I was recently chatting with one of my friends who shared with me that she was in dire need of a serious organizing intervention. When I asked her if she’s done anything about it, she replied no. I asked her why, and what she admitted is something I hear all too often:
“Organizing takes so much time.”
Ah, the number-one myth when it comes to getting organized. Sure, you can easily spend hours getting organized, but do you need hours in order to get started? Not at all.
Here are 25 ways you can feel more organized in the next 60 seconds:
1. Gather all your pens and markers and test out which ones still work; throw out the ones that don’t.
2. Consolidate all of your to-do lists into one; goodbye scribbled post-its and index cards!
3. Delegate something! There are several online options for delegating either your online tasks or physical errands.
4. Sign up for unroll.me and unsubscribe from all of those emails that are overcrowding your inbox.
5. Go through all of the food in your fridge and throw out what’s expired.
6. Refold your T-shirts and jeans.
7. Put any clothing lying around your home in the laundry.
8. Open up all unopened mail and only keep what’s important.
9. Throw out all socks that have holes in them — or those that are missing a mate.
10. Go into your medicine cabinet and throw out expired medicines.
11. Get a large tote and put all of your travel shampoos and conditioners that you’ve collected over the years in one place.
12. Make your bed.
13. Listen to all of your voice mails and delete those that are no longer relevant.
14. Put all of the paper scattered across your desk in one neat pile.
15. Go through your wallet and throw out old receipts.
16. Open one file folder and throw out anything that is no longer relevant.
17. Gather all of your change into a change jar
18. Put a small bowl at the front of your home to put spare keys.
19. Line your shoes up in your closet and put pairs together.
20. Put all of the messy dishes in the sink into the dishwasher.
21. Go through your handbag and put like items (tampons, lipstick, etc.) in smaller cosmetic cases.
22. Recycle all of your old magazines and newspapers.
23. Gather all of your winter accessories and put them in a bin.
24. Say no to an invitation that you really don’t want to go to.
25. Gather those old books that are collecting dust on your bookshelf that you’re never going to read again to donate.
What’s one thing that you’re going to do right now to help you get more organized? Do you have other suggestions of how to get organized in under one minute? Let me know in the comments section.