Organizing Rule: Touch it Once!

Touch it once… Is this possible, to actually only touch an item once before it is put back in it’s place?

In theory, it makes perfect sense, you set up organizing systems in your home to make it more efficient.  To succeed in your organizing plan it is important to keep in mind these organizing principles like, “Touch it Once”!

Before explaining what this rule means, let’s talk about what you are not doing to follow the rule?

Basically it is a delayed decision.  Some people may call it procrastination of some sort.  Instead of taking care of the mail right away, you make a pile for it instead.  Instead of putting your clothes away, they get stacked on the dresser or on the back of a chair.

Why do we do this? Lack of time maybe, could it be just plain laziness, or we just don’t feel like taking care of it at the time…

Example of not using the rule: I have a mail system, and it does not include going through it everyday.  I really do not like mail that much.  So I have a mail basket, when I get my mail, which is not everyday, I put it in this basket.  Then once a week, I go through it.  I make sure all of the bills are paid, I make out the checks right then, and make piles of categories of mail.  I have a to file pile, recycle pile, etc.  After I am all done, I place the ready to be sent mail by the door for the next day, and file everything else.  This system works for me. I am not using the touch it once rule in this system.  And that is OK with me!  The system still works.

So what does the Touch it Once Rule mean? I would explain it as doing the exact the opposite of what we talked about above. Instead of the stacking and piling, we just put things away.  It seems so simple doesn’t it…  It makes perfect sense.

I think this rule has real substance in a lot of areas in our home.  Maybe not in my mail system, or a system you have created, but I can think of other areas where I could improve and by using this rule, it could cut the clutter down a considerable amount…

SO for the next week, I am going to try it.  I am going to make an effort to only touch an item once, and put it away immediately.  Join me and let’s see if this really does work.  Can it cut the daily clutter out of our homes….

The areas I am going to work on most are:  Not putting dishes in the sink- go straight to the dishwasher, clothes are either hung, folded back, or put in the laundry hamper immediately…

Challenge:  What about you?  What areas can you work on this week to implement this rule?

I’ll let you know how my experiment goes next Friday!  I want to hear from you too…

Happy Organizing!