5 Secrets to Winning the War on Clutter

Clutter. Many of us have it. It costs us money because we pay late charges for misplaced bills or duplicate purchases. It costs us time because we can never find what we need when we need it. It fills up our space and zaps our energy. But where does it come from and how do we get rid of it? To win the war on clutter we must first understand where it comes from.

There are two broad types of clutter: situational clutter and lifestyle clutter.

Situational clutter typically occurs as the result of a specific event or series of events. Examples might include life transitions such as marriage, divorce, death, birth, moving, etc. or emergencies.

Lifestyle clutter represents years of accumulation and neglect. “I might need it some day” and “I paid good money for that” are examples of the mindset that contributes to lifestyle clutter.

For many of us, the chaos is a combination of situational, as well as lifestyle clutter. Knowing the type of clutter you’re facing will perhaps offer insight as to why you’re hanging onto it. Before you begin the organizing process, it’s important to identify those things that support your current life – not the things you needed in the past or things you “might need some day”. Following these simple but basic rules, your home will run more smoothly and you can win the war on clutter.

Downsize. By reducing the amount you need to organize in the first place, you eliminate excess and keep only those things you love, need, and use. Many of us hang onto things “because it was a gift” or “I paid a lot for that”. That type of mind-set interferes with your ability to get and stay organized.

Create homes. Just as you have a home to come to each day, our possessions need homes to return to when we’re not using them. It’s important to store like things together near the area in which they’re used. By keeping like things together, you will be able to instantly see what you have and avoid duplicate purchases because you can’t find what you thought you had.

Include the kids. It’s important to teach children the benefits of good organizing routines. Learning to put their toys away at the conclusion of playtime or putting their backpack away the moment they come in the door, will benefit everyone. Initially, children may moan and groan at the prospect of following rules, however, by insisting the rules be followed routines will become automatic.

Forget perfection. Perfectionism is often a stumbling block to getting organized. We become so focused on finding the perfect organizing solution that we never quite achieve organization. Remember – it doesn’t have to be done perfectly, it just has to be done!

Maintain. We all have the same 24-hours in a day and we pick and choose those things that we allow into our day. By making organization a priority and scheduling as little as 15-minutes for maintenance, you can stay on top of things. After dinner and homework, have the family spend 15 minutes picking up misplaced items.  If kids don’t want to participate in the evening pick-up, create a “time-out” box for toys and things left lying around.  To retrieve an item from the “time-out” box, an extra chore is required to earn it back. If the same item is left around again rather than being put away, it should be placed in the donate box.