Flat surfaces encourage piles of stuff. You come in from a long day and drop everything for a moment while you rest, get dinner started or finish up some last-minute work. Before you know it, it’s time for bed and you’re too exhausted to tackle that pile right now, but you’ll get to it tomorrow.
Unfortunately, tomorrow you’ll add another pile either next to it or on top of the first one. Eventually, the growing piles of stuff become too overwhelming to manage and you give up trying to sort through them. You can’t keep track of where that bill, permission slip or invitation went and you start panicking and shoving papers around, desperately trying to locate it. Late fees, final notices and missed social events are often the result of delayed decisions.
Maybe it’s not papers that get dropped on free surfaces, but objects such as coats, backpacks, shoes, etc. Imagine tripping over these as you walk around your home or the smell of a two-day-old lunch that never got thrown away from your child’s lunchbox.
The solution for you and your family is straightforward and easy to implement together. It’s called a command center.
A command center is essential for your busy life. It will streamline all of your tasks, minimize chaos, and eliminate frustration over forgotten or misplaced items. This can be next to your hall tree if you have a mudroom or a foyer.
Everyone in the family must utilize the command center and hall tree the moment they walk in the door. Shoes on the rack, backpacks and coats hung up, and lunchboxes next to the kitchen sink. No exceptions.
In essence, a command center is a small table or desk with a few tools to help keep you organized. First, there’s a basket for mail, with a small recycling bin below it for extraneous papers. Mail is always opened immediately. Next to it should be a three-sectioned clear, vertical file. The front section has a file for items to be done today (such as sign permission slips), a second for items to be tackled this week and a third for this month. These files should be checked every evening or morning and either accomplished or moved to the next file.
A family calendar is a great way to keep track of everyone’s activities. Each person should have a special color. I love whiteboards for this purpose, but paper calendars will also work. Small hooks above the center can be used for keys. A charging station that fits your aesthetic will allow all of your devices to be ready to go as you leave the house in the morning.
It’s important that every member does their part to ensure the success of keeping all surfaces clear of random piles of stuff. It takes just a few minutes to put everything away as you walk in the door. You can even make it a contest to see who can do it first. Remember my tagline, from chaos to calm, no more paper piles!
Los Altos Hills resident Lyn Rogers, a professional organizer, is owner and CEO of Lyn At Your Service. For more information, visit LynAtYourService.com.
