The Zone Plan: Organize the Living Room for Spring

I organize and clean my home using the Zone Plan. When March arrives, I work in my living room zone. During the past year and over the winter months it has begun to look a little dreary. It needs a re-do to bring it to life for spring.

· My first step when working in any zone is to develop a vision. I decide how I want my living room to look and how I want to feel in this area.

My living room is truly a living area. I start my day here with my cup of coffee and the newspaper. Later in the day my husband settles into his burgundy chair to read the paper, muse, and work on the crossword puzzle. We come together and eat our lunch here. And then in the evening when I shut down my office I join my husband there for a glass of wine. When we have company over this is where we sit and visit.

I want this room to be welcoming and nurturing. I want everyone who enters to feel they can exhale and enjoy their time here.

· My next step is to notice what needs to change to make this vison come true.

I notice that there are some DVDs out on the entertainment center that did not get put away. The newspaper from a few days ago is still on the coffee table. The magazine rack is overfull. Winter accessories are still out like the blanket and bowl of nuts. The rug and upholstery are looking dingy. The windows need washing. The coat closet is in a jumble. While I don’t see it, I know that there is some purging that needs to be done in the entertainment center.

A lot of this clutter comes about with our day to day living. We relax here and read. It is a gathering place. But now is the time to bring it back to the vision.

· Now that I know what I want to do it is time to schedule the time to do it.

I pull out my calendar and assign dates and times to work my plan. For me in this zone I find it easiest to work one wall at a time. Week one I will work on the entertainment center wall. The next week I will tackle the closet area. Next up will be the window wall which also has the door, a chair and end table, and a fountain. The last week I will work on the couch wall along with the coffee table.

Sometime in this month I will schedule to have the rug and upholstery professionally cleaned. When scheduling, I allow some wiggle room because I know that life happens, and I may need to do some re-scheduling. I want to be able to work my plan without overwhelm.

· By the end of the month when I have finished this zone I will celebrate.

I will buy some fresh flowers. I will light a spring candle. I will enjoy my space.

· By using the zone plan I will not deep clean this area for another year but to keep to my vision I will need a maintenance plan.

Weekly the room will have a dusting and sweeping. Every morning before I sit down to the paper, I will do a sweep of the room and put away any shoes on the floor, wine glass on the end table, yesterday’s newspaper and anything else I find out of place.

If you want help or just some accountability in working your organizational plan join Diane Quintana and me on our Clear Space For You clutter support group.

Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, award-winning author, as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients tackle the toughest organizational issues. Jonda does hands on organizing and virtual organizing. For more of Jonda’s tips connect with her on Facebook.