Viewing every random straightening task as a full blown decluttering project.
That’s ONE of my problems.
As my Slob Vision cleared while I got the kitchen out of Summer Survival Mode, I shook my head and realized the spread-out-edness of all the stuff on the kitchen cabinet might be contributing to the overall messiness of the kitchen.
Might.
So I took the 2.5 minutes necessary to straighten the area.
Things I know from experience:
- “Straightening” will make a huge impact. No need to consider it a decluttering project. Thinking of it as a Decluttering Project might would justify procrastination. Y’know, because if it’s a Project, I need to block off time, and blocked off time needs to be put on a schedule rather than done right now.
Oh, how I love putting things on a schedule. I love it so much more than straightening.
- Straightening this area takes a whole minute or two. Three tops. I have proof in other posts. It’s the blessing/curse of Slob Blogging.
Once I was looking at the area, Slob Vision Blinders removed, I saw the big ol’ bottle of conditioner. Yay for kids who bring in Costco hauls from the car! Can’t really blame them for missing the obvious need to take the conditioner to the bathroom when Mama didn’t see it either for a few days.
So I took the conditioner to the bathroom right then.
Even though this WASN’T a decluttering project, Decluttering Question #1 still applies.
The big ol’ bottle of Olive Oil went to the other side of the kitchen where I’d look for it. If I needed it, and it was still in this Kitchen Blindspot, there’s a 50 95% chance I’d search frantically everywhere but there and groan loudly about how I just knew I’d bought some the last time I went to Costco. I’d probably throw in a few self-pitying phrases like “Why do things like this always happen to me?” and “Seriously?? Who loses a huge bottle of olive oil??!?”
Once I moved those Duh Items, I saw this:
A cute little straw holder with no straws in it. Right next to a plain ol’ container where I actually put straws.
Cute is good, but who has time to lift the lid thingy? And angle the straws to go in there? I mean, that might take two whole hands and five whole seconds.
I got rid of the proper straw holder and went with what works.
At that point, things looked better. (Pardon the hand.)
Except:
The big black speaker. Hubby used that speaker until he saved up his birthday and Christmas money to get a much fancier speaker. The big black one has been passed on to our kids. I guess they were naturally following the “Where would I look for it first?” decluttering question when they put it back there.
Except that two feet away (or less) is the nice speaker:
So I took it to my boys’ room.
Straightening turned into decluttering. Way less overwhelming than officially titling and scheduling it as a Project. And as long as it’s not an Official Project, I don’t have to stress that it isn’t perfect.
It’s better. I like better.
Maybe this is how Normal People do it? And how they avoid having a long list of Decluttering Projects to do?
Podcast (aslobcomesclean-comfeeddailyaudioblog): Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
I love it when straightening projects turn into decluttering projects! That just happened to me with my nightstand!
Yay for straightcluttering!
Oops, that doesn’t sound quite right!
Lol
I used Question #1 to start tackling my kitchen Monday! It’s not clean yet, but one side of the sink is clear and one counter is (mostly) empty! And I already feel so much better!
I was straightening my kitchen last night and couldn’t fit a spice jar into the drawer so I decided to declutter it. One of the three garlic powders I had expired in 2007…wth. Anyway 10 minutes later all my still good spices fit in half a drawer when before they were in the drawer and two other cabinets.
Love it! I just mentioned spices in my own post.
Oh, Dana, you’re so right about decluttering vs. straightening. I keep thinking I need to declutter my kitchen desk… and putting it off. I’m going to follow your idea and just plan to straighten it! Seriously, it’ll take maybe 15 minutes (I know this from experience) but it seems much less overwhelming when I put it to myself that way. Thanks!
God Bless you for your blog!… I thought I was the only one who had these same issues. Your insight has been so helpful!
I was nodding my head through the whole article!
I had a fantastic few days of decluttering and organizing in my large kitchen. We had put new windows in behind my baking center. Hubby and I decluttered 3 stone crocks full of knives and serving spoons etc. We each chose the things we actually USED, then donated the rest. We moved the knives to a drawer by the stove where we would use them more often (Each time the tornado warning siren went off, I pictured my kitchen turning into a giant blender with those knives flying everywhere.) Then I labeled each crock so the family knew where things were supposed to go now. All things ‘baking’ went to that center, and all else was relocated into another space.
I also got rid of a NEW tiered spice rack that just WASN’T WORKING because the bottles kept falling off and creating a domino effect when we reached in. Instead, I purchased two clear plastic boxes and loaded one full of duplicate spices, and the other full of the regularly used ones. Now when we cook, instead of combing through the collection of spices, we just lift the box down, choose, and replace the box on the shelf. Doing what WORKS, rather than following someone else’s ‘great’ idea is AWESOME!
Then, I had my son build me a 4-sectioned unit to sit on my pantry shelf that would hold 8 loaves of bread without stacking them on top of each other…which always resulted in tumbling off the shelf and onto the floor, or in smashed bread.
My kitchen is a joy now! And it seems like it’s so much easier to keep clean!
Woohoo!
As a recovering perfectionist, I am embracing “better!” Happens much more often than “perfect.” I love it!