When tackling some dreaded job, set a time limit.This week's clutter tip comes from Portland professional organizer MaryJo Monroe at reSPACEd (
), who zeroes in on a key area: motivation. We all want an orderly home, but the job of making it so is not so desirable. Here's Monroe's advice:
"It can be hard to find the motivation to do dreaded tasks such as sorting through our papers or doing the dishes. One thing to keep in mind is that we tend to overestimate how long it takes to do unpleasant tasks, while underestimating how long it takes to do enjoyable tasks. It probably won't take as long as you think it will to do that dreaded task. One way to get through it is to set a timer for 15 minutes and see how far you can get. Give yourself permission to stop after 15 minutes. Often people will find the momentum they need to keep going beyond 15 minutes if they can just get themselves started."
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I'd suggest one alternative to a timer: a playlist on an MP3 player with a short set of high-energy music to make the feet move faster. When the music ends, so does the work.
Either way, be sure to stop when it's time; doing so will make it easier to start the next time.
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