Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Mind map it!

de-clutter-challenge

Sometimes, when you're not very far along on the Journey to Organisation, you may start feeling overwhelmed.

There are SO many places to start so you become indecisive.

Should I start in the kitchen? Should I start in the study? Should I start in my craft room? Maybe I should tackle the kids' rooms?

HELP!

Okay, okay, re-lax...

Here's what I suggest you do:

  1. Grab a piece of paper and go to one room. Do not leave until this is done.
  2. Draw a circle in the middle of the page and write the name of the room you're in (let's just say you're in the office, since this is what I love organising).
  3. Then draw spokes like the rays of the sun for each section in that room that needs to be organised - e.g. desk, bookshelf 1, bookshelf 2, etc.
  4. Now look at each individual area and draw some more spokes off of each main spoke. For the desk you may have...top of desk, drawer 1, drawer 2, under desk, and so on....


Now you have a visual plan of EVERYTHING that needs to be done in a particular area.

Then you tackle each of those sub-spokes until all the little sections are done. As you finish a section, cross it off in a different colour.

The thing is, those little bits can easily be done in 15-minute segments and before you know it, you've sorted an entire room.

At least then there's one room you can call a sanctuary - and then the next, and the next...

If you're a more linear thinker and don't like the "messy" nature of mind maps (for many years, I didn't either but I seem to be "breaking loose" these days), may I suggest that you print out the master to-do list on my site under Free tips and downloads. Use a different page for each room and simply list all the areas, one after the other.

Everything is still contained on one page, just in a linear, logical fashion. You'll still start working on one room at a time.

This works for me. Has this post helped you? Leave me a comment and let me know how you prevent overwhelm.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a great idea. I'll have to try this. Thanks for sharing your tips.

Me said...

This is such a good idea. Once I get some energy back I'm going to try it.

Anonymous said...

I've made tons of lists but I never get very far. And I realized I had seen this idea before but for scrapbooking Stacy Julian has designed a stress free way to scrapbook and feel caught up. She used the exact idea you did and I loved it. But I never thought to use if for organizing rooms. Thanks so much for the light bulb moment, I hope this helps me get on track

www.pleasurabledesires.com said...

If I didn't have so much to do on a daily basis, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I just opened an on-line lingerie store, www.pleasurabledesires.com, I'm due to deliver my daughter within two weeks, my 15 month old walks, runs, destructs anything in his way, and I hold a full time government job. I'm on bedrest and still can't keep still. I need to clean things that I've just cleaned the day before. I'm always in my son's face especially since he only wants to be around his father who left for Iraq. I find myself spending hours on-lne researching marketing tools and great business tips on top of shopping for my children. I honestly feel that if I didn't keep busy, the distance and fear for my husband would get the best of me but how I'm handling things now isn't really working for me either.

jen said...

I'm a linear person - or so I thought - but it doesn't seem to be working for me anymore. I may give this a try. My husband is a big fan of mind mapping.

jenzug
http://www.thispile.com

Wani said...

You make it sound so easy! I am and always a work in progress and my house speaks loudly to that effect!

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