Your Guide To Becoming More Organized In Just Three Seconds

That headline totally sounds like clickbait, but one influential organizational guru who has gained quite a following on social media claims that you really can gain control over your clutter problem with one three-second decision.

Meet Kayleen Kelly

You might have come across her videos on TikTok — but even if you have, it’s worth digging in a little deeper to find out exactly how her simple suggestions can help anyone (yes, even you) become a more organized person.

As someone who struggles with finding a place for all my clutter, I was intrigued by the no-nonsense approach she took in one viral video that has already reached more than half a million views.

Using a pile of blue jeans as a backdrop, Kelly explained how she decides what to keep based on instinct.

“All I want you to do is you’re going to make a decision on each pair,” she advised. “It’s either a yes you keep it or no it goes.”

If that decision takes you longer than three seconds, Kelly concluded, “it’s an automatic keep.”

Repeat as necessary

Speaking from experience, the vicious circle of thinking about whether to keep something or toss it can cause mental paralysis that prevents anything from getting done at all. That’s where Kelly’s three-second rule gets the ball rolling.

Of course, she made it clear that you shouldn’t expect to get everything done on the basis of a knee-jerk reaction. Instead, start off by creating a “yes” and “no” pile. At this point, you’ve already decided to toss out or donate the items in the latter, but if the former still seems too big you can always repeat the process.

Kelly noted: “This technique is all about creating a positive experience and helping you build confidence in your decision-making.”

Chris Agee February 27th, 2023

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