What is the one touch rule?

Decluttering can be stressful, but here’s a suggestion for dealing with the detritus that inevitably builds up in life. Discover one of the most effective organizing rules that can help you avoid both clutter and procrastination: the one touch rule. It’s as simple as it gets.

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Imagine coming home after a long day and seeing your living room scattered with items that are all out of place: mail that you picked up, clothing left on the sofa, and miscellaneous items that you were going to deal with later. You might have told yourself that you’d take care of it down the line, but now’s the time! Here, the one touch rule suggests dealing with each item immediately: place your keys, coat, and bags in their designated homes, sort the mail and throw out the junk mail, and put away any items that aren’t where they belong.

The mantra here is “don’t put it down, put it away.” Instead of picking up an object and setting it aside again, the one touch rule relies on you putting it away immediately. If you take off your coat, hang it up instead of draping it over a chair. If you’ve just washed and dried dishes, put them away instead of stacking them away on the side of your sink. By adhering to the one touch rule, you eliminate the tendency to procrastinate on tidying up, preventing clutter from accumulating.

“The mantra here is “don’t put it down, put it away.” Instead of picking up an object and setting it aside again, the one touch rule relies on you putting it away immediately.”

Organization rules to stick to

The one touch rule is one of the most straightforward organization rules that’s out there, promoting a proactive approach to organization that makes it easier to maintain a neat and orderly life—both at home and in your workplace. Here are some of the reasons why the one touch rule is effective as an organization rule to stick to:

Immediate action: The main goal of the one touch rule is taking immediate action: returning items to their designated places right away prevents them from piling up.
Designated spaces: Establish designated spaces for your most used items in order to make the one touch rule work. Whether you hang your keys on hooks in the entryway, store new mail in baskets, or keep your clothes neatly folded in dressers, you can effortlessly follow the rule without wasting time figuring out where things belong.
Mindful consumption: Embrace the one touch rule for a clutter-free life, because it also encourages more mindful consumption. You may easily get overwhelmed by the notion that you have too much stuff. Therefore, by thinking carefully before purchasing or acquiring new items, you naturally reduce the influx of possessions, making it easier to maintain order.

If you’re tired of spending weekends decluttering and organizing, the one touch rule offers a practical solution. By incorporating this rule into your daily routine, you’ll notice a significant reduction in the time and effort required to keep your space organized. Check out other tips for organizing your life, from your email inbox to your daily workday.