Clutter Busting: Let’s get it together!

The very first step in organizing a space should not be to purchase anything! Normally when I work with a client we rarely need to purchase a thing, and often times we could open up a box/organizing store of our own when we are finished. Purchasing containers and organizing supplies has become a national obsession of some kind. Now, I would not be in the organizing profession if I did not enjoy containers, boxes, files, and folders. I get as much joy as a kid in the candy store!

Do you want to get organized? There are no magic wands and no special secrets that only people with decoders can reveal. Clutter is simply the result of bringing more in then you purge. When organizing and de-cluttering, the true purpose is to create systems so that the clutter does not come back, not just to make a nice clean space. Although, the nice clean space is a true reward and delicious icing on the clutter free cake!

The first step in getting organized is dealing with the situation. In order to fully understand the problem, you need to be honest with yourself and how much you have. If you are trying to organize your spices, for instance, make sure that you grab all your spices from all the back corners of your cabinets. If you are organizing your shoes, make sure you tackle the boxes of shoes in the attic. You need to know how much you have, so you know what you need to purge.

This week pick a category of something in which you would like to organize. If this is your first little task in a sea of clutter, pick something easy. Gather together all like items and then start to sort. Only after you purge, then it is time for you to look for a container in which to help keep your categorized items.

How do you know if it is clutter? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Is it useful ? -don’t just keep something because it was once useful
• Do I like it? -you would be surprised at the amount of stuff that people keep that they don’t even like
• Is it safe? -expired foods, broken or frayed electrical items, etc.
• Does it inspire me?
• Do I have space for it?
• Does it fit my lifestyle today?
• Will I need it someday? -check with your accountant and/or financial advisor and keep what you need, and toss the rest

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Beware of your attic:

According to my experience, attics have become the #1 place for stashed procrastinations. Basements and garages are coming up with a very close second. As if we did not have enough stashing hiding places in our homes, we actually rent places to store our stuff! We place things away in the spirit of getting organized, but all we are doing is putting it off for another day. If you are placing things in the attic, basement, garage, or storage unit; it is not benefiting anyone.

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Have fun this week de-cluttering something in your life. Be careful not to clutter up the landfills with your purged items; so please recycle, donate, and/or sell what you can. Please don’t put your clutter off another day. The cost of clutter can be so great; friendships, self-esteem, money, and more. If your situation needs outside assistance, please don’t hesitate in asking for help. Clutter is not a result of laziness, rather it is a mixture of broken systems and bad habits, so don’t feel ashamed in asking for help.

Betsy