Since we are moving, my husband and I have been organizing like crazy. It feels wonderful to purge and organize our belongings that we choose to keep. I found an article in Better Homes & Gardens on "7 Tips for Beating Clutter Forever". I like these ideas, but, of course I had to make them my own. That's the busy bee style, baby!Tip #1 Start with the easy stuff.
Go through your home room by room in search of trash. Throw out old magazines,
coupons, newspapers, and catalogs. Shred paid utility bills, or better yet, sign up for
paperless billing. Make sure anything with your address is shredded! This helps ensure
your family's privacy. Fill bags or boxes with unwanted/ill fitting clothing and linens to
donate to a charitable organization.
Tip #2 Set small goals.
Say, "Today I am going to clean out my junk drawer and then that is it. I am going to
stop." This will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed or take away precious time
from your family. Maybe even consider setting a timer. You will be surprised what
fifteen minutes can accomplish when you really put your mind and efforts toward it.
Make sure that you complete the mini task at hand. This will give you a major sense of
accomplishment and well being.
Tip #3 Give or make everything a home.
A big time reason why clutter builds up is because it is homeless. A good home for a
frequently used item is one that makes it easy to retrieve and return. Decide the most
convenient locations for your items and then simply give them a home. Stick with your
plan and do not deviate.
Tip #4 Give yourself permission to let it go.
What if you only had ten minutes to evacuate your home? What would you take with
you? What would you grab? Personally, I like to use storage containers labeled with
the contents so I can easily see what is in the container and also make stacks. Make a
decision to only keep what is important to you. Let go of the rest. It's only stuff, right?
When I divorced, I allowed by ex-husband to take whatever he wanted because I felt that
the material possessions could be replaced if they were really worth it. After all, getting
him out of my home was the most important thing. PRIORITIZE!
Tip #5 Deal with clutter "hot spots".
Look around your house. Where does the clutter gather? In my house it tends to be at
the front door. We take our shoes off there and discard backpacks, etc. Another "hot
spot" in our home is the breakfast nook table. It seems to be in the center of the house
and, well, it's just easy to stack things on top of the table. My goal is to get a big basket
to place by the front door for our shoes. Keys will go in a big bowl or on a hook beside
the door. Big Lots, Wal-Mart, GoodWill, etc are fantastic places to find unique and
decorative storage ideas. It's a favorite new pastime of mine.
Tip #6 Declutter daily.
Sure it's not fun, but, look around and keep up. After all, it's easier to keep up rather
than play catch up. Personally, I'd rather spend my weekends having fun than cleaning a
whole house top to bottom. An idea is to buy a laundry basket (right now $1.50) at
Wal-Mart and go through each room and toss in anything that needs to be put away.
Remember to throw out or donate what you don't need. Needs are different than wants
and we often confuse the two, me included.
Tip #7 Be a good "gatekeeper".
Think twice before you bring something new home. When I shop, I put an item into my
buggy, walk around the store thinking of my purchase. Do I need this? Where could it
go? How could I use it?
Please keep in mind that I am "preaching to the choir" but, preparing to move and moving has really put this on my mind and heart. I hope that I have helped a few of you out there. Enjoy a clutter free life!
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing through the clutter,
the busy bee
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