The rate of what comes in needs to be less than or equal to the rate of what goes out. It is easy to bring things into our lives and spaces, but it requires more effort to remove things. Therefore we need to consistently and continually work to remove things from our lives and space. By consciously working at it we increase our chances of being able to manage what we own and keep it organized.
When getting married and combining households it’s important to eliminate duplicates. Getting rid of unnecessary duplicate items helps improve organization, function, and efficiency. A few recommendations to help eliminate duplicate items are:
Keep 2 sets of potholders
Keep 10 kitchen dish towels
Keep 3 sets of sheets per bed
Keep 4 coffee mugs per coffee drinker
Keep 2 water bottles per person
Keep 3 sets of bath towels per person
Keep 1 waste basket per room
Keep 1 identical appliances (coffee maker, food processor, vacuum)
Keep 1 basket of pet toys
To declutter is to remove mess, piles, and clutter. To organize is to mindfully place things in a specific spot in order to find them when they are needed. If we attempt to organize before we declutter we waste time organizing things we no longer use or want. It is always more efficient to declutter first, and organize second.
Are you feeling like there is no time for organizing? Are the days flying by and the clutter piling up? One way the take control is to schedule down time. An easy way to do this is to make sure you and your family have only a maximum of four nights out per week. Schedule 3 or more nights at home and one of those nights reclaiming order.
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