Declutter Your Life: Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity, and Enjoy Your Clutter-Free Life (2 page)

The trick with evaluating items like this is that you very well might have a use for them in the future. It would be a shame to toss out perfectly good and costly wood, and then realize you want to build a shelf. My husband’s family tells a story of how his father got so tired of the craft supply collection in their home that he went on a cleaning spree. As he swept random paper and other items into the garbage, he inadvertently tossed out a pair of real diamond earrings. They also tell a story about how my father-in-law hid all his baseball cards in a special location in his boyhood home. Years later his mother threw out a box of mint-condition and valuable cards because they looked like junk to her.

It takes a well-disciplined mind to evaluate items in the clutter pile to determine if they truly have a future value or use. To keep yourself from going to either extreme, carefully consider each item with others in your home. Ask these questions:

• Is there a concrete plan to use the item within the next six to twelve months?
  
• Is the item in good working order?
  
• Is the item of significant monetary value?
  

If you can answer yes to at least two of the above questions, then the item may be worth storing. Otherwise, you should strongly consider getting rid of it. There are ways to decrease the struggle with getting rid of an item. I reduced the majority of my yarn stash by giving it to a young lady who was learning to crochet. She was delighted with the abundant yarn choice and quickly put almost all of it to use.

There are some things that are simply irreplaceable due to sentimental value. Old pictures capture favorite memories, family heirlooms harken back to our history and small mementos remind us of great events. It can be hard to get rid of sentimental items, so you may want to consider a more organized storage option. Pictures can be scanned into the computer and stored on an external hard drive. Not only will this reduce clutter, it will also preserve your memories in a safer manner.

Collections and heirlooms can be kept in well-organized cabinets or spaced throughout the home as tasteful decorations. Remember what I said about my husband’s aunt? Because she is organized, her collections do not actually create clutter.

When keeping things for their sentimental value, you do need to ensure that they are irreplaceable and really evoke personal emotions. Plastic souvenirs from your latest beach trip might not make the cut, but a small memento from your honeymoons is often worth keeping,

If you paid good money for an item, you may find it difficult to throw away even if you know you have no use for it. In cases like this, it is best to give the item to a friend, donate it for a tax break or sell it online or in a yard sale. It is much easier to part with such items when you are receiving some sort of value in return.

Once you take stock of your clutter situation and understand where your clutter is coming from, it is time to begin working on the problem. You have already learned that clutter takes on many forms and will differ from person to person. Almost everyone has some sort of clutter in their home, so this section provides a step-by-step look at decluttering your home.

Before you take action, you should create a plan. An organized approach to clearing clutter ensures that you do not make mistakes like tossing out diamond earrings. A plan also allows you to approach clutter in a systemic fashion that reduces feelings of anxiety. By tackling small sections of your home, you reduce burn out and create workable tasks that can be completed over time.

Your plan should define the locations of clutter in your home, divide the work into smaller rooms or areas, and ensure that all necessary individuals participate in the work. Including your family in the plan creates a corporate environment that will make it more likely that you will remain organized in the future. It also ensures that valuable items are not thrown away. My mother is known for quick and efficient cleaning, but she is also known for tossing out items that are valuable to someone else. If there are other people living in the home, then you need their input.

As you tackle each space in your home, you need to know what you will do with the items. Moving them from place to place simply prolongs your clutter. Instead, create piles for items that you want to keep, throw away, give away or sell. Once you are done with an area, make sure you take care of each pile immediately. Find an organized way to store or house all the items you are keeping. Place the items in the throw away pile in a large garbage bag and haul it to the curb. Make arrangements to give away or sell the other items as quickly as possible. The last thing you want to do is create four piles that become long-term clutter.

Decluttering an entire house can take hours or days. Likely, you do not have that kind of time. Instead, you can spend a couple of hours each week on declutter by tackling small spaces. A single book shelf, closet, under the bed, or a wall of the garage are all great areas with which to start. You will also increase your motivation by accomplishing each job. You may not realize it, but breaking tasks into small, easily achievable chunks is a proven mental motivator that increases your energy and willingness to complete the entire project.

