Help! I'm drowning in clutter and don't know where to begin!" Clutter can clog the smooth workings of any home, imposing heavy costs on the household. Each day, time is lost searching for missing keys, phones or even shoes!. A cluttered desk hides the credit card statement yielding up the bill only after late fees are invoked. Belongings lost to clutter must be replaced, with the original surfacing just as soon as the replacement enters the house. Sounds familiar? Time to declutter!, but when you're peering over piles, mounds of stuff, it's hard to know where to begin and what to do. First things first: schedule time to declutter. Even 15 minutes a day will make a good start. Better, schedule larger blocks of time, from two to four hours once or twice a week, for maximum declutter efficiency. Start by going to one area, one room or one drawer, have 4 carrier bags or bin liners, 1) to save 2) to throw away 3) recycle or give to charity 4) documents - to shred, this is far quicker and easier than you think! You can now start to build good habits to choke off the tendency to create clutter.
For example, establish a “returning home” habit or routine. As you shut the back door, hang the car keys on a hook just above the light switch. Remove jackets and coats two steps inside the house, and hang them on the coat rack. Place handbag or briefcase in the launch pad area next to the coats. Bringing in the mail? Form a new habit: sort mail over the rubbish/recycling bin, dumping the junk, then file what you need quickly in a plastic pocket filing unit on the adjoining wall. Habits, once adopted, kick in as a mindless protective device. To stay clutter-free, work.When you buy a new pot, shirt or magazine, an old pot, shirt or magazine must be discarded, recycled or
donated. One-in, one-out keeps the level of stuff below the clutter point by limiting total numbers.Want to bump up downsizing? Adopt a variation of the rule: One In, Two Out. You’ll reduce surplus stuff, painlessly. Rent, don’t buy, paint sprayers and specialty tools for home repair projects. Swap garden tools or hobby equipment with a neighbour. Borrow books, CDs, and DVD’s from the library. The less you permit stuff to get a foot in the door, the less clutter will grow in your organized home!
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