As I was cleaning up the kitchen this morning, I realized how much this area has been driving me crazy.
We’ve had a lot of coughing and allergies and fever going on around here, so it just makes no sense to my brain to put this stuff away in the cabinet above this counter. Especially since I have a few who are old enough to get their own medicine when reminded.
But who might never find it if it was actually put away.
Of course, as happens to people with Slob Vision, the Target bags and dirty dishcloths were invisible to me.
So I took the entire three minutes necessary to simply remove the OBVIOUSLY removable stuff and push the stuff that was staying into one slightly-less-random arrangement, and I got this:
And that included making the (not that hard) decision to throw away this smashed/cracked leadless and eraserless pencil and the plug cover that I haven’t used in several years.
And it even included transferring these allergy pills back to their container. AFTER throwing the bag away because I thought it was a ziploc with a little leftover rice in the bottom . . .
(Explanation/Excuse: When my 10yo went to camp LAST SUMMER I sent the bottle, but didn’t want to send everything in it for fear it would never return.)
What have you done in three minutes today?
I keep a basket on my kitchen counter with vitamins/meds in it. Makes it so much easier to wipe off counters or move the meds when I need space. Also makes it convenient to carry the basket upstairs at night when we have kids up sick (so sleepy mom doesn’t have to go downstairs to grab the meds!). Oh, and I cleaned my kitchen table off so far today, but only b/c someone spilled a glass of milk!:)
I keep a basket on my kitchen counter for this kind of thing to. I got one with tall sides so that it kinda hides the stuff. I also put one on my bathroom counter to hold the stuff we use every day and just never could seem to get put away. The bathroom counter looks so much neater now.
nony you rock. three minutes is nothing! everyone can find three minutes to do SOMEthing. ANYthing to tidy up. i’m going to empty my dishwasher right now. i bet it takes no more than 3 minutes. i’m running out of excuses, thanks to you. i love your blog!
My slob vision is just like yours. Thanks for sharing and inspiring – I know what I’m going to do when I get home from work tonight!
Just another thought for everyone, not just the households where there is illness [chronic, extended, or recurrent especially) going on — remember to replace toothbrushes and do not share a bathroom “rinse” cup — get disposable paper cups especially during colds/flu season. Probably not a great idea to store all toothbrushes together either especially when someone has been ill in the family [communicable, not a broken leg 😉 ]…
I can’t believe how every post you write I think “this is me too!!!” Anyway, a couple of years ago I was trying to figure out why I could NEVER get the diswasher emptied. So one day, I timed myself to see how long it took – it was 3 minutes. Ever since then I have been better (not perfect) about emptying the diswasher and putting dirty dishes in throughout the day, those 3 minutes have made a huge difference in how clean my kitchen seems.
I know! I actually say this when I speak. I totally used to think it took like fifteen minutes to unload the dishwasher, but you’re right! It takes about three minutes . . .
My son will often come home from school stressed because he has “hours” of homework to do and will never get it done. So he doesn’t even want to start it — fear paralyzes him. In reality, he can knock it out in under an hour, often 15-20 minutes. I think it is the same with me. I will look at something and think it will take forever so I don’t start it.
Love Slob Vision!
It’s amazing how much you can get done in such a short amount of time!
My desk is a hot spot like your counter. But if I set the timer for 5 minutes and do what I can, it usually looks SO MUCH BETTER! I avoid working on it because I think it’ll take all day but it never does.
Good job with the countertop! And all your efforts in your home–this is my second time through your blog from the beginning. Thank you for sharing your journey out of “slobdom” with the rest of us!
I’m beginning to see that my clutter is due my procrastination–delayed and deferred decisions/action. And it’s ironically rooted in a perfectionistic attitude that is very crippling.
For example, the plug cover thing. I would look at that and think, ugh, to decide what to do with this, I would have to remember the last time I used it and think about whether we will need it sometime in the future and if so, where it should be located and where I would think to look for it (with tools? with lightbulbs? with electrical tape? junk drawer?) But if I throw it away, I’d have to waste time and money buying a new one if we do need it. And it would be too much for me, so I’d just walk away to make the decision “later.” Sad.
Better to make the decision (whatever that decision is!) and get it done and out of the way, rather than toss the deferred decision into the invisible pack on my back to carry around with me until the next time I come across the item and waste time fiddling and deferring decisions and procrastinating. All for a dumb little plastic thing. Who cares? I stress over stupid little details because of a warped perfectionism, and meanwhile my house looks like a dump! (What’s “perfect” about living in a disordered mess?)
Nony, you make me want to jump in the mess around here and “git ‘er dunn”! They’re just THINGS, and I have dominion over them (it’s NOT the other way around)!! I’ve already started making my bed in the morning, doing my dishes right away after use, and I have a nice little donation pile started. I will make a place for everything, and put everything in its place (continually)! By God’s grace, peace and order will reign in this home!!
Wow! Reading through for a second time? I love it! You should probably win some kind of a title for that, right?
I know, right? and I hope it comes with a tiara!
Seriously though, I do thank you for the encouragement of your blog.
–Kay
I enjoyed your site today. Loved watching the drawer declutter video lol