One Spot Home

The Spots

Five helpers, five moves

Each Spot does one job, in the same order you'll use when you clear your first spot. Learn them once and you know the whole method. The moves come from Dana K. White's 5 steps.

The five Spots waving from a shelf: Tosh, Homer, Spot standing on a yellow spot, Gift and Hmm.
  1. Tosh, a tall green character shaped like a tied bag, drops junk mail and crumpled paper into a grey trash bin.

    Move 1

    Tosh Trash first

    Tosh goes first because trash needs no decisions. Wrappers, junk mail, the empty can: straight into the bin.

    Try this: Grab a bag before you start, so you never have to stop and look for one.

  2. Homer, a blue mug-shaped character, reaches up to put a white mug back on a shelf.

    Move 2

    Homer Put away the easy stuff

    Homer handles the things that already have a home somewhere else. The mug goes back to the shelf. The scissors go back to the drawer.

    Try this: Put each thing away right now, instead of making a "to put away" pile.

  3. Gift, a pink box-shaped character with a bow on top, places a folded sweater into a donation box.

    Move 3

    Gift Donate the obvious

    Gift takes the stuff you know you don't want the moment you see it. It goes straight into the donation box.

    Try this: Put the box by the door or in the car, so it actually leaves the house.

  4. Hmm, a sand-colored character shaped like a question mark, holds a tangled charger and thinks.

    Move 4

    Hmm Ask two questions

    Hmm steps in when you're stuck on one item and asks Dana K. White's two questions: where would I look for it, and would I remember I already had one?

    Try this: Still undecided? Put it back and move on. One item shouldn't eat your whole 15 minutes.

  5. Spot, a yellow dome-shaped character, stands on a glowing cleared spot holding a kitchen timer.

    Move 5

    Spot Make it fit, and keep time

    Spot keeps the 15-minute timer and stands on the one cleared spot at the end. The space is the limit: keep only what fits.

    Try this: When the timer goes off, stop. Tomorrow, do the spot next to it.

The Spots are illustrations, not people. They don't have stories to sell you, just a job to do.

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