Terry in the ADK

I recently read of the One Touch Rule. Basically when you pick something up, don 't touch it more than once. If you pick it up to move it , don't put it down until you put it where it belongs! Sounds simple but I never realized how often I moved
Something but not to its rightful place, just to another place where it still didn't belong. Now if I pick it up, I put it where it belongs! So far I have been able to follow the rule fairly well in most of the house but my sewing studio seems to defy it!

QuiltnNan

congrats on sticking to it. that's the method that i use when i'm doing a serious pick up around the house.

GEMRM

I like this "rule" - may have to adopt it myself!

jmoore

Sounds like a good exercise. We have a two story house so I often will set items on the stairs and take them up on my next trip but it might be a good way to lose a couple of pounds if I traveled up and down the stairs more often.... just sayin’

quiltingcandy

I try to do that but it is also very distracting as I take something into another room, put it where it belongs, then I see something else and take it to another room and then there is something there, and pretty soon I get back to where I started.

WMUTeach

After you use the rule for a while, I bet you find much less to put away. I read somewhere about another "rule" and I have used since fall and it is fab-u-lous! I never leave a room empty handed. For instance, if I am going from living room to kitchen, I take the mug of tea that has gone cold with me to the kitchen. In other words, I don't allow "stuff" to settle down in a room. Then apply the above rule. Don't set the mug of cold tea on the counter. Either warm it up to drink or throw it out and put the mug in the dishwasher or where you put dirty dishes.

After a couple of months of this, I have formed a habit that works for me. Low pressure and a much, neater home in general. Home is not perfect like in the magazines, but it is also ready to great unexpected guests. Besides, no one lives in the perfect magazine home. The greatest benefit for me is that I can accomplish my cleaning day routine more quickly and with a better attitude. End result, more time for quilting or reading or.........

juliasb

I try but fall short of getting there. I seem to be walking form one end to the other end of the house with my hands full. I will just have to keep trying.

Iceblossom

One touch is good and is how I worked in my office jobs. I have some hoarding tendencies and it is constant work and effort for me, but I have less stuff and more space all the time. Right now I want the space more than the stuff.

When dealing with fabric and collections and potential projects and such it is harder, I usually start with three piles: love, do something with, and trash. Keep what you love first, and then get rid of what you don't, Trash isn't used so much now. I put the designated to be purged things in one box and then put the assorted keep fabric in their proper stash boxes. I feel a bit too much pressure with kits as unfinished objects, but I do have a box that is collections of fabrics that work well together, if I feel the need for a new project I look in there first to see if anything inspires me. Makes just one box for me to touch instead of 20!

Take small steps, and get them done. At least that's how I work best. The goal to "get the sewing room organized" sounds good, but is too big a task and too broad. I find I can only work at organizational tasks/getting rid of stuff for about half an hour to an hour, a situation comedy on tv is based on 30 minutes (22 minutes plus commercials). Most CDs are about an hour. I designate a time period, and then check in with myself about halfway through the time to see if it is time to be wrapping it up or do I wish to continue a bit longer.

tranum

Once it’s in your hand, put it where it belongs - (I heard this said once & it’s good to follow)

luvstoquilt

I am basically a “neat freak” until I start my projects. Some times I have several going but it all comes together as I finish them.