Sometimes I just need an “organizing hit”. Something super small and satisfying, that proves that I am in control of my little world. Organizing the junk drawer is the perfect quick-hit project.

Organizing the junk drawer is a popular post from last year’s 31 day series. Click the link get the step-by-step process.

What’s really good to know is that this isn’t just a drawer with divider, it’s a system. Because everyone in my house knows where things go, it stays pretty organized on a daily basis. In fact, I took this picture this morning before I left for work, so you know I didn’t have time to fuss with it.

A junk drawers is a micro-project in the world of organizing, but it’s exactly the kind of project that is easily DONE and propels me onto the next project.

As a bonus, you might be able to catch up on some paper organizing today when you organize your junk drawer. Many people sweep papers into their junk drawer when they are doing the old “dump and run” move. If that’s you, don’t try to organize the paper and the “stuff” in the same 15 minutes. Just stack the papers over to the side and organize paper clutter in a different 15 minute stretch, using your organizing timer (win a Galaxy tablet here, and you’ll always have a good timer with you).

See those links? Those are to resources that can help you get this done. If you haven’t read those, feel free to click over and see what you missed.

For the perfectionists in the crowd? If you are thinking, “She’s so lucky, she already has drawer dividers. I’m going to have to go buy some, or it just won’t be right.” Stop right there and check your Tupperware drawer. Use your empty plastics to stand in for dividers. Or empty you tea boxes or even wrap cream cheese boxes to make desk drawer organizers.  You can cover shoe boxes with wrapping paper (or nearly any types of boxes) to make them pretty and functional. In fact, when I saw this gift tower we received over the holidays, my first thought was, “Yippee! More organizing boxes, and I don’t even have to cover these!”…and then I ate the chocolate so I could get to the organizing boxes.

Thanks for joining us for the 31 Days of Clutter-Free Living. I’m thinking of helping you with your to-do lists in tomorrow’s article. What do you think?