• Go through your dishes, pots and utensils and consider getting rid of duplicates or extras. You might have saved a plate or two from an old set, but if you do not use the items regularly or can make do without them, pass them on to someone else or donate them. Do the same with all other items in your kitchen in order to make some room in your cabinets for better organization.
  
• Go through your plastic wear and match tops to bottoms. Do not keep mismatched pieces. Create an organized storage area so that you can easily grab matching pieces when needed.
  
• Avoid keeping plastic butter, whipped cream or other similar dishes unless you have a specific and immediate use for them.
  
• Use small pieces of wood to build shelves in your cabinet or pantry for canned goods. Store canned goods in rows of like items with the oldest food in front to avoid tossing items that are beyond the expiration date.
  
• Browse your pantry and fridge prior to shopping in order to create a list of foods you actually need. Shop only from the list.
  
• Store items in the refrigerator in see-through plastic or glass containers to help your family know what foods are available.
  
• Convert bulky boxes of cereal or pasta to air-tight plastic containers that are easier to stack and store.
  

• Use small baskets or dividers to make the most of available drawer space. Divide items by specific use. For example, cosmetics could go in one basket, items used for tooth care in another and items that you may only use on an occasional basis in another.
  
• Arrange extra bottles of shampoo and other personal items in an orderly fashion on a shelf in order to keep yourself from buying supplies you do not need.
  
• Use plastic milk crates to make extra shelves or storage spaces in large cabinets.
  
• Buy a small caddy for each person in the home. They can put their personal shampoo, conditioner, razor or other items in the caddy and pull it out when it is time for a shower. This will keep the bathtub from collecting a dozen bottles.
  
• Make use of open shelving to store items in attractive baskets or to store stacks of color matched towels instead of decorative elements that provide no functionality.
  

• Avoid shoving items under the bed where dust and other particles build up. If you must use under bed storage space, purchase shallow plastic tubs to hold items. This is a great way to store seasonal clothing because it keeps the fabric clean, dry, and away from moths.
  
• Make it a point never to leave clothing on the bed or draped over other furniture. Put clothing away immediately and use a hamper or basket for dirty items.
  
• Make your bed each day to automatically enhance the look of your bedroom and motivate yourself to keep it clean.
  
• Make sure dressers are an appropriate size for your clothing and avoid stuffing them full. Go through your clothing on a periodic basis and get rid of anything you have not worn in over a year.
  

• Avoid the temptation of flat spaces. Any flat space in your living area is likely to gather items. However, if you put a few decorative items on the top of shelves or tables, it makes it a less obvious place for laying down burdens.
  
• Spend ten minutes every day clearing clutter from the couch, living room floor and spaces like coffee tables, end tables or dining tables.
  
• Buy a small basket or bin for everyone in the family. Label them with names and stack them in a corner. Go through the living and dining spaces daily and place items in the appropriate basket. Each member of the family is then responsible for returning their own items to the appropriate place.
  
• Be careful with decorative elements. There is a fine line between aesthetic value and clutter. If items are getting in the way of everyday living, then you may need to relocate or get rid of some of your accents.
  
• Clear the dining table after every meal and wipe it down. Leaving small dishes or unused items on the table can create an ongoing clutter situation.
  

• Install shelves along at least one wall of the garage to keep clutter off the open floor.
  
• When possible, avoid storing items in cardboard boxes. Use clear plastic or labeled bins in order to store items in a safe and organized manner.
  
• Install ceiling and wall hooks or pegs to store bikes, sports equipment or tools.
  
• Keep balls and other small items away from the parking area by installing a mesh sports hammock in one corner.
  

• Avoid storing items on the floor of the basement in order to reduce the chance of water damage. Use plastic bins when possible and build shelves along the wall.
  
