Tidying up on a wild goose chase
Happy New Year, friends! We have had a very nice Christmas, hosted my family for a lovely lunch, and spent a quiet New Year’s Eve at home. I really like Christmas, but it sure does add plenty of extra objects and events to my space.
I have packed up most of the main decorations already, but every time I turn around there seems to be something else that’s popped up in the wrong place. It doesn’t help that hosting always involves a certain amount of last-minute stashing of clutter and rearrangement of furniture!
Anyway, the New Years period also makes me feel a little adrift. I don’t quite know where to start. It’s too easy to get in an overwhelmed freeze state here!
I will not try to choose the “best” task. Instead, I will look around for one small clue: an out-of-place item. I will pick it up and put it away in another room, and see where that path takes me. The game is afoot!
Next to my desk, I can see the wonderful lizard calendar I was given at Christmas! 🦎
So I take it to the kitchen to hang up… and there I spot another clue: 🕵️♀️
Notice: new lizard calendar, 🦎
Take to kitchen and hang it up
↓
Notice: old native birds calendar 🐦⬛
Take to bedroom and add to collage box
↓
Notice: Glass cleaner bottle 🪟
Take to cleaning cupboard
↓
Notice: an empty tissue box 📦
Take to kitchen and put in recycling
↓
Notice: paper scissors ✂️
Take to bedroom and add to gift-wrap supplies
↓
Notice: empty coffee cup ☕️
Take to kitchen and put in dishwasher
↓
etc etc etc
Yes, it is kinda inefficient way of tidying up, but if you’re feeling antsy as heck because of, well *gestures broadly at everything* it’s one small way to start.
It also works well if you have little bursts of energy or time.
Before you start
Before you start, choose keep it manageable:
- Choose a number of “clues” to follow (5, or 10 maybe)
- or set your timer for say, five minutes and zip around for that amount of time only. Then take a wee break and repeat again if you’re up to it
Be like our friend Goose though: carry just one item at a time. Don’t go starting on any big projects!
More from the Experts
The Keepy-Uppy Method 🎈
Remi Clog has a great video about following tasks from one to another. She calls it the Keepy-Uppy Method, like the game where you keep moving to keep a balloon in the air!
