Spring Cleaning = Start Small

With the arrival of Spring comes one of my favorite times of year, Spring Cleaning! Most of you may not recognize this annual holiday of happiness like I do, likely because you weren’t born with organizing DNA. For those who may feel Spring Cleaning is anti-holiday, my response to your dismay is simply “start small”.  

When you think about the small things you can do to create a sense of accomplishment, it’s quite a long list. But for those of you who cringe at the thought of doing a load of laundry or making your bed every day, I get that going through your winter wardrobe or washing your white sneakers can feel daunting. Never mind contemplating cleaning out the garage! 

As I was discussing the concept of starting small at a recent organizing workshop, I realized there is a bit of psychology at play worth exploring. You see, when you accomplish something that is not part of your normal routine, like cleaning out a junk drawer, the natural high you experience is revolutionary. It’s because these small things typically don’t take a lot of effort to complete, and yet the result makes you feel like you completed your first marathon without even training! 

Now I’m sure some of you are rolling your eyes thinking about my view of excitement.  But I promise if you start small you will be amazed at how awesome organizing can make you feel. Here are some ideas to help you kick start your Spring Cleaning extravaganza:  

• Cleaning out 1 bathroom drawer 
• Changing out mismatched hangers to matching ones 
• Repotting a plant 
• Cleaning out the freezer 
• Donating florist vases you’ve never reused 
• Ironing a linen shirt 
• Decanting pasta into airtight storage containers
• Discarding pens/markers that no longer work 

Clearly, none of these things are “must do”.  But by tackling a few tasks you’ve been meaning to do, you’ll become more motivated to continue the journey. And while you may not ever reach the pro-organizer level of excitement of transforming a cluttered garage into a beautifully sorted and labeled sanctuary, you’ll still get a rush of satisfaction. Who knows, you may even think about clearing out and organizing your file cabinet! OR perhaps just creating a few file labels, after all, you probably need to pace yourself!