Do you know how to clear clutter? It’s everywhere!
A significant amount of precious time is spent wading through our clutter. It can be frustrating. To be more effective, you need to remove the clutter.
How can we clear clutter from our life? In the era of abundance in which we live, it is easy to create clutter. It almost happens on its own, like weeds growing in your garden. Clutter can cost us money, but it can also cost us our sanity.
Here are five great decluttering tips and organization ideas:
1. Think small to get you moving.
Organizing even small projects or areas can save a tremendous amount of time. Please don’t wait to do it all at once; set goals and see them to the end. One good decluttering session is more rewarding than any single purchase. You will love it! There is freedom when the weight of clutter is lifted from your life. Waiting for a nice five-hour block of uninterrupted time to drop in your lap is like waiting for the perfect stress-free time to quit smoking. It ain’t gonna happen. So start small. At home, pick one corner of the house to start in and tackle a small project per week, working clockwise, room-by-room, until every cabinet, storage bin, storage container, drawer, laundry basket, and closet is organized. Use the same strategy in your office: one hour per week for cleanup.
2. Use your desk as a work area, not a storage shed.
A cluttered desk creates a cluttered mind and leads to stress. Keep it clean and neat. Don’t waste time rummaging through the fallout of a cluttered life just to find a stapler. What is your impression of a person with a messy desk and work area? Does it create or diminish their personal credibility? Hoarding in the office is a surefire way to become an outcast. Tidying up should be done daily. Set aside a few minutes daily to organize your desk and work area. You’ll find it easier to get things done with fewer peripheral distractions. Remind yourself that life is better with less stuff. A clutter-free workplace will help to organize your workflow. Working from your home office is challenging. It is even easier to fall into the clutter bug rut. When fewer people see your workstation, it can become easy to let things build up. Consider getting a professional organizer to help provide organized solutions for your decluttering project. Storage solutions are meant for essential items only. If you have too much, take things to goodwill or throw a garage sale. It is liberating to watch these items be put to use by someone else.
“Important principles may, and must, be inflexible.”
3. Keep a garbage can near your work area and use it.
Don’t let procrastination bury you under a mound of paper. Take a bit of advice from a minimalist expert, Marie Kondo (also known as Konmari.), and ask yourself, “Does this item bring me joy?” If not, chuck it in the bucket. Mari’s minimizing hacks are fantastic ways to get rid of clutter. Organizational ideas are simple. Take action on every piece that enters your space. Step-by-step, item by item, don’t stop until you are done. Deal with it, put it in an “in” basket, file it or throw it away! The majority of clutter is related to a reluctance to throw things away. People don’t want to let go of things, yet they don’t acknowledge the fact that the emotional and physical weight of these items far outweighs the joy of having them. Please get in the habit of tossing non-essentials or recycling them. Not only will it clean up your environment, but it will also make way for new and better things to enter your life.
4. Take a photo of your sentimental items.
Items we have collected over the years can start to take on a personality if we aren’t mindful. The thought of losing these items may feel overwhelming, and you do not know the first step of how to clear clutter. Remind yourself that you do not need to keep every single receipt from your vacation. In today’s realm of technology, you can simply snap a photo, and it will remain in pristine condition for life. You can have entire books printed that document your experiences without needing to keep every item physically. Taking a photo of your belongings will help you have a clutter-free home.
5. Enlist the help of a friend, co-worker, or family member if you get overwhelmed.
Sometimes a fresh set of eyes can enlighten you as to what should go away and what is essential for your life. Minimalism is a daily choice. Before you purchase something, stop and ask yourself. “Do I really need this in the first place?” Those little items build up, and the next thing you know, you have a junk drawer, a pile on the kitchen counter, and a mess of your living space. A primary component of understanding how to clear clutter begins with one core problem. You have too much stuff. One lazy moment where you say, “I’ll just put this in the laundry room for now.” will lead to not even finding the clothes hangers because your clutter has assumed your space again. Stay on top of the purchases, and remind yourself not to put something down; instead, put it away.
Grab on to at least one of these habits for success to help you declutter your life.
Now you know how to clear clutter and make space for success!
Best of success to you!