place.”
How I envy an organized, simple life!
So, after years of ignoring the chaos, I’ve decided to busy myself with purging and cleaning.
To accomplish this, I made a “to do” list, including boxes to check when I’ve finished a task. My main goal is to convert my daughter’s old room into my art studio and craft room. I’m pretty excited about that and I’ve already completed the grandkids’ room so that when they have sleepovers their bunk beds are neat and tidy and their toys are organized on shelving.
Here are my tips for anybody in the same predicament:
• Make a list for each room — I posted mine on the fridge. Include even the smallest details, such as dusting the tops of cupboards. Don’t include the everyday things, such as washing the dishes.
• Set a realistic deadline that will work for you — Don’t say two weeks when you know that will mean working every day to get it done.
• When tackling clutter, make boxes labelled garbage, donate or sell, recycling and keep. Find permanent storage places for the items you intend to keep.
• If you get overwhelmed, take a break. Watch that Christmas movie or just chill out for the evening if you are tired after work.
• Be joyful each time you tick something off the list. Each accomplishment gets you one step closer to your goal.
I do miss the grandkids being around but I am enjoying the quiet house. What I enjoy most, however, is being able to crank my tunes when I get into cleaning mode, even if it’s 10 at night!
Suzanne Hunter is a community correspondent for Transcona.