Spring cleaning secrets to cut the clutter without hurting productivity
( BPT ) - Spring cleaning can be a tedious task , but it doesn ' t have to drain your time . With this three-step formula from Laura Stack , aka the Productivity Pro , you can increase productivity and have more time for fun in the sun .
1 . Get ready to tackle the clutter .
Start by labeling five large boxes : Put Away , Give Away , Store , Shred , and Trash . Then select the area that needs to be organized first . Instead of viewing spring cleaning as an all-day task , take an hour here and there to get the job done . When you ' re ready to begin , set your timer for 50 minutes . When it buzzes , use the last 10 minutes of your organization session to handle the boxes : put things away , place charity items in the car , put items in storage , shred paper and toss out the trash .
2 . Get set and put a plan in place .
Anything that goes together should be stored together . Find attractive boxes , baskets , toolboxes and totes to organize common items such as batteries , make-up , tools , cleaning supplies or gift-wrap . As you group similar items together , avoid keeping too many of the same items . Do you really need five spatulas or dozens of sweaters ? The next time you think about purchasing something you already own , give serious thought as to what you are willing to give up .
3 . Go ... let go of all the clutter .
Paper piles can stack up fast around the house , so shred sensitive documents with a reliable Fellowes shredder . The jam-proof Fellowes 79Ci works for large shredding jobs and can cross-cut up to 16 sheets per pass and run for 20 minutes . For smaller shredding jobs , try Fellowes P-12C that destroys 12 sheets per pass with a 5 minute run time . Both shredders can be found at www . fellowes . com . If you ' re still having a hard time parting with certain things such as clothing or kitchen gadgets , place a tag on each item with the date one year from now . If you use the item , take the tag off . When that date arrives , anything that still has a tag goes .
With the ready , set and go formula , spring cleaning can be easy . Use this three-step plan to get moving on to a more organized and productive life .