Tip: Store product manuals and instructions in one file with three subcategories, kitchen, children and other. Be honest with yourself when asking if you’ll ever reference this information again. If not, don’t keep the manual or instructions. Manuals often come in more than one language, only keep the language you reference. Sort through this file every year and recycle all that you can.
Tip: Store papers, files and information vertically. This prevents piles from forming, growing and taking over. It also allows easier access, with less frustration when returning and retrieving papers, files and information.
Tip: Incentives work! Give yourself an incentive for each scheduled organizing session you put on your calendar and keep. Give yourself an incentive for each target area you tackle and make progress on. Give yourself an incentive for each flat surface you organize.
Tip: Practice organizing. The trick to getting better and mastering the skill of organizing is to practice. Think for a minute of what advice you’d give yourself (or your son or daughter) if you wanted to improve your golf swing. You’d tell yourself to practice. The same applies to organizing. I’d recommend practicing organizing for at least 15-20 minutes every day.
Tip: According the American Heritage Dictionary on my shelf, the word clutter as a noun is defined as “a confused or disordered state or collection; a jumble”. As a verb the word clutter is defined as “to litter or pile in a disordered manner”. I often here my clients refer to it as their random things, mounds of stuff, or piles of junk.
The three best ways to combat clutter are:
1. Have a designated place where your items, things, and stuff belong, and return them there.
2. Schedule daily and weekly purging in your most lived-in areas of your home.
3. Allow less to come into your home. For example: less paper, mail, trinkets, and purchases
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