Things accumulate. One day the closet is in good shape, the next it looks like a stockroom after the Christmas rush. But staying organized doesn’t have to be an ongoing challenge. It’s just about giving each thing its place—and knowing which things have no place in your life at all. Peter Walsh, author of Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? reminds us that when it comes to clutter in our lives, everything is connected. Walsh writes, “If one element is out of whack, everything suffers.” The home is a good place to start when making changes that will reverberate throughout the rest of your life. Here are some great ideas on how to stay organized for keeps:
Decide how often you’re going to de-clutter a space. Plan to do a little every day and use a timer so you don’t burn yourself out. Cleaning can become compulsive, and chances are, once you get started you’ll want to clean the whole place. Only do a small amount at a time. The space didn’t get dirty overnight and it won’t get clean overnight. Give yourself a break and savor the rewards as each space becomes more and more organized.
Sometimes we’ll procrastinate on getting organized because we don’t have the right tools on hand to get the job done. For instance, one of the issues with boxing things up is how heavy these boxes become. We fill them up and then we can't even carry them away. That’s where FlyLady.com comes in. The site offers a handy de-cluttering tool kit that includes 3 collapsible nylon mesh bags that expand to stand on their own:
Put Away (Pink): This is for items that need to be put away in separate rooms and can be carried away to their rightful homes.
Give Away (Purple): Here’s a chance to bless others with your great taste. Place your give-away items in this bag, tote them out to the car and put them in the trunk. The next time you’re out, you can drop everything off and bring the bag home with you. One good idea is to donate your stuff to the local thrift shop. The value can be deducted at the end of the year on your income tax form.
Throw Away (Green): Toss in whatever can be recycled or thrown away. Save a step, and place a trash can liner or paper bag in it. Then, once it’s full, you can simply grab the liner or bag out and carry it to your recycle bin or trash can, empty it, and then take the bag back inside with you.
Each FlyLady De-clutter Bag measures 13" L x 13" W x 22" H and can be purchased at www.flylady.com.
1 hour. 30 minutes. 15 minutes. It doesn't matter how long. Just do the job as quickly as you can and don’t pull out more than you can put away in that length of time. This might mean just focusing on one drawer, one closet (or even one shelf in one closet), or just digging under the furniture in a specific zone. Just not all of them at once!
Begin at the entrance to a room. Then, work your way around the room clockwise. Do not skip anything. Whatever clutter presents itself, just deal with it then and there.
When you’re de-cluttering, ask yourself these questions as you go through your stuff:
Do I love this item?
Have I used it in the past year?
Do I have another one that is better?
Does it have sentimental value, and that’s why I love it?
Or does it give me guilt and unsettle me when I see the item?
The idea is to cleanse the room of everything that doesn’t make you smile.
New clothes pile up and call for new places to put them. So why not take a different approach? The next time you get an urge to go shopping turn to your own closet. Grab an armful of clothes you haven't worn in a long time and try them on in front of a full-length mirror. Put the ones that you would want to buy again back into circulation, and donate the rest. Rule of thumb: The keepers should fit you well, be in style, and not need major alterations or repairs.
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