Guess what… I have a secret to tell you… Even organized people have days when they aren’t able to put things away right away. It’s true. I’ll admit it for myself at the very least. Sometimes clutter just collects. That’s not good news though, and since this blog is meant to be upbeat and helpful here’s the good news to counteract the bad news: you don’t have to feel hopeless during those times. For those moments/days/weeks/seasons there IS a way to corral the clutter so it doesn’t take over your entire house. How, you ask? Simple. Have a “drop zone”. A “drop zone” is a designated space where you can put all the random items that collect until you have time to deal with them. Once items are contained clean up is easier and putting things away isn’t quite as overwhelming as it once seemed.
I can attest to this tip personally. In my life that “drop zone” is a wide, shallow basket at the end of my bed. That is where everything goes until I can deal with it. Sometimes this happens on a daily basis and other times it goes a little longer, but this way I don’t go crazy looking everywhere for that piece of paper I need or that card I received in the mail or the check I need to deposit. I know right where it is, even if at the moment it’s not where it’s going to end up.
One more word of advice: If your crazy day is more like a crazy season, make sure to empty this space semi-consistently. If you don’t it could grow and spread and duplicate and breed like rabbits until your “drop zone” spreads throughout your entire house and then you might as well light a match and start over… or call a professional organizer. Whatever’s easiest.
