Send your Junk Drawer on Vacation

Why do we toss (or stuff) junk into a drawer and label it the junk drawer?

My theory: we are all too darned busy! Pressed for time, we put things in a holding pattern and they aimlessly circle until we need them again. At this point, we find ourselves wasting even more of our valuable time trying to locate them, only to realize that the much-needed item is not on our radar screen.

If you have an unorganized drawer dedicated to junk,  January is the perfect month to send it on a vacation! Here are a few quick tips to help you organize your junk drawer:

• Take everything out of your drawer, wipe it clean and discard what is unusable or broken.

• Sort the items into categories; tools, office supplies, baby's essentials, etc. Put aside items that you don't need every month or so. No use taking up valuable space for things that you only need once in awhile.

• Measure the drawer and purchase a variety of sturdy, plastic organizing containers - one for each category. I like these.

Hint: Purchase more containers than you think you might need - nothing is worse than starting a project only to find yourself without enough things to finish it. Save your receipts. You can return the unused items after your project is done.

• Dedicate one container for each of your categories and fit them into your drawer. It's best to fill your drawer with the containers so they fit tightly together.

• Finally, change it's name. It's no longer the junk drawer, it's Supply Central. 

By clearing the landing strip and locating those day-to-day items in one, organized and easily accessible space, you can buckle up, sit back and relax, 2011 is off to a good start.

BTW, this tip, along with eleven more can be found in my 12 Months of Organizing - A Quarter at a Time 2011 desk calendar.

For more tips, ideas and information about how I can help you to get organized, contact me at tips@beiteversohumble.com or by phone: 425 765-2490.