let go of clutter v1 · 10 • let go of clutter: organize to reclaim your inner and outer life it...
TRANSCRIPT
LET GO OF CLUTTER
ORGANIZE TO RECLAIM YOUR INNER AND OUTER LIFE
2•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
ALLRIGHTSRESERVED.Nopartofthisreportmaybemodifiedoralteredinanyformwhatsoever,electronic,ormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,orbyanyinformationalstorageorretrievalsystemwithoutexpresswritten,datedandsignedpermissionfromtheauthor.DISCLAIMERAND/ORLEGALNOTICES:Theinformationpresentedhereinrepresentstheviewoftheauthorasofthedateofpublication.Becauseoftheratewithwhichconditionschange,theauthorreservestherighttoalterandupdateheropinionbasedonthenewconditions.Thereportisforinformationalpurposesonly.Whileeveryattempthasbeenmadetoverifytheinformationprovidedinthisreport,theauthordoesnotassumeanyresponsibilityforerrors,inaccuraciesoromissions.Anyslightsofpeopleororganizationsareunintentional.Ifadviceconcerninglegalorrelatedmattersisneeded,theservicesofafullyqualifiedprofessionalshouldbesought.Thisreportisnotintendedforuseasasourceoflegaloraccountingadvice.Youshouldbeawareofanylawswhichgovernbusinesstransactionsorotherbusinesspracticesinyourcountryandstate.Anyreferencetoanypersonorbusinesswhetherlivingordeadispurelycoincidental.Copyright©2019BronwynLeroux
3•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Let Go of Clutter: Organize to Reclaim Your Inner and Outer Life Introduction 5
Clutter:WhatandWhy? 8DefiningtheProblem 9
WhyisClutteraChallengeforYou? 11
StarttheDeclutteringProcess 14WhereistheClutter? 15
WhatistheClutter? 16
WhoCausestheClutter? 17
DevelopaStrategy 19GetPrepared 20
GetEveryoneonBoard 22Kids 25
ShouldISellIt? 27
ChooseaDayandRecruitHelp 28
Prioritize 29
HowToEatanElephant 30WheretoBegin 33
DecidingWhattoKeep 34FamilyTreasures 35
NowWhat? 37
StayingtheCourse 39
ThingstoRemember 44
4•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
5•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
INTRODUCTION Manyprofessionalssaythatourouterlifereflectsourinnerself.Ifthatistrue,hundredsofthousandsofushaveapsychethatisoutofcontrol.ResearchfromPrincetonUniversityfoundthatclutterdecreasesproductivityastheneuralcircuitsinthebrainhavemultiplestimulicompetingforattention.Themore‘stuff’onyourdesk(orinyourhome),themoredifficultitisforyourbraintofocusonthetaskathand.Doesclutteraffectyourlife?Ifso,behonestandgentlewithyourself-addingshametotheproblemonlymakesitharder.
6•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Disorganizationandcluttercausemanychallenges,including:1. Personalhealth-stressandsometimesillnessorinjury
2. Mentalhealth-mood,overstimulationandhyperarousal,stress,shame,andself-defeatingthoughtsorbehaviors
3. Timemanagementissues-wastedtimelookingforthingsanddecreasedproductivity
4. Relationships-strainedrelationships,includingspouseorpartner,housematesandchildren,aswellassocialrelationships
5. Career-decreasedproductivity,increasedstress,lackofattentiontodetail,andtimemanagementissues
6. Finances-buyingmultiples,buyingthingsyoudon’tneed,payingpeopletohelpyougetandstayorganized
7. Thelistcontinues…
7•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Alsorememberthatmostthingsexistonacontinuum(mild,moderate,severe).Youdon’thavetobeontheextremeendofthespectrumtohaveachallengewithclutter.Nordoyouhavetoexperienceclutterineveryareaofyourlife.Cluttermaynotbenegativelyaffectingyoursociallife,butitmaystillbeachallengeifitaffectsyourcareer,addsstresstoyourlife,orcausesstrifewithyourfamilymembers.
