January is the perfect time to create new rules for yourself

...especially ones that eliminate some of the clutter that quietly becomes “a new normal”!

Use microwave minutes to stay organized
Disorganized homes are often the cause of constant procrastination. If you keep saying “I’ll deal with that later”, then you’ll end up with things dotted around the house, waiting (and waiting!) to be put away. Put an end to this by using “microwave minutes”. Microwave minutes refer to small pockets of time of around 5-10 minutes that can easily be squeezed into your day. These time blocks mean you can complete a few tasks that you would be able to fit in while waiting for your microwave to ding, or your kettle to boil. Some examples of tasks you can fit in during these time blocks include:

• Opening up mail, storing them digitally, then either shredding or filing them
• Washing your dishes/putting them into the dishwasher or putting them away.
• Giving your bathroom countertops a quick wipe-over with your cleaning spray.

Identify danger zones
Every home has a hotspot for clutter, where things are most likely to dumped, ready to be sorted “later” (ALERT: “later” rarely comes around). Do you have a mass of mail, keys and bags dumped near your front door? Is there a spot on your kitchen worktop that has a permanent pile of items dumped on it? Take a walk around your home and look for clutter clusters. It can sometimes help to take a video on your phone that you can then watch back, as you’ll probably notice clutter that you’re normally oblivious to!

(excerpted from Wren Kitchens, Rhi- “Mummy of 4”!)