Home Organization Project 33

With school starting soon, we decided it was time to have a “school year calendar home organization project.” Well, I decided that’s what we needed. What does that mean? Instead of cleaning and sorting a different area around the house – or move because we’ve accumulated too much stuff – we focused on how we were organizing our time.

By reviewing the hours of the day that remain after working, sleeping or cooking/eating, we wanted to structure our time so that we’re making time to do what we want. Really want.

Scheduling time and slowing down to do what we enjoy: reading, diy projects, volunteering, and down time.

For me, I need better limits on MY screen time. I have a tendency to become “Internet Girl” and waste lots of time ‘working’ but not really getting anything done. While social media comes with the territory of being a ‘blogger’ like myself, I need to set better limits.

Last week, I took a ‘digital detox’ week and stayed away from social media. It was refreshing! My brain and well being need me to do that more often.

Of course I had to share it on social media – since I was inspired by Arianna Huggington who spoke about it a BlogHer. Yes, I volunteered, sewed, mended, canned vegetables – so many pickles! – and gardened. I also read and napped.

Let’s not talk about the mound of email that was waiting for me when I returned!

Home Organization Project Week #32

1. Weekly. This week’s project: the calendar for the next 9-months.
2. Small. Small but this was time consuming. Planning and scheduling the next few months. Before we know it, the calendar will say ‘November’ and we’ll all be wearing cashmere. Well, I will.
3. Clear and clean. When our kids were little and my husband worked too many 12-hour days, I made a habit of scheduling  ‘home’ nights. We’d plan to have a quiet night – guaranteed – and not just maybe have a night. We’re bringing back that ritual.
4. Get set. My week off of social media gave me time to do things I hadn’t in too long. My plan is to do more ‘digital detoxing’ and not just on our regular weekly day Sunday – read more about ‘Technology Free Sundays’ here.
5. Stop saying yes to everything. Saying no is a gift to ourselves and we don’t have to say yes to everything. Time is such a luxury and not every moment of it needs to be spent doing something or in front of a screen.
6. Less is more. True except for time. Unless you’re having a root canal – then I would imagine you’d want it to go quickly.
   

It’s important to spend time how we want, not waste it, and slow down. Have life happen as we want, versus having things just happen. Protecting our family time and down time – and my digital detox time – are getting priority. If we don’t schedule the things that are important, we can easily forget about them.

How do you prioritize your time? Do you take breaks from technology?

52 weeks of home organization

As part of our New Year’s resolution, we’re cleaning out a different area of our house every week this year. Find all of the “weekly home organization projects” – or click the image below.

You can go on a ‘digital detox’ weekend – it sounds fun! Digital Detox from the BBC.