Thisreportfocuseson:
✓ Identifyingthemanyissuesrelated toclutter
✓ Strategiestocorrectandmanageclutter
✓ Howtogethousematesandfamilymembersonboard
✓ Lettinggoofthings
✓ Stayingandcorrectingthecourse
8•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
CLUTTER: WHAT AND WHY?
9•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
DefiningtheProblemClutterissubjective.Ifmyhouseismessybutclean,Imaynotconsideritcluttered-justlivedin.Ifyou’reaminimalistandhaveonlythenecessities,youprobablythinkmyhouseiscluttered.ShouldIhappentowatchanepisodeofHoarders,Iwillfeelreallygoodaboutmyhouseandmyself.It’sallrelative.Forourpurposes,let’sassumethedefinitionofcluttertobespecifictothechallengespreviouslymentioned.Youmayhaveamildchallengewithclutterifyouexperienceoneortwoofthese:
● Itcausesstressinyourlife.
● Itcreatesstrifewithyourhousemates.
● Ittakesupmoretimethanmostpeoplespendontheirthings.
10•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
● Itresultsinlimitingyoursocialinteractions.
● Itcostsmoremoneythanmostpeoplespendonsimilarthings.
● Itaffectsyourworkorproductivity ontasks.
Ifclutteraffectsthreeoftheseareas,yourproblemislikelymoderate.Morethanfourandtheclutterproblemissevere.So-thinkaboutyourlife.Howseriousisyourproblemwithclutter?
11•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
WhyisClutteraChallengeforYou?Youmaynotthinkitmatterswhyyouhaveachallengewithclutter-justfixitalready!Butinmanyways,it’simportantbecauseithelpsyouunderstandhowtoaddressit.
Forexample,ifyouliveinasmall,crampedspaceyoumaynothaveenoughstorageforeventhemostbasicthings.Thesolutiontothatchallengeisverydifferentfromothercausesofclutter.Perhapsyou’veinheritedalotofthingswhenarelativediedorhavebeentherecipientofthingspasseddownthroughthefamily.Heavenforbidthatyou’reoneverymailinglistpossibleandburiedundercatalogsandnewspapers.Maybeyoukeptallyourcollegetextbooks,researchpapers,andsupportingarticlesfromundergradandgraduateschool-justincaseyouneedanobscurereferencethatdidn’tmakeitontotheinternetsomehow.Anotherscenario-you’reabargainshopperandhavestockeduponeverything
12•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
imaginable.Or,youplantorecyclethingsthatyou’veheldontoforyears.
It’spossiblethatyoulearnedtohangontothingswhenyouweregrowingup.Manypeoplewhogrewupduringthedepressionorhadparentswhogrewupthenstockpilethingsthatareonsale.Truehoardershaveacompulsiontokeepthingsforsentimentalreasonsortofillavoidleftbydeprivation,eithermaterialoremotional.Thisisextremeandbeyondthescopeofourdiscussionhere.
13•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Themoresignificanttheproblem,themorelikelyyouwillneedoutsidehelptogetorganized.Sortingthroughthepilesandchoosingwhattokeep,whattodonate,andwhattotosscanbealong,painful,exhausting,andoverwhelmingprocess.So-thinkaboutwhyyouhavemorestuffthanyouneed.Thiswillhelpyoudevelopaplanofattack.Remember-everythingisonacontinuum.Yoursituationmayberelativelymildcomparedtoothers,butstillconsideredasignificantproblemforyou.
14•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
START THE DECLUTTERING PROCESS
15•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Takingstockofthejobthatliesaheadseemstobethestartingpointformostpeople.Let’sgetstarted...
WhereistheClutter?
● Istheclutterconfinedtooneortworooms?Thegarage?Basement? Extrabedroom?Attic?
● Istheclutteroneverysurfaceinthehouse?Allroomsandinstackson thefloor?
● Everyroomceilingtofloor? Maybeastorageshedortwo?
