3 Games for Clearing Out Clutter
Paralyzed by piles? Confused by clutter? These get-organized games will help you organize your home without getting overwhelmed.
I hate being overwhelmed.
When I am, I feel panicky and confused, and I procrastinate, especially when it comes to getting things done and keeping a lid on clutter. Fortunately, I have learned a few quick tricks that help me stay on task. Here are three favorites:
Name the Game
When you get distracted, Name the Game will move you forward:
- First, name the task at hand by saying it aloud. Let’s say the name is “I’m opening the mail.”
- Decide how you’ll know when the task is complete. For me, I’ve won the game when I’ve conquered all the mail-related paper clutter: all the envelopes have been opened, the junk mail is in the recycling bin, and the items that need action are in the inbox.
- Talk your way through the task. Every time you find you’re off task — you get a phone call or someone walks in the room — say, “No, that’s not what I’m doing now,” and repeat the name of the game aloud: “I’m opening the mail.”
- When you finish your task, dance a jig and yell, “I’ve won the game!”
[Free Download: 22 Clutter-Busting Strategies for Adults with ADHD]
Under the Sheets
This trick works well when you’re faced with a major area of clutter, such as your desk, a table, the floor, or a counter — any place with so much stuff on it that you don’t know where to start.
- Drape a sheet or a blanket over most of the area you want to organize, allowing only a small area of the clutter to show at a time.
- Deal with that bit of visible clutter.
- Once you’ve organized the first bit, slide the sheet over to expose another chunk of the clutter, and tackle it.
- Keep moving the sheet, clearing and organizing as you go.
[Perfect Is Pointless: 16 Organization Rules You Can Follow]
I Spy
This works well when an entire room is a total mess.
- With your hands or the cardboard tube from a roll of toilet paper, make a spyglass in front of one eye.
- Pick a room you’d like to organize and stand in the middle of it.
- Close your eyes and turn around. Now open your eyes and look through your spyglass.
- Do you spot a small area to organize? When you focus your spyglass on one area, you can actually see the clutter!
- Dash over to the spot you spied and tidy it up. Don’t wait. Do it now!
Use the spyglass technique a few times a day to increase your awareness of your clutter. And have fun doing it.
