Simple Habits to Keeping Your Life Clutter Free

Looking on the internet, you will see many blogs and businesses that offer help to those struggling with clutter. If this describes you, there is help available. And if you follow these simple habits to keeping your life clutter free, you may find you also let go of the clutter in your home.

How many times have you lost your keys, shoes or important papers because there is too much clutter in your home? Families around the country are drowning in clutter that can cost time and money as well as cause frustration. Clearing the clutter from your home, and your life, will take some time and effort but the results will be well worth it.

* Go through your home and make note of anything in your home that is out of place, items that are piling up or things that bother you. Start with what bothers you most and begin going through the items, getting rid of things you no longer need or want. The goal is to clear small areas, one at a time, until you have cleaned the entire room. Go through each room until you have gotten rid of as much clutter as possible.

* Create a cleaning and decluttering schedule. Include chores for each member of the family so one person does not have to do everything. If you work on cleaning a little bit each day, it will make keeping your home clean much easier.

* Rather than stacking mail and other papers all over the room, create a specific area to handle mail and pay bills. This could be a desk or a shelf with an inbox. Be sure to place a garbage can near your mail area so you can throw junk mail out as you go through the mail. Along with the inbox and garbage can, it would also be helpful to keep a family calendar in the area. When you see paperwork that has an appointment or important date, you can write the information directly into the calendar and toss the paper unless you need to return it.

* Place a coat rack or shelf with hooks near the door you use most often. It is important to have everyone hang jackets and book bags here when they come into the home each day. By placing these items in the same place each day, your family will be less likely to lose things.

* You can use similar tactics to declutter your office or workspace. A clean work area can make your day more productive, which your boss will most likely appreciate. Develop a filing system so you can find important papers when you need them.

* Cut back on commitments. Part of having a cluttered life is having too many obligations each week. Families these days are busy – everyone is going in different directions with meetings, sports, band, volunteering or religious activities. Declutter your schedule by asking each person to give up all but one activity. This will reduce the amount of running and allow the family to eat together regularly.

Finally, if you are too overwhelmed with the amount of clutter in your life, give yourself permission to seek outside help. A professional organizer can recommend simple habits to keeping your life clutter free and will help you develop a routine that will work for your family.

 Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

The Art of Letting Go – Tips for Getting Rid of Sentimental Items

Television programs and blogs on the internet talk about the problems associated with clutter. Sometimes people keep the items because they hoard things. Others have collections that get out of hand. Still others hold onto items because of sentimental reasons. When clutter is causing stress or frustrations, it is time to learn the art of letting go.

First-time parents are often guilty of holding on to things for sentimental reasons. They want to keep every homemade card from their child or every picture ever taken of the child. As much as parents love their children and want to remember them as they were, there comes a time when letting go of mementos is all right.

One option to consider, rather than holding onto the items, is taking photos of them. Line your children’s drawings up on the table and take pictures. If the drawings were when the child was much younger, taking a picture of them will probably suffice. For newer drawings, take a picture of your child with their drawings and be sure to date them. This will also help you to remember specifics about your child at the time.

Other things people do not want to throw away are photographs. It does not matter if the photo is blurry or the subject is cut off - some people simply do not want to let go of them. Rather than holding on to every photograph, choose the best ones and place them in a photo album. Scrapbooking would be another option, especially if you journal about the photos, as well.

What do you do with Grandma Sue’s chipped china that is missing several pieces? It would be difficult to part with the set. However, there is an alternative. Rather than getting rid of the entire set, let each family choose one place setting or cup and saucer to keep. Display them with a photo of Grandma Sue and it becomes more than old dishes; it becomes a way to remember a beloved family member and something that was important to them.

Consider the reasons why you are holding onto specific items. Did your favorite uncle leave you a piece of artwork when he passed? If you do not love the artwork, you may feel guilty about not wanting to keep it. Remember that letting go of the artwork does not mean that you loved your uncle less. It simply means that you are releasing it to allow someone who will love it to have it.

If you are having a hard time letting go of anything, take a hard look at all you have. This may sound like a strange exercise, but think about the items that you would miss if you lost your home to a natural disaster. If you could easily replace all but a few things, keep only those items that are most important. Let everything else go.

Seek professional help if you cannot bring yourself to let things go. A professional organizer or even therapist can help you work through the emotions attached to the items. They can help you learn the art of letting go.

Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Beyond the Home – Tips for Decluttering Your Life

Clutter does not only happen at home. In fact, it also can happen in your mind, your body, your schedule, your finances and your workspace. Unfortunately, chances are that if you have clutter in one of those areas, you most likely have clutter in all of those areas. If you have been trying to conquer the clutter in your home, it is time to move beyond and follow these tips for decluttering your life.

Mind – What clutters your mind? Begin by getting a notebook and a pen. Take a deep breath and think about things that you have to do. Write everything down. Once you have written things down, you can see what is necessary to accomplish and you will have a list to keep track of everything else. It can also help if you watch less television as it tends to clutter the mind with things that are not important.

Body – In some cases, people who have a clutter problem also have a weight problem. Sometimes people use both as a self-protection mechanism. If they are overweight or their house is full of “stuff,” they will not have to worry about others getting too close and possibly hurting them. Once they begin to let go of the “stuff” in their home, they may find that it is easier to let go of excess weight as well.

Schedule – How many activities does your family have? If your family is like most, each child has at least one activity they participate in after school. Mom and Dad may each have things they do that keep them on the go. To declutter your schedule, sit down as a family and talk about the activities each does that mean the most them. If you can cut out some activities, you will have more time to share as a family and there will be much less running.

Finances – Think about bills you have that are draining. For instance, is it necessary for everyone in the family to have a cell phone? If the answer is no, then let some of them go and have one extra that your teenager can use while they are away from you. Do you watch all of the channels on satellite or cable? Chances are good that you do not, so pare your programming down to what you know you will watch. Stop eating out so often. Even though eating out is easier, it is more expensive and is often not good for your health.

Workspace – Depending on your job, workspace clutter may or may not be a problem. For those with an office desk, workspace clutter may be having too many pictures or mementos. For those in a factory setting, it may mean you cannot find your tools when you need them. By creating a functional and clean workspace, you increase your productivity, which will make the boss happy.

It is unlikely that anyone consciously decides to have clutter in his or her homes or their lives. Unfortunately, clutter tends to creep in and take over once it starts. Use these tips for decluttering your life and you will marvel at the sense of freedom you experience.

Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com