16•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
WhatistheClutter?Forsome,theproblemmaybeasurface-levelmessandforothersaliteralpileofstuffhidingmorestuff.Forhoarders,it’sevenmorecomplicatedandmayrequireprofessionalassistance.Identifyyourchallenge-itmaybeoneorallofthese:
● Itemsonsurfaces(includingstacks)needtobetrashed,filed,shredded,passedon,orhandled(mail)
● Stockpilesof‘stuffImayneed’orextrareservesneedtobeputaway,givenaway,ortrashed
● Familytreasuresneedtobesorted,passedon,donated,thrownawayorputaway
● Thingsyouhaven’tneededorusedinyearsneedtobetrashed,passedon,ordonated
17•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
WhoCausestheClutter?Isthisyourproblem?Someoneelseinyourhome?Allofyou?It’simportanttorecognizewhatyoucanandcan’tcontrol.Ifyoulivewithsomeonewhokeepseverything‘justincase’or‘toberecycledsomeday’or‘incaseoftheapocalypse’or‘itwasonsaleandweneedit,’itcanbedifficulttoconvincethemtochangetheirways.They’llneedtobewillingtomakethechangesandworkthroughthesequestionstoidentifywhyandhowtochangethebehavior.Asyoulikelyknow,itcanbecomplicated.Manycouplesandfamiliesspendasignificantamountoftimetryingtocleanuptheclutterofotherswhoaren’tready,willing,orabletoletitgoand/orstopit.Itcancausemuchfamilystrife.
18•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Ifthecluttererisyou,you’llhavetobecommittedtonotonlygettingcontrolofthecurrentsituation,butalsowaystopreventitfromhappeningagain.Thisrequireschangesinthinkingandbehavior.
19•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
DEVELOP A STRATEGY
20•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
GetPreparedIthelpstogeteverythingyouneedbeforeyouactuallybegintheactiveprocessofdecluttering.Otherwise,youmayhavetostoptogetsuppliesanditcanbehardtostartagain.
● Trashbagsand/orboxes
● Markersandlabels
● Clear,stackablestoragebins
● Varioussizesofzipbags
● Shredder
● Smalltrashcanforeveryroom
● Organizersformagazinesandfiles
● Filecabinet(ifneeded)
● Shelvingunitsforgarage,basement,attic
● Bookshelvesorbookcases
● Cannisters
21•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
● Over-the-doorhooksfortowels,coats,orwhatever
● Mailorganizer
● Drawerandshelforganizers
● Caddiesforshowerandcleaningproducts
● Ifyou’llbecleaningasyougo(recommended),buyallcleaningproductsandsupplies
● Labelorsetupbagsorboxesfor:Donate-Trash-Recycle-PassOn-Handle
Getanythingelseyouneedtoorganizewhatyoukeep-butnottokeepthingsthatyoudon’tneed!Remember,youdon’thavetospendafortunetogetorganized.Visitthriftstores,askfriends,posttheneedonanonlinemarketplace;you’dbesurprisedwhatpeoplearewillingtogiveawayorsellforpenniesonthedollar!
22•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
GetEveryoneonBoardIfyourspouse,partner,orotherhousemateispartoftheproblem,you’llneedtogetthemtosupportyourefforts.Infact,thislikelywon’tworklong-termwithouttheirbuy-in.Manypeoplewhodisagreeonwhatisandisnot‘junk’learntheartofnegotiation.Theycompromiseonthingsthatareimportanttothemandletgoofthesmallstuff.Somepeopleallowtheirkidstohaveaplayroomfortheirtoystokeepthemoutoftheotherareas.Periodically,it’sagoodideatogothroughthetoysandeithertrashordonateanythatarebrokenornotbeingused.Anothergoodruleforkidsandtoysoradultsandtools/books/knick-knacksistogiveawayonethingbeforebuyinganother.Thathelpsusthinkmoreaboutwhatisimportanttousandpreventsaddingtotheclutter.
23•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
JohnnyandHazelJohnnyandHazelwereatoddsaboutsomeofthethingsthatJohnnywantedtokeepintheirhome.Insteadofhavingdeerheadsinthelivingroomandtoolsallovertheplace,theycarvedouta‘mancave’forhisthingsandagreedhewillonlyhavetoolsandsuchinthegarageormudroom.Toreinforcethisarrangement,theyagreedthatanytoolsleftinsidethehouseovernightwentintothe‘donate’boxtobedroppedoffatGoodwilleachweek.Hazelhadthesamearrangementwiththekidsandtheirtoys.Ifit’snotinthetoyboxbeforebed,itgoesintheGoodwillbox.Toretrievesomethingfromthedonatebox,theoffendingpartyhastodosomethinggoodforsomeonewithin72hours.
