 5 Solid Rules of Clutter Busting
- Start small. There are many ways to say it- Take baby steps, break it down, take it in small chunks- but they all mean the same thing. If you tackle too much at one time you will probably become discouraged. Don’t expect to get organized overnight. Just work consistently and you will reap big rewards.
- Keep only what you love or is useful to you. Evaluate each item. Do you love it? Do you use it? If not, donate it, recycle it or throw it away. As they said in the ‘60’s: “Love it or leave it!”
- Store like items together…or like with like. Think about your flatware for a minute. Do you ever wonder where your forks are? Of course not. That is because you keep them together in one place.
- One-in one-out rule. If you purchase something new, eliminate the old. If a new catalog arrives, recycle the old. If you buy a new pair of pants, donate the old. Think in terms of replacing rather than stockpiling. Try to avoid duplicate items unless they are disposable products like paper towels or cereal, that you will continue to use.
- Keep it Simple. Many people fail when they set up systems that are too complex or have too many steps to follow. If a system is too complicated, if something is too hard to put away, the system won’t work. Simple systems get used.
KAREN HENKE is a professional organizer and the owner of Come2Order. With a collection of 17 years work experience in design, space
planning and organization, she now helps others come to order. |
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