One little resolution

Toys.  Books.  Laundry.  Dishes.  Papers.  Shoes.  Hats.  Mittens.  Groceries.

Something always needs to be put away.

All day long, moment after moment, I am returning something to its rightful place.

But more often than not, I am piling something else in the meanwhile.  Something that has no rightful place yet.  Something that needs to be returned to someone else.  Something that would take too long or make too much noise to be put away just now.

Or I’m just tired, so I glance around at the disarray and think, Screw it, I’m going to bed.

But no longer.  Last year, I set myself so many goals and resolutions that I ended up feeling scattered and frustrated and like a dismal failure.  This year, I am keeping my eyes on one little prize.

Put things where they belong.

The beauty of this resolution is that it’s progressive.  It starts out small, with just making a more consistent effort to put away the everyday things that already have a home.  But as I get better, the plan is to make sure that everything has a specific, easy-to-reach home or it goes away. Towels go in the linen closet and when they don’t fit, the old ones go to Good Will.  End of story.  End of being a packrat, in other words.

See, I’ve learned two little somethings about myself.

First, if a thing is going to be put away, I have to be able to do it in under ten seconds, preferably one-handed.  That means no stacking a ton of bins or having things buried in the backs of cupboards.

Second, if things don’t have their own homes, I can’t make expect the children to put them away.  The best part of giving everything a clear spot is having my own personal helpers who can clean up the living room, too, right?  Right.

I know it sounds mundane.  It sounds trivial, even.  It sounds like something I’d already do anyway, so why am I making a big resolution out of it?

Because I’m tired of spending my weekends straightening up what I didn’t do during the week.
Because I’m tired of piles.
Because when I walk into a room or open a closet door, I need the clutter gone.
My mind is cluttered enough.  My house, my car, my classroom shouldn’t be.

And so I wish you all the same as I wish for myself: a bit of order and a lot of calm for this new year.
May it be filled more with joy and less with piles of stuff.

12 Responses to One little resolution
  1. Gramma
    January 2, 2012 | 8:31 am

    Count me in! I’ll get started, hmmm, maybe with the over-stuffed suitcase that has things I really don’t need in Michigan nor in the PNW. Good inspiration!

    • Jessica@Team Rasler
      January 3, 2012 | 10:22 pm

      Honestly, the pack-rat in me has such a hard time with this. In fact, I went to give away some photo frames that were just taking up space in a cupboard when I realized that two of them were the perfect size to hold the boys’ school pictures. And I’d been thinking I needed to go out and buy something! Needless to say, the rest of the set was spared from the Good Will bin. A minor setback for my resolution, but I did find a better space for them, and oh those boys’ pictures look so adorable in their frames!

  2. Missy | Literal Mom
    January 2, 2012 | 5:44 pm

    Girl – that’s a GREAT resolution. My husband has a “one touch” rule that I love and hate. I love it because it’s brilliant, hate it because I’m so NOT that way. In essence, the first time you touch something, you put it in it’s proper place, rather than “coming back for it later.”

    • Jessica@Team Rasler
      January 3, 2012 | 10:17 pm

      Oh, that IS a brilliant rule. I want to apply it to everything, including email. Unfortunately, with two munchkins, each of whom sleeps on a different floor of the house, I can’t always manage it. But a little effort and just mentally repeating “one touch” or “put it where it belongs” has been helping me, so thanks!

    • Gramma
      January 5, 2012 | 7:57 am

      Thank you, Missy. As I prepare to close my home and return to the PNW, I’ve been thinking about the One-Touch rule. Instead of setting everything in a pile that goes to a different room, as I pick it up I just walk it into the place where it belongs. The double bonus is that although it makes me do more walking, it gets things put away and I can rationalize that I am also exercising!

  3. Leigh Powell Hines (@Hinessightblog)
    January 4, 2012 | 11:04 am

    I am so bad about piles. It drives my husband crazy.

    Found you via Shell today. I’ve enjoyed reading your posts.

  4. Kristen
    January 4, 2012 | 6:25 pm

    Ugh! The piles and the clutter in my house drive me crazy. They aren’t even my piles and clutter but no one else can seem to find the rightful place for anything. I’m with you on taking my weekends back…even if it comes from putting some of those piles in donate bags and giving them to people who will put them away 😉

  5. Adrienne
    January 4, 2012 | 8:03 pm

    Oh, I am a pile junkie! I need this to be my resolution, but that won’t work for me since I boycotted resolutions this year. Hmmm? Oh well. LOL

  6. Rach
    January 5, 2012 | 1:03 pm

    This is a great resolution, girl! Definitely attainable! 🙂

  7. Broot
    January 6, 2012 | 4:37 pm

    That’s when I start getting rid of stuff! My children know it too… “put stuff away or I’M going in to clean it… and you know what will happen if I do it!” “No Mum!! You can’t get rid of my stuff!” “Go take care of it then!” 🙂 But my children are a bit older, too.

  8. Natalie @MamaTrack
    January 7, 2012 | 7:27 pm

    What an awesome resolution. I don’t even have one this year. Let me know how it goes!

  9. Pamela
    January 10, 2012 | 1:02 pm

    So funny; I swear we share a brain sometimes. Just posted my post on decluttering, clicked on your site to see what you’ve been up to and here this post is! I hate clutter; but in my house, with the ever continuing “projects” we are working on, it feels like a losing battle. Good luck to you!