Organizing can often feel like a tedious and overwhelming task. However, it doesn’t have to be boring or mundane. With a little creativity and a positive mindset, you can turn the process of organizing into an enjoyable and even fun experience. In this blog post, I’ll share three exciting ways to make organizing not only effective but also an activity you look forward to.
Deciding to organize a whole house or just a whole room is a huge and overwhelming task. Challenge yourself to conquer the task by doing it in small blocks of time. Use the following strategies to make organizing enjoyable. You know that when you’re having fun time flies by. There’s no reason not to have fun and get some organizing done at the same time.
3 Ways to make organizing enjoyable
1. Go on a Treasure Hunt.
Instead of looking for things to declutter, spend your time looking for things to keep. Challenge yourself to find the treasures hiding among the things to declutter in your home. Set aside the things to remove and display the treasures.
How to play:
- Pick an area of your home on which to focus.
- Decide how long you want to play. It can be for any length of time, up to an hour.
- Play by yourself or with other family members.
- Set aside the things to declutter and determine if they are recycling, trash, or if someone else can benefit from them.
- Schedule time with yourself to go to the donation site of your choice.
Benefits of the game:
- It puts the focus on things to keep instead of on things to remove.
- You will find things you want to remove so that you can honor and display the things you want to keep.
2. Organizing Game: Organize Your Home 10 Minutes at a Time.
Who said organizing couldn’t be a game? Turn the decluttering process into an exhilarating challenge by playing the “Organize Your Home 10 Minutes at a Time” game. This game can be a solo or a group activity, making it perfect for involving family members or roommates in the organizing process.
How to play:
- Set a timer for 10 minutes.
- Start the timer and race against the clock to clean, declutter, and organize as much as you can within the time limit.
- Let each player pick a card from the deck of 50 organizing activity cards. See who can complete the tasks on their card during the allotted time.
- At the end of each round, celebrate the progress made and reward yourself or the winner with a small treat or a break.
Benefits of the game:
- The sense of urgency adds excitement and prevents procrastination.
- It turns a daunting task into a friendly competition, fostering motivation and enthusiasm.
- The short time interval makes organizing seem more manageable and less overwhelming.
- The joy of winning and accomplishing tasks fuels a positive association with organizing.
3. Customized Organizing Playlists:
Music has the power to transform any activity, including organizing, into a more enjoyable experience. Creating personalized organizing playlists can turn the task into a fun and uplifting adventure.
How to create an organized playlist:
- Start by selecting your favorite upbeat and motivational songs. Look for tunes that make you feel happy, energized, and ready to take on challenges.
- Consider the length of your organizing session and ensure the playlist is long enough to keep you going without interruptions.
- Organize the playlist with a mix of songs, so it doesn’t get monotonous. Include different genres or artists to keep the experience fresh and exciting.
- Use music streaming platforms or apps to easily access your playlist during the organizing session.
Benefits of organizing playlists:
- Music can boost your mood and make the organizing process feel less like work.
- It provides a rhythm to follow, helping you stay focused and maintain a consistent pace.
- The playlist can become a motivating factor, as you’ll look forward to listening to your favorite songs while organizing.
- It can turn an individual task into a dance party, making organizing an entertaining and physically active activity.
In Conclusion
Organizing doesn’t have to be a dull and burdensome chore. By incorporating fun elements like games and personalized playlists, you can make the organizing process enjoyable and rewarding. Remember to stay positive, celebrate your accomplishments, and turn organizing into a habit that brings joy and order to your life. So, put on your favorite tunes and get ready for a decluttering adventure!
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Diane N. Quintana is an ICD Master Trainer, Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization, Certified Professional Organizer, owner of DNQ Solutions, LLC and co-owner of Release Repurpose Reorganize LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia. She specializes in residential and home-office organizing and in working with people challenged by ADHD, Hoarding and chronic disorganization. Top of Form
Playlists are such a powerful tool because music really motivates most people and it’s a fun way to also set a certain amount time to do a task.
I love all of these ideas. Sometimes with clients, I play a similar treasure-hunting game and we have a special area for what we think are the top three “treasures” of the day, and before we finish up and put them away, we stop to talk about why these ended up as faves. (And there’s a one-in, one-out rule, so if they’ve already picked three, one of them gets put away ASAP to allow the new challenger to be set aside.)
I love the idea of playlists, but I’m one of those people where I can either work or listen to music, but not both simultaneously. I can’t think if I’m hearing other people’s words. Harrumph.
What wonderful suggestions for infusing the ‘fun factor’ into the organizing process! Music is an incredibly potent way to change the mood during an organizing session. There are several clients I used to suggest playing music while we were working together. They’d pick a genre, and we’d play music using Spotify. No playlist had to be created because Spotify does it for you. It always amazed me how the music worked beautifully with certain clients to reduce their anxiety, help them focus, and have fun in the process. It happened more than once that the music inspired singing along and dancing while organizing—all fun, uplifting things to do.
These are great ideas – and I love that I can use them with my kids too!
I love that you mentioned creating a playlist! I love this idea. I actually created two myself to help me with paper management. The trick is to pick songs without lyrics when you have to concentrate. Thanks for sharing this fun post!
Loving the idea of the brain change of looking for things to keep instead of what must go.
I love these ideas for introducing some “fun” into the process. I worked with a teen last week and she put on her favorite country music playlist. She knew all kinds of information about the artists and the songs, along with all the lyrics. It definitely put her at ease and made the process feel like a good time!