Too Much Stuff! Declutter in the New Year

Survey says!

"If it's broken, outdated, lost its mate, out of style, ugly, useless, dead or moldy, then it's junk. Dump or recycle it.“ 

. Definition of Junk:

Pitch it. It is robbing you of your peace of mind.

Cold Feel? Indecisive? Truthfully, it is junk if you can say it is the following…

Do yourself, posterity and your family a favor –

Broken obsolete (fixing is unrealistic) You’ve outgrown it: Emotionally or Physically You’ve always hated it! It’s the wrong color, size, style. Using is it more trouble than it is worth You’d never miss it you never saw it again. You have to clean it, store and insure it , but

you don’t really enjoy it much. It will shock, bore, or burden the coming

generation.

Junk is …

Generates good feelings and love Helps you make a living Will help you get something done Has significant cash value – DOCUMENTED

not perceived! Gives you more than it takes Enriches or delights the coming generationSo, enjoy it and feel good about its place in

your life!

It’s not junk if …

Stop procrastinating Quit making excuses Use it or lose it Learn to let go Be a giver Set limits Use the in and out inventory rule (Bag in,

bag out) Keep everything in its place Compromise

Ten Commandments of Clutter

F- Find a starting point: One drawer at a time, one day at a time, keep at it, go back to it. ◦ Piles; 1 Keep, 2 Toss, 3 Recycle or take to thrift store 4.

Garage sale*. A- Any one else CONTRIBUTING? What To Do With A

Clutterer Partially Depends On Who They Are S- Storing other folks stuff? Give them a deadline or

you will have to remove it (or charge them storage) T- Trash? Broken! Bag it and take it out of the

house for good! Peter Clark on how to Reclaim your lives from the suffocating burden

of clutter

Be F.A.S.T.

So where do we begin to form new habits?

1. Find four clutter hotspots in your home.

2. Select one outside hotspot. 3. Create daily new habits corresponding

to your 5 clutter hot spots.◦ Handle paper once ◦ Put it away right away◦ Put with like items in a logical place◦ Limit space ◦ Once it is out of the house, it stays out, never

to return

New Habits take 30 days

Drop shades on closet doors. They store overhead instead of on the sides.

Preventative maintenance : Read labels before you buy . Will its upkeep , care, washing require extra effort? Where the heck will it go?

Plastic shoe racks are GREAT for sorting mittens hats, scarves in front closets too

Dust? Keep filters changes and clean No one wants to be responsible for it,? Toss it. Stacks must never be over three high. Ex: cups, cans, pots,

that away you don’t have to sort through or they will topple over.

Keep one set of dishes / cutlery for every day and for company. Why keep more?

Square storage containers are more efficient transfer items into these from odd shaped bags or round containers

Tips

No friend’s hand me down cast offs. Do you take things for free, just because

there are there and free (e.g. sugar packets, jelly, ketchup, etc ?

Watch out for garage sale/ flea market/ auctions and curbside shopping bugs! ◦ Someday, I will fix that broken chair, desk,

dresser, table, Christmas ornament…

No thanks!

The amount of things you buy? Do you buy stuff since your think others would expect you

to have it? To fit your own self-image? How do you feel about the décor in your house? how do you feel about the closets or cabinets when you

look in there? What you think of your junk drawers? Junk boxes? Junk Rooms? Have you seen storage ideas you’d like to use you feel

good about applying in your home? Do you have to be the first to own things? Does it seem like every thing is broken or gone when you

need to use it? Can you find things when you need them?

How do you feel about?

“It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” – Henry David Thoreau

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” – Havelock Ellis

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Final Thoughts

Does this Clutter make my Butt Look Big? It’s All Too Much – Peter Clark Wisconsin CES Utah CES Courtesy of Cassie Hackstock , St. Clair

County MSU CES

Sources :