Taking My Own Advice

Definitely no junk in this drawer. :-)
Photo: janmarcust via Pixabay

Do you have a junk drawer? If you've lived in your house for more than a decade, chances are you have several. Before you leap to defend yourself, ask yourself this question: "When was the last time I really looked at what's inside my drawers?"

I admit to one junk drawer, but quite a few that are junky; and, in fact, my junk drawer didn't start out as a junk drawer, which probably means it's time for me to reclaim it. This sudden desire to tackle my drawers was inspired by the writing of last Wednesday's post  -- a task that was not only fun, but also got me thinking.

How many of these things do I need to tackle in 2018?

I stand by my own advice to choose just a few of the eighteen I proposed (in addition to #1, #9 and #18, for obvious reasons), but I have to admit that cleaning out one drawer (okay, maybe a couple) is more necessary and productive at my house than cleaning out one closet (#4).

I've completely revamped five drawers in my house over the last couple of years, and in all but one case, the makeover not only stuck, but still works. And, even better, opening those drawers still makes me smile because not only does it look nice inside, I can also see everything I need. And, in the case of my flag drawer in particular, it's made me more efficient in at least one task.

Drawer makeovers are something I enjoy, in part because they're one of the few times where multitasking actually works. I can listen to music or a podcast or, if the piles are portable, I can even watch television as I sort. And, by the time a drawer needs resorting, I'm likely to easily get rid of lots of stuff I forgot I had, and maybe even take a trip down memory lane as I stumble across photos, ticket stubs or other memorabilia.

And so right now, in the middle of my cluttered office and my busy day, I'm taking a moment to write "dining room drawer" in my planner. Writing it down and putting it where I have to look at it daily means that even if I have to chip away at that drawer a little at a time, I will make progress -- if for no other reason than to be able to check it off my list.

And maybe, if I'm lucky, it'll free up some of the space I so desperately need to reduce the clutter in my office.