Now maybe I have said this before but I love timers. I was going to straighten up my kitchen, load a few dishes and do that kind of stuff. But I didn’t want to spend a lot of time doing it so I set my timer for 9 minutes.

My epiphany was this: I use timers when I start a project such as getting rid of clutter in a particular room but I am dragging my feet on doing it. When I set a time limit this gives me permission to stop when the timer rings and come back to it later.

As I was working in the kitchen I started to leave the room and check on the cat that was outside. I stopped myself because I only had a certain amount of minutes that I had allotted myself and had set the timer for.

When the second “temptation” to go and do something else happened I realized that just by setting my timer it had helped me stay on task. (I finished before the 9 minutes were up and I went on to another room and did the same thing).

As you are getting rid of clutter I suggest you set a timer to stay on task.

Marilyn Bohn is an energetic, lively, compassionate, hard working and creative organizer. She was born to organize! Before becoming a professional organizer she worked professionally in diverse environments. She is involved in her community, providing her clients with a broad base of experience and knowledge.  She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).