Extra Hour

Do you have an extra hour?

Did an appointment get canceled or rescheduled? Are the clocks turning back? Did you wake up a little earlier?

Whatever the reason, there are a ton of good things you can do with that extra time. Below you'll find a list of ideas for using that hour to your organizing advantage. Enjoy!

10 Organizing Tasks To Do With An Extra Hour
Set a timer for 60 minutes and don't look at the clock until it goes off. This keeps your focus on the task at hand...

1. Go through paper. Whether it's a pile on your desk (or any surface) or old files, commit the next 60 minutes to purging paper.

2. Get some action items done. Use this time to do some items on your to do list (i.e. make some phone calls, answer some emails, do some research, etc.).

3. Gather items for donation. Spend the hour going from room to room in your home and grab things you no longer want. When the timer goes off, put all of the items you gathered in a bag or box and then in your car.

4. Clean out the fridge. Take this time to throw out all of the expired items. If you get this done pretty quickly, then move on to the actual cleaning. Remove the condiments from the door and wipe it down. Do the same for the shelves and drawers.

5. Put things away. This is a good time to go through your home and put stuff back where it belongs. Put dirty dishes in the kitchen, return toys to the kids' rooms and so on.

6. Read something. That reading pile continues to grow, because that is reserved for "someday when I have some extra time." Well guess what! You have an extra hour, so that day is today.

7. Organize the entry closet. First remove all of the items that don't belong there. Then sort everything into categories (i.e. coats, shoes, rain gear, pet accessories). Finally, put everything back in accordingly (i.e. coats hanging up, shoes on the bottom, pet stuff in a basket on the shelf).

8. Make a list. Use this extra time to plan something out like ideas for holiday gift-giving, items to purchase for your next party or things to do on your upcoming vacation.

9. Recycle paper from events that have passed like old baby announcements, invitations for parties that have happened, coupons that have expired and anything else that is no longer valid.

10. Do nothing. Sometimes the best way to be productive is to not do anything at all. If you give your mind some down time, you'll probably get more done later. Use this extra hour to clear your mind or to take a power nap.