Getting Rid of the Clutter

Whenever people find out what I do for a living, they want to know tips on how to get rid of their clutter. So here is the fast version: Get rid of the excess and make a place for everything that is left over. The most effective (and also the most difficult step) is regular maintenance. It’s so much easier to keep things organized a little bit each day rather than waiting until the piles become overwhelming. Organizing is one of those things that is easy to understand… but not necessarily easy to do. The tricky part is to find the motivation and then to stick with it.

It’s similar to weight loss in many ways. Let’s face it, in theory it’s easy. Eat less, exercise more. However it’s not so easy to do. Finding motivation helps. I wrote a post for Clutter Control Freak a while back… I read that if you wanted to lose ten pounds, you should put a ten pound weight on your table, or sofa to remind you of the excess that you’re carrying around. When you think of this in terms of your home, you aren’t physically “carrying around” the excess clutter. But make no mistake, it’s weighing you down. People often describe their clutter as a heaviness or weight upon them. It’s a burden that adds stress to life.

I suggest that clients find time to declutter a little bit each day. Even fifteen minutes can make a difference. Eventually those piles are going to get smaller. I’ve written several articles on this subject: The Onion Edit, Organizing 101 and Create a Home for Everything You Own. In addition, I’ve written even more specifics in an eBook called, What’s Your Sweep Number?

In the end, motivation is the trickiest part. Sometimes using a reminder, like the ten pound weight I mentioned above, can keep a person on track. Some people schedule time to organize, actually writing it on their calendars. Others ask a friend to help or hire someone (like me) to keep them moving. Being organized offers some powerful incentives. Arriving at appointments on time and prepared, being able to find things on command and reducing cleaning time are just a few of the reasons that it is worth the effort.

The truth is that once you get rid of the excess and make a place for everything you own, your house will become automated. If you make a place for your keys, purse or briefcase and use it every time, you won’t be frantically searching for lost items. If you make a place for a child’s backpack or a bin for their homework, it’s easier to put away and easier to find. An added bonus is that you can avoid tripping over piles of clutter. Have I convinced you yet? Then let’s get started.