Hiding a small remote, my husband waved his hand and commanded the fake candle to turn on. Our granddaughters were amazed—especially when it worked for them too! Candlelight, tree lights, and house lights are all part of the wonder of Christmas.

With the effects of the pandemic weighing upon us, I thought I’d keep the topic this month on the “light” side. Light plays an important role in creating and maintaining organization, efficiency, and productivity. Here are Timely Tips to make your days a little more “merry and bright.”

Timely Tips - to enlighten your organizing

Light up your closets. An efficient closet means you can easily find what you need, and good lighting is essential. We recently replaced an old single bulb light with a bright LED fixture in our master closet. “Now I can see all my shirts,” my husband announced. We didn’t realize the strain it was to see clearly until we could. For closets with no permanent fixture, consider stick-on lights that tap on and off.

Bin the front stuff. While organizing her kitchen, my client feared reaching into the dark corner of a cabinet. When a cabinet is packed full of loose items, neither light nor you can access what’s in back. This is also true for closets where the opening isn’t as wide as the shelf. Use an open-topped bin to store the loose items in front so it can be easily pulled out when you need to see and reach what’s behind.

Illuminate your chores. Sometimes chore avoidance has more to do with conditions than the task itself. If your file cabinet is stuck in a dark corner, it’s going to be a tougher chore. Create adequate lighting where you and your family do paperwork and filing. The same can be said for the laundry room and garage. Well-lit areas are more conducive to productivity.

Photo by Christian Domingues from Pexels

Let the sunshine in. Draw back those drapes. Open wide the blinds. The “Sunshine Vitamin” D has physical and mental health benefits that you can access even through the window. When we feel better, we are more motivated to maintain organization and be productive. If the blinds are closed due to clutter, relocate your clutter to a closet or spare room so you have a clear space to drink in the sun, undistracted. Then, when motivation hits, you can pull out a little clutter at a time to sort through in your sunlit area.

Access the light of life. Beyond all the benefits of physical light, is the benefit of knowing the one we celebrate this holy season—Jesus. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12