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It’s About Time Ruth Wong |
Keep the public areas
of your home neatWhat is your response when a visitor drops by your home unexpectedly? Is it one of welcome or of embarrassment?
A friend recently called me, panicked because relatives were in town and his home was a cluttered mess. He said that his plan was to entertain them at a restaurant but he was worried that they might drop in unexpectedly.
To make his home presentable, I suggested that he concentrate on clearing the public areas -- the living and dining rooms. He immediately saw several things he could do to improve his home's appearance -- things like tossing the dead flowers from the coffee table and clearing the newspapers and magazines from the sofa.
A week later he called, relieved to report that he had met his relatives at a restaurant. I asked if he had gotten started decluttering his living room, and he said that he had. "Good!" was my reply, for while his relatives had not dropped by, that made his home more livable for him.
"To give needed impetus and purpose to clean on a regular basis, perhaps once a month we should pretend that someone is coming to the house," I added.
It's difficult and unrealistic to keep the entire house company-ready, so I advocate keeping the public areas picked up and presentable -- areas such as the entry, living and dining rooms. That's not something we do just for company, but it's a gift to our family and ourselves, to enjoy daily.
We all work better with a deadline, and as I tell my procrastination-prone clients, "If no one has given you a deadline, give yourself one." That goes for the home front too. If you can't seem to make your home presentable and livable, give yourself a deadline.
BACK IN MY disorganized days, when my children were young and I couldn't conquer the clutter, preparing the house for company was a major undertaking. I became a human tornado and tyrant. It was stressful and unpleasant for the entire family.
Then I decided to host a weekly Bible study at my home. That did the trick, as that gave me incentive and a weekly deadline to pick up the house. I found that a once-a-week pick up was not a major chore at all.
Now, I'm not advocating that your public areas be a showroom; that's not the real world. A home should look lived-in, not sterile. Having a day's worth of clutter isn't inappropriate. But keeping a week's or month's worth of clutter is another story!
Just as it is important to take five or 10 minutes at the end of the work day to clear off and straighten one's desk, it's important to take five or 10 minutes at the end of each day to pick up and straighten your home. You can make a nightly "10-minute pick-up" a family affair. Even young children can (and should) help.
If your home is currently cluttered and unrestful, I encourage you to take the time to declutter and pick up at least the public areas of your home. And then make it a habit to keep it that way. It's time well spent.
It's a good feeling to live in a pleasant space, and to be able to greet visitors with a warm welcome instead of embarrassment! See you in two weeks!
"It's About Time," by Ruth Wong, owner of Organization Plus, runs the fourth Friday of each month. Contact her at "It's About Time," care of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail features@starbulletin.com