I'm guessing we all have these.
Drop zones.
It's where we initially set our stuff when we walk in the door at the end of the day or an outing. Please tell me you know what I mean!
In our new home, the drop zone has become our kitchen counter. Hmm. It was the kitchen counter in our last home, too. I'm not very original.
That picture isn't showing how bad it can get but there is clearly stuff there. It is always changing it seems, too. It needs to be decluttered regularly.
WHERE is your drop zone? Not sure? Go ahead and take a look around. Your purse or wallet may be nearby. Or some recent store purchases. There may even be mail. I bet you found it!
I find that being aware that it is my drop zone is helpful to keep things moving away from the area. I have to address the space frequently. Like almost daily. So today's task isn't really a one and done type of decluttering event.You will need to declutter your drop zone regularly.
Today take some time to determine where your drop zone is. Discard or recycle mail pieces you don't need. Move items that belong somewhere else to those places. If you have items that need to leave the home in the drop zone consider taking them to the front seat of your car, so you will take care of them next time you are out.
If it has been awhile since you worked on decluttering your drop zone, it could be a big project of paper. No worries. You don't have to finish today. Just start with what you can see on the top layer that you know for sure what to do with. Maybe you have coins that could be put in your wallet or a savings jar. Maybe receipts could be put in one pile to sort later. Take a few minutes and try to make your drop zone better. If the area needs more attention, give it 10 minutes tomorrow. If you take small amounts of time to tackle the area it WILL get better. I promise.
If you share this drop zone with others, you may want to let them know you are working to neaten and declutter the area. They might be on board to help you or at least maintain it when you are done.
After I took the above picture, I moved my purse next to my desk on the floor. This is also right by the door to leave our home. I moved a library book to the car to be returned. I moved two other books to the guest room so our guests could remember to take those when they leave. And took some other assorted items to their correct storage places.
The result is just two pieces of paper that I need my husband to deal with. Hopefully this evening!
I wanted to bring the drop zone to your attention early on, so you can consider making it a daily habit to work on. It takes practice, but it can be a habit. If it is a big project for you, remember that addressing this area daily, or in little amounts of time you can make a dent in it. Maybe it will be all done before the holidays and you can consider entertaining without worrying about where to put that stuff! Isn't that a nice thought.
Did you get your drop zone decluttered today? Or did you just get started? Share your progress in the comments or on the Organized Friends Facebook page. We will high five you for your accomplishments and effort.
Laundry room. We most often come in the door from the garage, which goes directly into the laundry room. Everything gets dropped there..then add in actual laundry and it's a disaster. Of course, it's a teeny tiny laundry room to boot.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne, I can see that being a problem area. I've always had small laundry rooms. For me it helps to stay on top of laundry. Only bring large amounts of it to the room when it is time to wash.
DeleteDo you have defined spaces for coats and bags (hooks or hangers)? Consider removing shoes in the garage. I had neighbors with mulitple shelves for shoes in garage since their were six people living in their home.
And of course, as it is with drop zones, one just has to make the effort to clear and tidy regularly.