I decided to implement a touch it once challenge in order to cut down on the clutter in my life.
The Challenge
Every time I touched something I had to put it in its final place. Mail got put into the folder I processed on Mondays, unopened. Things that were in the wrong place got put away immediately instead of being clustered in a group to be taken care of later. Junk mail didn’t come into the house.
Lessons Learned
There were some surprising insights I gained as part of this:
- Clutter went down – a lot. Apparently I had developed a habit of stacking things at the top of the stairs, on the bottom stair, and on my dresser as waypoints before things were moved to their final places. This challenge made the clutter level go down – and made the stairs a lot safer. In addition, I noticed I was more peaceful with my dresser being clear.
- My procrastination went down. We’re still getting bills and insurance statements from my husband’s hospitalizaton. Now I know that I will deal with mail on Mondays I am no longer inclined to avoid it – because I don’t know what is waiting in the envelopes.
- My tension decreased. I knew I wasn’t going to have to look for things because they were in the right place. I was no longer flustered having to locate the things I needed, like cleaning supplies and keys.
- Clear horizontal surfaces are relaxing. I hadn’t noticed that clutter piled in the kitchen really made me tense. Now having those piles gone makes my kitchen a place I would like to be.
Conclusion
This has been a good exercise for me in retraining myself to be a more tidy person. Onward and upward from here as I tackle the stuff lurking behind doors and drawers!
