Step-By-Step Instructions for Today's Declutter Task

Today, we're going to work on the clutter in our entry way.  Like yesterday, there are so many possibilities with this one.

Here are some ideas:

• winter gear - hats, scarves, gloves
• loose papers
• mail
• empty boxes
• bags
• school stuff
• shoes
• coats

In the video above, I'm decluttering shoes from the basket we keep by the front door.  It wasn't a huge undertaking, but it needed to be done.  I even found a pair of shoes I had forgotten all about.

Choose a category, gather all the items from it, and then decide what you'll keep, what you can get rid of, and what belongs elsewhere.  A lot of things end up in the entry way and simply never leave because we bring them in the house, and then get busy doing other things.

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Here's a bit more on decluttering and setting up an effective drop zone/landing zone in your entry way since they can become quite the dumping ground.  It's understandable -  all those things we leave and return home with have to go somewhere, of course, and if we haven't assigned a quick and easy home for them, well, they tend to stick around.

If you need to set up (or tweak) your drop zone, start by evaluating your needs for the space.  What needs to be kept here to make coming and going a breeze?

Everyone's needs are different, but may include:

• keys
• glasses
• purse/work bag/briefcase/backpack
• wallet
• phone
• coat/jacket
• shoes
• mail
• loose papers
• school papers
• hats/gloves/scarves
• laptop/tablet
• work badge
• charging cables

Your list may include less or more.  Each of the items should have a dedicated home that makes it easy to grab on the way out the door and to put away quickly when you get home.  It's not a place where you want to have a lot of extra stuff in the way.  

Once you've identified what the space should include, get rid of the things that don't belong.  Gather those items and group by the room they belong in so you can put them away in as few trips as possible.  

Next, make sure you have a place for everything you identified that should live in your drop zone.  In particular, you want to make sure that you designate a home for anything you find yourself frantically searching for in the mornings.  

Depending on your needs, your drop zone setup can be as simple as command hooks, a basket or two, a wall mounted letter sorter, and a small shelf or ledge.  

Lastly, return the items you grouped earlier - the ones that don't belong in the entry way - to their proper home(s).

Remember that as you create a new system, you'll want to give yourself a little time to try it out, and then tweak what needs to be changed.  Getting organized and setting up systems is a very fluid process.  

 For our last day, we're going to root through the junk drawer.  I can't wait!