Works for Me Wednesday

That today is the first Wednesday of October makes WFMW a themed edition, this month "Your Best Cleaning Tip."

The clinical diagnoses is Discouraged Perfectionist. That is me. I like things just so, everything has it's place and a place for everything. However, these places, many times, end up becoming piles. Piles of papers, piles of clothes, piles of receipts and bills.

Piles, piles and more piles.

But wait, they are my piles so I know where everything is. I know which pile holds which permission slip, or bill, or camp registration form, and where it all is in those leaning towers. It. Is. All. Under. Control.

NOT!

After awhile these piles become too much and it becomes time to reclaim my counter, or storage bench, or bed.

These times are called the Great Organize. I scoop up all the offending, toppling piles and place them on the kitchen table or my bed. Basically, I collect all those perfectly organized piles, scattered around the house and place everything in one central area and then organize.

Everything is placed in one large pile because if I try to organize (find a permanent home for all those papers, clothes and toys) each individual pile the job will never be completed.

By clearing the cluttered surfaces and placing them in a central area the cluttered surfaces are no longer cluttered. The central area is usually a surface which I will need in the near future. The kitchen table, we will be eating dinner at some point, that table better be clean. The bed? I like my sleep, and I don't like sleeping with clutter. The need, at a later time, for this central space keeps me focused on the task and soon my house is pile free.

Being that I am a lover of piles this process works well for me in keeping those piles nearly nonexistent, and everything finds it's proper home.

For more WFMW cleaning tips head over to Kristen's at We Are THAT Family.