My 15-minute clean up plan
It’s been six years since we moved into this house and to be absolutely honest, I’ve never done a thorough clean out of my crafts studio.
Unlike many crafters, I’m not stuck on one type of artistic endeavor, so I don’t have a huge stash of say fabric. What I’ve got is more like what you’d find in the home of a trash collector—lots of what saner (but not greener), people throw away, plus typical art-craft supplies.
I half-heartedly attacked the sticker boxes on one occasion, paper on another. But a thorough, get everything off the shelves and start anew, no.
The other day I decided that just because I prefer to work in a not-too-neat environment doesn’t mean it has to look like hoarder heaven in order for me to be inspired.
But it’s been such a mess that cleaning it up seemed overwhelming.
I know myself well enough to realize that attacking the mess full bore for a couple of days straight will only end with the job half-way done.
So I decided to use my 15-minute method which has served me well ever since I left home and allowed myself to initiate it. (My mom believed I needed to stay put until I got the job done which I’m sure was good for my character, but actually increased the amount of time I spent cleaning my room because I wanted to be doing other things so much that I dawdled and daydreamed more than usual.)
Now I set a timer for 15 minutes and go at it until the alarm goes off. Then I do something else far more preferable for an hour or so, then nab another increment. Doing it this way actually allows me to enjoy something I usually abhor.
This is the result so far of a few hours work via the 15-minute method
As I sort, I a. toss paper and other recyclables that no one will want directly into a recycling bin, b. put aside items I think fellow crafters might like that I’ll offer on Freecycle, c. put items that I think I’m going to use back on shelves in an orderly fashion.
And I have to remember: It’s not as though no one will ever throw away another cereal box, piece of wire or bottle cap. Unfortunately, there’s plenty more where this stuff comes from.
One small wrinkle in the smooth implementation of my plan is that in my 15-minute bursts of enthusiasm, I come across items I must have kept for a reason and I start wondering why and what I can do with them.
Pretty soon I’m itching to make something and I have to force myself to stick til the end of the cycle.
On the other hand, in the last two days, I completed two simple projects that I probably would never have gotten to if it hadn’t been for my cleaning frenzy. Will share those with you tomorrow.
Meanwhile, remember, 15-minutes commitments make time fly when attacking even the most odious of tasks—green or not!
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.
