Declutter 2 5 Minute

• Declutter 2 5 Minutes
• Declutter 2 5 Minute Worksheets
• Declutter 2 5 Minute
• Declutter 2 5 Minute Challenge

Wednesdays are simplicity days at SimpleProductivity blog. I am taking a break this week, so please enjoy this article from the archives!

Knock out a few emails. If you don't already, try using a 'quick answer' tag that you add to any email that will take you 60 seconds or less but isn't urgent. When you have five minutes, clear out as many of these as possible. Check your upcoming meetings for the week, and send any emails necessary to confirm them. Improve your English vocabulary and speaking with 6 Minute English! In many consumer societies these days, people tend to buy and keep lots of things - after.

Originally published on 8 July 2009

Most people I know won't embark on a big decluttering because they think it will take too long. I decided to put together a list of quick decluttering projects to get you started getting rid of the junk in little chunks of time.

5 Minute Decluttering

1. Clean out your wallet. Get rid of old receipts, expired coupons, business cards and outdated pictures. Consider putting club and membership cards in a separate holder.
2. Clean out your pen cup. Either at office or home, go through your stash. Get rid of anything that won't write. Or anything you won't use (like the pen with yellow ink)
3. Purge your socks. Go though your sock drawer and toss anything that needs to be tossed. Don't keep things with holes or without mates.
4. Clean the place where you stash take-out goodies. Wherever you keep them, get rid of old menus, chopsticks, plastic forks and packages of condiments.
5. Purge your magazines. If you have more than three unread issues of a magazine, recycle the older ones. Let's face it, if you haven't gotten to it in three months, you probably won't get to it at all.
6. Clean out your nightstand. Get rid of trash, dried up lotions, broken pencils and books you have been meaning to get to.

10 Minute Decluttering

1. Clean out the center console in your car. Remove the change, wrappers, receipts and anything else that has collected there (Barbie shoes? Playdough? I'd love to hear what people find).
2. Go after the kitchen sink. Remove anything from around your sink that you don't use daily.
3. Purge one bathroom shelf. Pick a shelf and clean it out. This may be a 5 minute job, but if you have extra time, put things back neatly after wiping it down.
4. Clean one clothing drawer. Get rid of anything not wearable because of its state, or because you don't like it anymore.
5. Purge utensils. I swear my kitchen breeds spatulas. Get rid of anything that is obviously over-worn or broken. Remove anything you haven't used. Remove as many duplicates as possible.
6. Purge your media. If you have CDs or DVDs (or VHS tapes!) or video games you don't use any more, clean them out! (Please remember it is a violation of copyright law if you get rid of the original media and use a copy you have made…if you still use it, hang on to the original media)

15 Minute Decluttering

1. Clean out your medicine cabinet. Anything that is expired or no longer of use needs to go. Contact your local pharmacy for a take-back program, or contact your local hazmat location for drop-off instructions. Do NOT flush old medicines!
2. Purge and clean one refrigerator shelf. Cleaning the refrigerator can be a daunting task. Do one shelf, pulling everything out, wiping it down and getting rid of old half-used stuff. You will be amazed at the difference.
3. De-gunk your glove compartment. I think the maps must breed too. Purge outdated and duplicate maps. Make sure your registration and proof of insurance is handy and up to date.
4. Purge under a sink. Under-sink cabinets become a dumping ground for all sorts of stuff. Clean yours out.
5. Remove unused kitchen gadgets. Gadgets are fun and cool, but unless you actually use them regularly, get rid of them. The grilled sandwich maker looked cool at the time, but I used it maybe three times? Same with the deep fryer. Out they go!
6. Purge your plastic. Plastic containers grow extra tops, which then consume other plastic containers. Match up what you have and get rid of the rest.

Decluttering doesn't have to be overwhelming. Pick a small spot and declutter. By constantly decluttering small areas, we make long-term major progress.

Photo by simax105

Even though we know how to declutter, our procrastination tendencies kick in when it's time to get started. We think, 'today is the day to start decluttering' and our friend, procrastination steps in and offers the following …

• 'There is so much to do.'
• 'Where should we start?'
• 'Is that really the best place to start?'
• 'What's on Netflix?'
• 'Did you exercise today?'
• 'This is going to take forever.'
• 'Come on, it's your day off. Do you really want to spend it decluttering?'
• 'There will be plenty of time tomorrow to get started.'

The secret to combating procrastination is to build momentum. It also helps to trick procrastination into having fun. Instead of making your decluttering project a big chore, turn it into a challenge. Bonus: a challenge may interest decluttering resistant family members too.

Procrastination will fight our intention to spend a full day decluttering, but 10 minutes? We can do anything for 10 minutes. Choose a space, set a timer for 10 minutes and put 10 items from each space in a box or bag. By the time you finish, procrastination won't know what hit him. Use the momentum you create by tackling another space, or going for 10 more items in the space you are in.

You may not need to declutter all 10 of these spaces so choose the ones that resonate with you and add on spaces as needed.

Decluttering Challenge: 10 Spaces, 10 Minutes, 100 Items

1. Purse/Briefcase/Backpack
Dump the contents from your daily bag. Only add the items you use back in. Let go of the rest.

Declutter 2 5 Minutes

2. Bathroom
Get rid of old cosmetics (see this for expiry guidelines), expired prescriptions and OTC meds (here's how to dispose of them). Take a sweep through each drawer and cabinet. If there are unopened items (toothpaste, shampoo, soap) or similar items that you know you will never use, donate to a local homeless shelter.

3. Hall Closet
I've never seen the inside of your hall closet, but I can almost guarantee there are things in there you don't need, don't want and don't even remember you have. I'll be checking my hall closet this afternoon!

4. Pantry
If you bought food for a special diet and then never did the special diet or opened the food packaging, donate it to a food pantry. If there are other things you never use, let it go and make space. Photomatix pro 6 256. Or, challenge yourself to use everything in your pantry before buying anything new.

5. Nightstand
Make the space near where you sleep simple and peaceful.

6. Outdoor space
Tackle balconies, porches, front yards and backyards. Even when it's outside, clutter is clutter.

7. Car
From the glove box to the trunk, do a sweep of your car. You'll probably eliminate that annoying rattling noise in the process.

8. Inbox
Solid converter 2 1. If your inbox has become a 2 year to-do list, start deleting for 10 minutes at a time. If it's a lost cause, consider email bankruptcy.

9. Head space
What's swirling around up there? Write down 10 things that are on your mind, weighing you down, and preventing you from thinking clearly. The simple process of moving your worries from brain to paper will help you figure out the next step.

Declutter 2 5 Minute Worksheets

10. Money
Cisdem appcrypt 4 6 1. Open your banking account and see what you've spent money on over the last 30 days. Make a list of the 10 things you want to spend less on, and cancel monthly subscriptions that aren't serving you anymore.

Now that you've let procrastination know that you are the boss, consider these other challenges to continue to build decluttering momentum.

Declutter 2 5 Minute

• Decluttering Burst: Let go of 100 items in less than an hour
• Minimalist fashion challenge Project 333

Declutter 2 5 Minute Challenge

The value of personal experiments and challenges goes far beyond clean countertops. Keep asking questions like … 'wouldn't it be crazy if?' and see what happens.