24•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Mostrecently,Johnnyusedthewrenchheretrievedfromthedonateboxtofixtheleakyfaucetinthekid’sbathroom.CarmengotherskateboardoutoftheboxandusedittogotoherGrandma’stohelppullweeds.
25•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
KidsInvolveyourkidsintheprocessbeforethebigdayorweekend.Startbytalkingtothemaboutwhyyou’redecluttering.Helpthemunderstandthedifferencebetweenneedsandwants.There’salotofpressureforkidstohavethemostandthebest.Thesooneryouhelpthemlearntoresistandchangethatwayofthinking(eveniftheylearneditfromyou),thebetter.Bepreparedforpushbackbutstayontrack.Speakingoftoys,youmaywanttoaskyourkidstochoose3(orwhatevernumber)toystokeepandgiveawayortrashthosethatareunusedorbroken.Helpthemunderstandhowgivingtootherswhohavelessbenefitsbothyouandthem.
26•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Kidswhoareusedtohavinganythingandeverythingallthetimewillresistthisandtrytosabotageyourefforts.Thisisatimetobethegrownupandmakedecisionsbasedonwhatisbestforeveryone.Isitreallynecessarytohavetoysandclothesthathaven’tbeenusedinmonthsoryears?Explainyourreasoningtoletgoofsomethingsyou’veheldontoandmodelpositivebehavioranddecision-making.
27•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
ShouldISellIt?Manypeopledecidetohaveayardsaleandkeepthingsforthesale.However,keepinmindthatyardsalesarealotofworkforlittlereturn!Mostitemsinayardsalearepricedatonlyafewdollars.It’sgenerallynotagoodreturnoninvestmentofthetimeandenergyittakestodothesale.And,youendupwithalotofthingsthatstillneedtobedonatedanyway.Ifyouhaveafewbiggeritemsthatmaybringadecentsum,considersellingthemonlineortoalocalusedorantiquegoodsstore.Itismucheasierandmorecosteffectivethanayardsale.
28•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
ChooseaDayandRecruitHelpAskforhelpifyouhavewidespreadclutterinvolvingseveralroomsoragarage,basement,oratticwithtonsofstuff.Plantoworkalldayorallweekendifneeded.Arrangeoff-sitechildcareifpossible.Kidscanmaketheprocessmoredifficultinmanyways-especiallyifdeclutteringinvolvestheirtoys.Offerpizzaandbeer(orwhateverisappropriate)foryourfriendswhoagree tohelp.Beorganizedsothattheyfeelgoodaboutmakingprogress.Ifyou’retacklingdifferentrooms,putsomeoneinchargeofeachroom.
29•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
PrioritizePrioritize.Startwhereyouneeditmost.Forsomepeople,thatmaybeanoffice(athomeorwork).Othersmaywanttostartwiththeroominthehousewhereyouneedthespacemost-livingroom,diningroom,orkitchen.Or,theroomwhereyoustasheverythingoutofsight.Ifyouhavemultiplerooms,makealistwiththepriorities.Youmaywanttohaveaseparatesheetofpaperforeachroom-formorelists!Ifyouneedtomakeapathtotheroom,dothatbyfillingtrashbagsorboxeslabeled:trash,recycle,donate,andpasson.Thingsthatneedtobekeptandorganizedshouldgoinoneplace.Setupastacktobefiled,handled,orputaway.Avoidputtingallthosethingsinaboxandleavingthemforanotherday.
30•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
HOW TO EAT AN ELEPHANT
31•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Onthebigday,setupthemainroomswithyoursuppliesanddiscusshowtobeginwithyourhelpers.Givethemspecificinstructionsaboutwhatgoeswhere,whatstays,andwhatgoes.Ifit’smail,itmaybeeasyenoughtoidentifyjunkmailtorecycle,loanorcreditcardofferstoshred,andbillstobehandled.Iftheydon’tknowwhattodo,theycanputitinapiletoaskyouabout.Booksandmagazinesarehardforalotofpeopletoletgoof.Someofushavehundredsofbooksthathavebeenboxedandunboxedandmovedandstoredforages.Youmayneedtogothroughthebooksandmagazinesyourself.Justrememberthatmostnon-fictioninformationisavailableonlinenowandmostfictioncanbeobtainedfromthelibraryorpurchasedasanebook.
