Clearing the Clutter Made EASY – Part 1

When everything is important, then nothing has value.”

(Paraphrased:   by Peter Walsh – Organizational Expert)

 

I had this phrase engraved on my clock. For Real.

Having these words etched in brass serves as my touchstone that I need to high-grade and prioritize my possessions.

After recently perusing the magazine racks, I realized that America has a legitimate clutter issue. Not just me.

Look at a few cover headlines about controlling our uncontrollable stuff.

INSTANT ORGANIZING: Less Stuff, More Space

Clutter Cures for Every Room

10 Great Clutter Solutions

Beautifully Organized – Tips and Tricks for Every Room

Simply Organized – Smart Storage Solutions

Convinced? Shall I go on? I could fill a whole post about our national obsession with taming our accumulated wares.

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Allow me to share a true story with you.

Someone I know well had the unexpected and dubious honor of sorting through the worldly belongings of another person. If you really want to understand what is valuable to a person, sift through the items they deemed worthy – important enough to occupy their most sacred space -their home.

Okay. Now let’s get you involved in the conversation here.

Without moving one single item… What would your home tell a total stranger about what is most valuable – to you?

If you don’t like the answer to that question, don’t mentally beat yourself up. Conversely, feel very good that you have just taken the first tiny step toward creating a tranquil and positive living space for you and your family.

Over the past 3 years, I earned a graduate degree in the school of Negative Self-Talk. Believe me when I say this: It stunts your creativity. It stops your motivation to do good things. And you don’t have time for that.

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Well, the story that my home told was not exactly congruent with what is most important to me. So, I did something about it….and I want to share some basic tips to help you edit your home.

I am naturally organized. [Remember my post – The Tree? I explained my tendencies of slight OCD]. My home was neat and tidy in appearance.

But still, the overwhelming amount of stuff displayed and stored was alarming and, quite frankly, disturbing. I even had an off-site, climate-controlled unit chocked full of childhood memorabilia, children’s books, Christmas decorations, boxes of This & That, and furniture.

So here’s how I quickly sorted and processed my belongings. I decided to ask myself three simple, qualifying questions:

1. Is this item useful / make my life easier / or serve a purpose?
2. Does this item give my family good energy or provide sentimental memories?
3. Does this item add beauty to my living environment?

As I culled out the closets and shelves and drawers in my home…and ripped off the tape on corrugated boxes in my storage unit…each item was scrutinized.   If I could not answer ‘Yes’ to at least one of the 3 questions, I placed it in a ‘Gotta Get Rid of It’ Box.

So here are some not-so-conventional thoughts you might like to try.

When you do identify a ‘gotta-get-rid-of’ item….do not make another major decision right away. That will bog you down.

Most experts will tell you to place that item in 1 of 3 boxes labeled: For Sale / Donate / Trash.

Instead, try this. Place all ‘discarded’ items in one large box or in the corner of a spare room. At a later date with a hot cup of coffee and your favorite music playing (the tunes that get your energy going) ….sort through that box or corner!

But before sorting – Add a 4th box labeled: Gifts. With post-it notes, write the names of the lucky recipients of the items in your gift pile. This was my favorite exercise. More on that activity in the sequel post on Monday.

Keep in mind: Fragmentation can lead to Frustration.

Experts will tell you to take advantage of a free 10 minute time interval to clean out a drawer; 30 minutes to sort and organize the cabinet over the washing machine; and use a spare hour to attack a linen closet. DON’T.

Block off at least 2-3 hours to totally submerge and submit to your stuff. Tackle this project while your kids are at school or Mother’s Day Out.

Even better, try to dedicate a whole weekend when your husband has your two boys at the lake on a fishing trip!

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I remember either an interior decorator or designer’s proclamation:

“Your home will either elevate your mood or drag you down –

immediately upon entering your front door.”

Now that’s motivation to begin this project!

Everyone has areas of need in their homes. Including me… and I’ve been working on my clutter since I moved into my new home in 2012.

Approach this task as a long-term endeavor with a relaxed attitude.

Congratulate yourself for even taking this on.

Think of this major task in 2 totally different segments.

Part 1 – Editing your STUFF (what we are addressing right now)

Part 2 – Storage Solutions (creating easy access for the stuff that made the cut)

 

Last Thought for you.

Some magazine articles suggest that you hire a Professional Organizational Specialist. But hey – before you invest your dollars in outsourcing, give it a whirl yourself.

Who knows? You may even enjoy clearing your own clutter. I know I do.

On Monday, we’ll finish this topic. In later posts, we’ll definitely discuss Storage Solutions.

 

Tomorrow is Fun Friday. Ready for a quick message? I can’t wait to share with you.