Junk Drawer

The junk drawer...almost every household has one. It's  a cancer that absorbs miscellaneous items. We want to find a place for each of our things  but those "things" often seem uncategorizeable. So we shove our things in that drawer. They remain out of sight and out of mind. Then we need something; a rubber band, battery, lighter, paper clip, that Pizza Hut coupon, or unpaid bill. We begin the sifting and swishing of stuff in search of that lady's  e-mail address we know we stashed in there...somewhere. 

I am a guilty: I am a junk drawer creator. While I try to label myself as a very organized individual, I can not seem to stop the stashing and shoving. It is just too easy, I am too lazy, and there seems to be no sensible place.  Even though I occasionally fall into this trap I  have been training myself to become a junk drawer eliminator. The process, overtime, becomes less overwhelming and less time consuming. It simply requires a little tweaking and purging every couple of months. With out a junk drawer you should be able to; have a home for every item in your house (even the odd ones), find any item in the minimum amount of time possible, and rest easy knowing you won't have to fret over any misplaced item ever again. Okay so maybe that won't always happen but it is something to strive for. 

Down and dirty...steps to turn the junk drawer into the Highly Effective and Usable Drawer Where Valued Tools are Kept.

1. Clear the drawer of all contents.
2. Clean the drawer. (Who knows when the next time it will be empty).
3. Purge. Bring over the trash can, recycle bin, and donation bin for this step.
•  If you haven't used it in a year...purge it.
• If it is trash...purge it.
• If you have no idea what it is...take the time to find out and relocate OR purge it.
• If it is broken and beyond repair...purge it.
• If it is old and you have a better one…purge it.
• If you have multiples (that you don’t need)...purge.

4. Sort. Items to stay in the drawer and items to be relocated. Don't forget the relocation part. If the items you meant to relocate end up in the drawer again, we really did not accomplish anything. 
5. Sort again the items that will remain in the drawer...like items with like items.
6. Plan out how everything will go in the drawer. Store items where they are the most likely to be used. Have a place for each item so that you can guarantee its return. 
7. Make your drawer happy. Use your style to enhance your drawer. This will help you want to keep it clean.
8. Take a picture of your drawer at its best. Keep it in sight so you know how beautiful it can look.