Day 2: Clutter cleanse

Today's assignment is making an action plan. It involves identifying problem areas and homeless items, setting priorities and scheduling daily time to work on decluttering. 

Lara has a free printable on her site for identifying the problem areas in your home. Also, it's the link to day 2 if you wish to follow along. 

Link is here: 

http://www.overstuffedlife.com/2014/10/31-days-to-less-clutter-and-more-peace.html?m=1

Identifying the problem areas

My biggest problem area is in the kitchen. Things often get piled up on the kitchen island so I can read them, often mail or magazines, or do something with these things, like pay bills or respond to mail, when I have a moment while being home with my kids. The truth is that it sits there sometimes indefinitely until it's a big problem. Maybe I need to schedule time to read them instead of waiting for some free time that is so infrequent and unreliable. 

I also have a huge pile of things to get to on my desk in our office. It amasses a never ending pile of mail and things to read as well. This place is where the pile from the kitchen goes when I get fed up with the mess in the kitchen. This pile if things to read seems to be the root of my problem. Never getting to read or respond to papers that accumulate around the house. 

I realized that I have this bad habit of stashing potentially hazardous items out of grasp at the nearest shelf, closet, etc. It means I have items where they don't belong in various hiding spits around the house. Note to self. Stop doing this. 

There is an issue of what to do with clothes that have been worn once but are still not dirty.  Do other people out it back with their clean clothes in their closets or is there another way. It seems everyone in our house has that question/problem. The clothes get piled everywhere, the bathrooms, the top of dressers and the floor.  

Setting priorities:

The kitchen island is definitely the biggest priority. As the hub of the house, it really effects everyone in the house if it's cluttered. It's the first thing we see when we get home and come into the house. If I could fix this problem area, I think it would really improve our life. 

Scheduling daily time:

I am going to try to work on this project an hour a day. Days that I have help I will be working in it during the day. Otherwise, I will be working on it after the kids go to bed.