Have one empty container in each room of the house. At the end of each day, go room by room, and put any clutter that has accumulated into the empty container. At the end of each week, remove the contents of each container by putting items where they belong and tossing what you don’t need.
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Keeping projects on the table, counter, desk, or tool bench, because you worry that once they are out of sight, they are out of mind, is a common concern. This two step process will help you organize ongoing projects and get them done. It has been successful for me. Step 1 – Keep an ongoing project list on the fridge, and put the projects away. Step 2 – Block out time on your calendar to work on your projects. Schedule increments of time that allow you to have the project completed when you wish it to be done.
While looking for a list of skincare products that I wanted to share with a friend, I realized that it was time to reclaim order in my Fashion File. I knew I had tucked the list into my file somewhere, but when I went to look for it, I couldn’t find it. I quickly deduced that the main reason for this was that there was a surplus of irrelevant information in the file. It held current and relevant information, but also held some outdated information that was no longer of interest to me.
Therefore, I allowed myself 15 minutes to reclaim order. I did this by pruning each category of the Fashion File and making decisions on what information was worth keeping, and what was to be discarded. Here is a list of what I discarded: 8 outdated or duplicate business cards, 1 outdated jewelry catalog, 12 magazine clippings on products, tips, and ideas (I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I clip from magazines, but in my opinion, it’s better than keeping the whole magazine.), 1 outdated skincare catalog, 5 old purchase receipts (shred them), and 8 notes of websites to look at or items to try. At the end of a very productive 15 minutes I had located the list of skincare products that I wanted to share with my friend, and reclaimed order in my Fashion File.
By taking the time, at that moment, to reclaim order, I stopped the accumulation of paper, and prevented my Fashion File from turning into a huge, inefficient mess. This is what I call preserving the natural flow of the organizing process. The natural flow of the organizing process looks like this:
One very important factor to keep in mind when preserving the natural flow of the organizing process is to keep the duration between creating order and reclaiming order short enough, so that the act of reclaiming order doesn’t take too long, and isn’t an overwhelming task. If we wait too long, or allow too much build up, the act of reclaiming order becomes overwhelming, stressful and frustrating. If you reach this point, reclaiming order may no longer be a do-it-yourself task. Just remember, it’s okay to ask for HELP!
© August 2015 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All Rights Reserved
Proud member of NAPO
We all hold onto things for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons are valid and worthwhile. For example, I’m holding onto my Grandmother’s necklace, because it’s a beautiful piece of jewelry that I enjoy wearing, especially when I want to be reminded of her. Unfortunately, some reasons for holding onto things are not valid or worthwhile. For example, the only reason I’m holding onto my (never used) serving dishes is because they were a gift. When the reason for holding onto something is not valid or worthwhile, it could be a clutter excuse. Clutter Excuses provide us with reasons to hold onto something, so we don’t have to make the (potentially difficult) decision to get rid of it. I find that honesty is the best policy when it comes to making decisions. By honestly answering thought provoking questions regarding why we are holding on to something, we can truthfully evaluate it’s significance in our lives.
A common clutter excuse I hear is, “Someone gave, or bequeathed it to me.” I believe that a gift is meant to bring joy, and that no gift-giver wants their gift to be a burden. Answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s a burden and time to let it go.
Another common clutter excuse I hear is, “It’s still good.” Not everything we part with is broken or unusable. It’s okay to get rid of items we don’t need, want, or use, even if they are still workable and usable. There are several options available to us when passing on items like this, and removing them provides us with a less cluttered space. Answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s time to pass it along to someone else.
I don’t have any children of my own, so I don’t use this common clutter excuse, “I’m saving it to pass on to my children.” Have you uttered this excuse? If so, answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s time to stop saving and let it go.
It does take time to make decisions and get rid of stuff. Have you ever used time as an excuse? “I don’t have time to deal with it.” Answer these five questions truthfully to determine if it’s time to make time.
As I mentioned before, we all hold onto things for a variety of reasons, but the best reasons are valid and worthwhile. I hope these questions help you conquer your clutter excuses and provide you with peace of mind.
© May 2015 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All rights reserved
Proud member of NAPO
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