Sometimes clutter is just a sign that you need to get organized, but other times it’s a sign of something deeper. Clutter can be an emotional attachment, a reaction to an overwhelmed life or the result of procrastination. Whatever the reason, there are steps you can take to get rid of the excess stuff in your life and better organize what remains.
A lot of people find themselves with too much stuff because they never learned how to say no. If you find yourself continually saying yes to every request and opportunity that comes your way, you’ll end up with too much on your plate. If you suffer from this problem, start learning to say no when necessary so that you don’t continue getting in over your head.
Another way some people end up with too much stuff is by hanging onto things for the wrong reasons. For example, if you’re holding onto items that remind you of lost loved ones or positive memories, it may be time to take those items out of storage and display them somewhere where they can be appreciated.
For some people, clutter is a sign that their lives are overwhelming them. You may feel like there’s not enough time for everything, or that there’s so much coming at you that it seems easier to ignore it than deal with it
I made a vow to myself that I would never again buy anything for the house that I didn’t absolutely love. This was the turning point in my life. I had heard this phrase before but it now struck me as extremely powerful. If you are in the habit of buying things for your home that you don’t love, you will always be surrounded by clutter.
The first thing to do is to purge your home of these unloved possessions. Clean out your closets and drawers and shelves and cupboards until they are empty. Then begin to fill them again with only the things you truly love. Don’t let yourself be talked into keeping things that you hate or don’t use or don’t fit because they were expensive or someone gave them to you or they might come back in style. Keep only the things that you love and use on a regular basis. From this point on, promise yourself that you will never buy anything for your home that you don’t love with all your heart and soul.
Living this way is so much more satisfying than any other way I have ever lived or known of anyone who has ever lived except maybe my mom!
There are only two things you can do to clear clutter from your home: keep it or get rid of it. This might sound too simple, but when you’re faced with a pile of stuff that needs sorting, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and put off making decisions.
The key is to stay focused on the end goal: a clear home. As long as you stay committed to this goal, you’ll make the right choices on your way there.
In addition to having a clear goal in mind, you need tactics for making decisions about individual items of clutter. Once you have these tactics in place you can work methodically through each pile, making decisions quickly and easily.
You will have different tactics for different kinds of possessions; for example, sentimental items will require different handling from paperwork or old clothes. Let’s look at some tactics that work well for common types of clutter.
Now that you have a better idea of how to pose your actors, it’s time to get rid of the clutter.
Clutter is easy to quantify. It’s that which is not in use but takes up space. If you have a dresser filled with clothes you haven’t worn in years, that’s clutter. So is a bookcase filled with books you never read or never plan to read again.
Clutter can also be in your kitchen, garage, and attic—anywhere there are things taking up space that you don’t need or use anymore.
The easiest way to get rid of clutter is to simply take it all and put it out on the curb for the trash collectors to pick up the next morning. This does not mean you should do this willy-nilly, though. Some items may be dangerous or environmentally harmful if thrown away without being recycled first (electronics are an example). Check with your local office of waste management before throwing anything away.
I had a chance to ask Arrington and his wife, Christina, how they do it. They’ve completely mastered the art of living in an organized home with three kids under five.
When I visited their house, Arrington’s desk was clean and uncluttered – a feat that I have never been able to accomplish. He said he empties the inbox every day, but he doesn’t address the items right away if they aren’t urgent. He keeps those items on a “to think” list, which helps him mentally process things at a later time. If he can’t make a decision right away, he adds it to his calendar for a future date.
Arrington said he tries to avoid having any items around that aren’t currently being used. For example, if his wife is using one frying pan and there’s another one in the cabinet that hasn’t been used in six months, he’ll throw it out or give it away.
Christina Arrington said she finds decluttering liberating because it makes her feel like she has more time to spend with her family than cleaning up after them and taking care of household chores. She also follows the same basic guidelines as her husband when it comes to her own possessions and paperwork: If she hasn’t worn something
1. Start early.
2. Get a buddy – it is much easier to keep motivated if you have someone else to keep you accountable for your progress.
3. Set a goal – what do you want to sell? What’s the objective? How much money do you want to make? Knowing these details helps give your project focus and direction.
4. Be realistic with your time commitment – 2 days before a sale is too late to start sorting through all of your stuff, so be realistic with what you can accomplish in the time given.
5. Have fun! It’s just stuff, after all!
Vicki Robin is an American author and financial consultant, best known for her book Your Money or Your Life. She co-created the New Road Map Foundation’s New Road to Wealth workshop with Joe Dominguez in 1991.
Robin was born in Longview, Washington and attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Along with Joe Dominguez (former Wall Street analyst), she wrote Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Indepence. The book puts forth a 9-step program for achieving financial independence, detailing how to eliminate debt, simplify one’s lifestyle, invest one’s savings wisely and then live off one’s investment income.
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