For over a year now I've struggled with one obvious, always in-my-face disorganized spot. I've tried different solutions, but no matter what I implemented, nothing ever worked.
In one corner of our dining room we have two tables I refer to as my "desk." On one side I keep the heart and soul of my home's organization, my Steady Home Planner. On the other side, well, let's just say I kept everything else.
Mounds of kids' artwork, the unopened mail, bags from shopping, to-do lists, and pretty much everything else that didn't have a permanent home ended up there.
I tried to be all zen about it, but you want to know the truth?
It. drove. me. crazy.
Still, I thought I could keep on top of it. Every night, after the kids went to bed, I resolved to head downstairs and clear that surface--that way it would be briefly uncovered until tomorrow's pile appeared.
But am I the only one who feels kind of tired at the end of the day? Heading back downstairs to tidy up when it was finally "my" time felt like a slap in the face. Sometimes I summoned all my self-discipline and did it anyway; sometimes I would skip it and feel guilty.
Until two weeks ago.
I was lamenting the large desk pile to Steve at the end of one day. Genius that he is, he said, "Why don't we just make a rule that nobody can put anything on your desk?"
Uh, that couldn't work. Could it? It's just way too simple.
I'm joyfully embarrassed to say that it totally has worked! Take a look:
To help it stay that way, I put boxes under one of the tables for each of the kids. All of their papers and artwork goes here. (A fabulous idea I snagged from my friend Erin at exhale. return to center.)
The only items on my desk now, besides my planner, are a lamp, our iPod speaker, a soy candle (love these!), and our telephone. I get a little jolt of happiness every time I walk by! The best part is, no need to tiredly stumble downstairs at night.
Is there a cluttered hot spot that could use a little work in your home? Be sure to check out Tsh's upcoming Project Simplify at Simple Mom - an excellent chance to declutter with a virtual community.
It really is true what organizational experts say: A cluttered surface attracts more clutter, but a cleared surface magically stays clear.
*Now, confession time: Everybody has the equivalent of a cluttered desk. What area is your catch all dumping ground? Any chance a simple rule might solve it for you?*
