“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
~ William Morris
WHAT’S WRONG WITH CLUTTER?
Clutter is not only a sign of stress, it’s a cause of stress too. It can make a space look and feel disorganized and confusing, as well as making it more difficult to clean. It makes you feel out of control and complicates your life. When clutter takes over your life you don’t own your possessions, your possessions own you.Clutter begets clutter. Once it begins to collect, it requires intentional action to clear it away. Starting small is the key to decluttering your life.What matters most is keeping what’s essential to you, and getting rid of the rest.
12 WAYS TO REDUCE CLUTTER
1. DETERMINE THE POINT OF ORIGIN
The first step is to find out where the clutter is coming from. Clutter is usually created when things are scattered around with no place to go. Here are a few clutter causing items:
- Bills and paperwork
- Piles of laundry
- Lists and reminder notes
- Old music and photographs
- Appliances and their parts
- Electronic devises and chargers
- Decorative items
2. MAKE A PLAN
Target specific areas you are going to declutter, clean up and organized. Set a timetable. Then stick to it. If you try to do it all at once you may get overwhelmed and give up half way. Start small. Tackle one area at a time. Then move to the next. You can start by decluttering one room per weekend, or even one drawer or shelf per day.
3. THE FOUR BOX METHOD
Have four cardboard boxes ready for decluttering. Label them keep, sell/donate, trash and store.Keep items you need or use regularly. Remove everything that you no longer use or love. Sell/donate, trash or store it. Sell or donate items that you no longer need or use but are still in good condition.Trash the junk. This includes useless scraps of paper, broken appliances etc.Store items that you no longer need or use but might still come in handy later or have some sentimental value. The store box is a work in progress. Go through it every once in a while and try to get it to empty by moving its contents into the use, sell/donate or trash boxes as appropriate. A good rule of thumb is to get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last 6 months to a year.
4. CLEAR ALL SURFACES
You want to get to the point where all floors and other flat surfaces are free of clutter. Start with one table. Clear off everything possible, except maybe one or two essential things. When you are done with that move to a counter. Or a shelf. Keep going until all your flat surfaces are clutter free. Make it a habit to clear all surfaces every day or every few days.
5. CREATE A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING
Create a designated space for everything in your life and always leave them there when not in use. This will help you locate them instantly when you need them. Don’t leave stuff lying around. Put things back in their proper place as soon as you are done using them. If you come across something that doesn’t have a designated spot, either create one or get rid of it. This will reduce the amount of clutter and keep your space cleaner.
6. STOP SHOPPING
To live is to consume. It cannot be avoided. But slowing the influx of possessions into our home will help minimize clutter. Not only do unnecessary purchases cost money, they also require time, energy and effort once they enter the home. Before making a purchase, ask yourself these questions:
- Is this item really needed?
- Do I have a place to store it?
- How much extra work will it add to my life?
- Am I buying it for the right reasons?
Some purchases take more from your life than they offer. Going over these questions before you buy things will help you know the difference. Make a list of items you have to buy, so that when you do shop, it’s for those things that you actually need.
7. MAKE A 30-DAY LIST
Create a 30-day list for everything that you want to buy that’s not absolutely necessary. Put such items on the list with the date it was added. Make it a rule to never buy anything (except necessities) unless it has been on the list for 30 days. Often you will lose the urge to buy stuff and save yourself a lot of money and clutter.
8. ONE IN – TWO OUT
Each time you bring something new home, get rid of two similar old ones. This includes clothes, shoes, books, magazines, anything. It will help you reduce the clutter created by items you no longer use.
9. KEEP LISTS IN A NOTEBOOK
To reduce the clutter caused by loose sheets of paper, keep lists in a notebook or mobile device. You can also add a whiteboard to a free wall for list making.
10. DIGITIZE OLD PHOTOS
Old photographs, important paperwork, and other archives can be scanned, stored digitally and backed up on an external hard drive. Throw out or give away the originals to reduce clutter.
11. DIGITIZE OLD DISCS
Old movies and music can be ripped to a laptop and also backed up on an external hard drive. When you digitize your collection you can get rid of the CDs/DVDs and the machines used to play them.
12. MAKE IT A HABIT
Once you have taken out most of your clutter, you have to make decluttering a regular habit or the clutter will come back again if you let it. Create systems and habits that will keep your environment clutter free. Put it in your calendar once a week, or once a month, or whatever works best for you.
THANKS FOR READING
Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest updates. If you have any questions or suggestions, leave a comment below or contact me here.
