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11 Steps to Spring Clean © 2002, 2005 Pam Hughes
Remember the old adage that April showers bring May flowers? Well so it is with spring cleaning and organizing this time of year! Cleaning and organizing your environment refreshes and feeds your spirit. Here are a few steps to start you on your way. 1. Grab a notebook and pen. List all the rooms and areas of your house you want to tackle and give each one a page in the notebook. 2. Go from room to room, thoroughly examining each area and taking notes on all the little things you’ve overlooked lately. 3. At the bottom of each page, write one sentence that tells you how you feel about this room and how you want it to look. 4. Sit down with your notebook and carefully set your priorities. Get out your calendar and schedule the tasks. 5. For each task, make a list of all the supplies and tools you may need and then go out and round them up. 6. Put on some lively music, grab a bottle of water to keep you refreshed and get into comfortable clothes. 7. Now start attacking the first task. Set a timer if you need to, quit when the time is up. Then schedule a time to get back to it later. Do each of the tasks one by one as your time permits. 8. Dig deeply, pull everything out, sponge things off and wipe them down. Touch up the paint and vacuum liberally. 9. Before you put things back, think about whether or not you really need them or will use them. Now is the time to let go of the distractions and clutter around you so there’s room to breathe. 10. Call one of your local charities for a pick up. Don’t be afraid to take that tax deduction and improve someone else’s life in the process! 11. As you put everything away, think about how you’ll use or remember things. Group like items together in places that make sense to you. Keep them neat and easy to reach by containerizing. Make them enjoyable to look at and inviting to use. Don’t crowd them in. Having trouble getting it all accomplished in the time allotted? Don’t despair! Just remember, small steps to organizing will prepare you to bloom magnificently. And, as in the words of Ruth Ann Schabacker, “Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons.”
“A garden is always a series of losses set against a few triumphs, - May Sarton |
