Get Organized Mission #1: Fill a Hu-u-uge Trash Bag

Step 1

Get a giant trash bag. (If you don’t have one find 20 small ones, or ask a neighbor, or go to the shops, or use boxes, or pile things up on a rug until you get to the shops tomorrow. There are no excuses!)

Step 2

Set a kitchen timer (or your clock radio or iPhone alarm, etc) for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Start filling the bag and continue doing so as you move through your house, until either the timer goes off or your bag is full.

Throw into the bag anything you don’t use, don’t like, that has negative associations, is broken or tatty, or is no longer your style. See below for room-by-room examples.

Step 4

Take it straight out to the trash or even the tip if you’re so motivated. Just be sure to remove the temptation to look in the bag or to rescue released items.

Dos & Don’ts

Don’t try to organize rooms, cupboards or drawers at this stage.
This mission is about getting rid of stuff so do keep an out-it-goes mindset.
We’ll have another organizing mission for charity items, so don’t get bogged down with that now. I don’t suggest giving lame stuff to charity – decent, usable stuff: yes; crapola: no.
So do feel fine about ditching all the dross.
I want you to move fast – so don’t overthink it.
If your gut feel is to release something from your life, then do toss it into the bag.