32•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Evenmostmagazinesandnewspapersarepublishedonline-sowhymustwekeephardcopiesofeverything?Somethingtoconsider.FriendsoftheLibraryandmanyusedbookstoresacceptbooksforcredit.Also,therearelotsoffamilyandwomen’ssheltersthatappreciatedonationsofnewerbooksandmagazines.
33•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
WheretoBeginSomepeoplestartatthetopandworktheirwaydown.Othersstartatthebottomandworkup.Letthepeoplewhoaredoingtheworkineachroomdecideunlessthereisareasontodoitaspecificway.Startingatthebottom,meaningthefloor,isagoodplanforthosewithstacksandboxesonthefloor.Oncethefloorspaceiscleared,itmaybeeasiertosortthroughthings.Aftertheobviousclutterisremoved,youmayhavetogothroughknick-knacksandpersonalitemstochoosewhatstaysandwhatgoes.Trynottothinkaboutittoomuch.
34•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
DecidingWhattoKeepAskyourselfthefollowing:
● HowlonghasitbeensinceIusedthis?Morethan6-12months(exceptclothesandshoes,appliances,orotheritemsusedinfrequently,suchasaworkinglawnmowerthatyouuseseasonally)?
● HowlikelyamItouseitinthenext6-12months?
● IsthereawaytoborroworuseoneshouldIneedit?
● Dependingonwhatitis-canIreplaceitifneededforlessthan$xx?
● IsitsomethingsomeoneelsemayneedmorethanI?
● Isthereareasontokeepthis(passontomydaughterwhen shestartsafamily)?
35•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
FamilyTreasuresThesecanbecomplicated.Insomecases,peopleareveryspecificaboutwhatgoestowhomandwhen.Ifthat’sthecase,youmayneedtohonortheirwishesandfindawaytostorethings,soitdoesn’ttakeoveryourlifeandhome.Insomecases,itmightbeusefultopassalongthingsnow.Particularlyifthey’reusefulandyourlovedonecanbenefitfromit.Jewelry,china,andsuchmaybewelcomeatanytime.Youmayalsowanttohaveacandidtalkwithyouradultchildrenaboutyourbelongings.Talktothemaboutwhattheywanttokeepandiftherearethingsyoucandonateorliquidatenow.
36•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Insomecases,thingswebelievetobeimportanttopassalongarethingsourlovedoneshavenoneed(orspace)for.Youmayfindthattheywouldprefer(orneed)themoneyifitissomethingvaluable.Aspeoplearelivinglonger,manyaredownsizingastheyage.Theyoftenfindtheynolongerhavethespacetokeepthingsoncehelddear.Furniturestylesandhomesizeshavechangedsomuchthatgrandoldantiquesmaynotfitinthespaceorpreferencesofyourlovedones.
37•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
NowWhat?Bytheendofthedayorweekend,youshouldhavebagsorboxessortedintopiles.Itisimportanttotakethemtotheidentifiedlocationimmediately,lesttheysitthereindefinitely.Takealoadortwotothetrashandrecyclingplace.Getsomeonetodropoffthedonations.Asforthethingstohandle,file,organize,orstore-yourworkcontinues.Ifyoudoitwithinthenextfewdays,it’smorelikely togetdone.Carveoutsometimeeachdaytoworkonit.Uselabelsandfilefoldersandclearbagsandboxestoidentifythings.Putthemwhereyoucanfindthem!Workononethinguntilyoufinishit.Startwiththethingstobehandled-andhandlethem.Paybills,makephonecalls-doallofthematonetime.Whenyoufinishhandlingallthosethings,movetothenextstackandworkonituntilyoucompleteit.