• Provide each person their own section of the basement or attic and require that everyone label the items they store. This will help during family declutter days.
  
• Schedule two days a year when the family goes through the basement and attic to determine what should be kept and reorganize any cluttered areas.
  
• Keep items that will be accessed on a regular basis in the most convenient locations and store seasonal or less used items at the top, back or bottom of storage areas.
  
• When possible, make use of the wall or ceilings to hang items for storage.
  

• Hang all clothes with the hook facing out. When you wear an item, hang it back in the same place and turn the hook in. After a year or other appropriate time period, get rid of any item with the hook still facing out.
  
• Use hanging racks or bag storage systems to house shoes and other small items.
  
• Keep linens and other items in plastic storage bins on shelves. This keeps them from hanging down in the way, makes them easier to stack and keeps them from bugs and dirt. Do the same with seasonal clothing in order to lengthen the life or your items.
  
• Use vacuum seal bags where possible to reduce the amount of storage space you need. However, avoid using such bags for items you need more than once a month, as it can be tiresome to retrieve and restore these things.
  
• Avoid storing items directly on the floor of any closet. If there is enough floor room, put a shelf in the closet or use plastic bins or crates to create additional organization.
  

One of the areas where there is a high production cost related to clutter is in the office. Whether you work from the home, in an office or in a cubicle or shared workspace, clutter can reduce efficiency and create an inhospitable work environment. Clutter in a business office can even cause problems for others or reduce the efficiency of your staff.

For years, I had a boss who was known for the clutter of his desk and office. It was common knowledge that you never left anything of value on his desk and if you gave him any type of document, you always made a copy first. We were working on a high-level project with a tight deadline once and he asked one of my employees for a copy of something that was sent to us only in hardcopy. Like a good employee, she immediately handed it over and he lost it. It cost numerous hours in phone time to get another copy. To avoid causing this type of frustration for yourself or anyone else, it is vital to keep an organized workspace.

I always thought that a desk with a ton of drawers and several bins or trays offered the best chance for reducing clutter. Although that may be true for some people, over the years I found that drawers just offered another place to shove paper I probably did not need and inboxes and outboxes were hardly ever used appropriately. On the other hand, a good friend of mine created a space with carefully labeled file drawers, dozens of small baskets and bins and a four tray priority system for paperwork. Her desk was full, but never cluttered, and that system worked for her. What I am trying to say is that the most important thing in reducing clutter in your office is finding a system that works for you.

If you are an organized and detailed person, then keeping up with numerous drawers and bins may be easy. Otherwise, you may provide yourself with extra work and stress because you have to take time out of your busy week to put your desk back in order. Regardless of the method you choose, here are a few important tips for keeping a clutter-free and organized desk space.

• Label your filing system and bins. When you are away, other people should be able to locate important items with minimal searching.
  
• Prioritize your work and get it done. A main reason for desk clutter is putting off work. As it sits, other things pile up on top and you may find yourself losing work or missing deadlines.
  
• Operate on a trash, pass or act mentality. Every piece of paper that crosses your desk should be evaluated. Is it something that is needed, or is it junk mail or something that is already available on the computer? Trash things you do not need. Is it something you will handle? If not, pass it on immediately to the proper person. If it is something you need to handle, act on it immediately.
  
• Use a follow-up filing system to keep track of work when you are waiting on a reply or action from someone else. An expandable file or file drawer works great for this. Label your folders “Today,” “Tomorrow,” “This week,” “Over a week.” Paper clip items for each day together and put them in the appropriate folder. Go through the folder labeled “Today” at the beginning of each day. Move the “Tomorrow” contents to the today folder and the first paper clipped packet of the “This week” folder into the “Tomorrow” slot.
  
• Avoid letting other people create clutter by labeling a single bin or tray for incoming items. Go through that tray several times a day to handle or file items. If you can put the incoming bin on a wall or outside your door, it reduces clutter even more.