I organize and clean my home using the Zone Plan. When March rolls around I work in my living room zone. Over the course of the year the room has begun to look a little dreary and the winter accessories are no longer attractive.
My first step is to get a vision of how I want the living room to look and how I want to feel when I am settled in first thing in the morning for my coffee or last thing in the day when I am ready to rest and relax. Then I look at how the room is right now and make a list of things that I want to change. The list might look like this:
Clear the loose CDs and DVDs off the entertainment center. Put them in their containers and inside the center. Purge any I no longer want.
Clear the old stacks of reading material from the coffee table. Put them in the reading basket or table beside the chair. Purge old ones.
Put away the blanket thrown over the couch.
Put away nut bowls or any winter accessories.
Schedule a time to have rug and upholstery cleaned.
Clean out section of entertainment center that holds linens and candles. Get rid of anything I no longer want.
Clean the windows and the front door.
Clean out the coat closet. Donate any outerwear that is not being used.
Now that I have my list, it is time to write on my calendar when I am going to do each of these tasks. After I have made my plan, I follow it. When scheduling, I allow some wiggle room. I know life happens and I don't want this plan to fail.
At the end of the month, I celebrate by putting out fresh flowers and enjoying my space. This room will now survive with regular maintenance cleaning until the next year.