38•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Dothesameforeachroomofthehouse.Workinoneroomtofinishupwhatyourhelpersstarted,ifneeded.Ifyouneedtogothrougheachknick-knackorbooks/magazines,finishitbeforemovingtothenextroom.Findawaytocelebrateasyoufinisheachroom,butavoidgoingoutandbuyingsomething!Getapedicureorgoplaygolf.Havealatteatthecoffeeshop.Whenyoufinishthewholehouse,gooutwiththefamilyandcelebrate!Dosomethingfun,suchasgoingtoamovie,zoo,aquarium,museum,orotherentertainmentvenue.
39•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
STAYING THE COURSE
40•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Unlessyoudevelopnewhabits,yourhousewilllookthesamewithinafewmonths.Ittakesaconcertedefforttopreventthis.
BevandHenryBevandHenryweredeterminedtokeeptheirhousetidyandclutterfreeafterdownsizingandlettinggoofalotofstufftheydidn’tuseorneed.Theydidtheresearchandcameupwithsomeeasywaystobreakthecycle.Mostinvolvedbeingproactiveandhavingthenecessarysupplies.Theyhaveadonateboxinthegaragethattheyuseforanythingtheynolongerneedorwant.Whenitisnearlyfull,theytakeittoGoodwill.Theyhavea3-levelinboxbythefrontdoorwheretheyputmailtobehandled,keys/sunglasses/gloveswhentheycomeinandthingstheydon’twanttoforgetwhentheyleave.
41•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Theshredderisnexttothedoortoeliminatethingsthatdon’tgodirectlyintherecycleortrashbininthekitchen.Theyspendfiveminutesbeforebedmakingasweepofthehousetopickupandputawayanythingoutofplace.Theywashandputawaydishesastheyusethemwhilecookingandaftereating.Theywashoutthekitchensinkandwipedownthecountersafterdinnerandbeforework.Theywipedownthebathroomcounterandsinkinthemorningbeforeleaving.TheydolaundryonSundaywhilepreparingfortheworkweek.OnevacuumswhiletheothersweepsthekitchenandbathroomseverySunday.Theyeachcleanatoiletandtubinthebathroomsanddustoneroomweekly.
42•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
Everymonthalltheroomshavebeendustedandtheydoitagain.TheycelebrateonSundayeveningsbyeating-inwhiletheywatchamovieorballgame!CourseCorrectionIt’seasytobackslideandletthingsgetclutteredagain.Thetrickistocatchitbeforeitgetsoverwhelming.Peoplewhoaremostsuccessfulchangingbehaviorlong-termhavealimit-alinetheywillnotcross.Withweightloss,thatmaybeacertainsizeorweight.Forcluttercontrol,youcandecidewhatthatlookslike.
43•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
BevandHillaryhaveanagreement-oneweekistheirline.Iftheymisscleaningoneweekend,thenextweekendnothingelsehappensuntiltheycatchupontheirchores.Notv,nogoingout,nointernet-nothing.Thesoonerthey’rebackontrack,thesoonertheirlivesgetbacktonormal.What’syourlineinthesand?Howdoyougetbacktowhereyouneedtobe?Whatleveragedoyouhavewithhousematestobepartofthesolution?
44•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
THINGS TO REMEMBER
45•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
● Productivityisnegativelyaffectedatworkandathomebyclutter.
● Clutteraffectsmentalandphysicalhealthinmanynegativeways.
● Familyandsocialrelationshipsmaybenegativelyaffectedbyclutter.
● Cluttercantakeatollonyourfinances.
● Youcanloseuptoanhouradaylookingforthingsduetoclutter.
● Problemswithclutterareonacontinuum-mild,moderate,severe.
● Evenmildchallengeswithcluttercanhaveanegativeeffectonyourlifeandcareer.
46•LETGOOFCLUTTER:ORGANIZETORECLAIMYOURINNERANDOUTERLIFE
● Organizingandstayingorganizedrequireseveryonebewillingtodotheirpart.
● Sometimescompromiseisnecessarytomanagewhat/whoyouhavelittlecontrolover.
● Askforhelp!Friends,family,andprofessionalorganizersmaybe veryhelpful.
● Iftheproblemisextreme,mentalhealthassistancemayberequired.
Goodlucktoyou!