Rise & Organize

One of the very best ways to stay motivated while organizing is to specify rewards you'll enjoy when you're done with each project. Here are 25 projects, and 25 rewards you can reap for your organizing efforts.

• Project: Organize you kitchen pantry.

Reward: Take a long leisurely bubble bath, along with some wonderful music while you're soaking.

• Project: Get to the bottom of your mail pile.

Reward: Go to the library and get a book you have wanted to read. Then, take an hour in your day to read it interruption-free.

• Project: Get your calendar updated and organized.

Reward: Plan a social date with a favorite friend at home or at a local coffee shop to catch up on each other's lives.

• Project: Designate a Donation Box and fill it with a minimum of 10 items.

Reward: Go shopping for one new item that you'll use and love.

• Project: Make a family calendar, highlighting each person's chores/events in a specific color.

Reward: Go out with you family on a picnic (an indoor picnic if it's cold outside).

• Project: Organize your movie DVDs or weed out some movie programs you've set on DVR

Reward: Purchase some theatre tickets to a new movie you've been wanting to see.

• Project: Organize your hobby room.
   

Reward: Take a class you've been wanting to do or work on a favorite hobby all afternoon, guilt-free!

• Project: Organize your medicine cabinet.

Reward: Get a manicure or pedicure.

• Project: Catch up with your dusting and vacuuming.

Reward: Purchase a bouquet of flowers for the house.

• Project: Organize your hair accessories, toiletries and cosmetics into baskets.

Reward: Go to the salon and get your hair done.

• Project: Clean out your refrigerator, tossing all expired food, cleaning the shelves, and so on.

Reward: Take a 20-minute power nap.

• Project: Organize your coupons and/or recipes.

Reward: Try a new eye shadow or lipstick or cologne.

• Project: Get your jewelry organized into a jewelry organizer.

Reward: Get a new pair of earrings or a new tool.

• Project: Work on a meal plan for the month.

Reward: Pick up a ready-made meal and dessert for dinner tonight and pop it in the oven, guilt-free.

• Project: Do your fall weeding, trimming and raking.

Reward: Relax in a lounge chair on your deck or patio with a cool drink or hot cocoa.

• Project: Choose a room and pick up all the clutter.

Reward: Go out for lunch with friends and try a new restaurant.

• Project: Organize something, for someone else.

Reward: Doing something for someone else will likely be a reward in itself! But celebrate any way by doing something special with that person you helped, once the project is done.