subject: Household Clutter - You Cannot Simply Organize It Away! [print this page] Household Clutter - You Cannot Simply Organize It Away!
Organization is vital to keeping things in order. But done incorrectly, it can result in little more than moving clutter from one place to another.
For example, relying on shelves to store and organize things, without first weeding out the clutter, would be like setting up a garden trellis to encourage existing weeds to grow even higher.So don't fool yourself into thinking that clutter, neatly arranged on a shelf, is somehow not still clutter. In addition, open shelves packed solid with stuff will only add to the visual cacophony of an already cluttered room.
You can even end up with less room after organizing, as things lined up neatly will take up more space than the same items in a disorganized pile. And merely stacking things to clear floor space will only leave fertile ground to attract even more clutter.
So to harvest the most benefits from organizing, you must first purge. Only after relieving your burden of unneeded stuff should you consider which storage aid will fit your needs. Then be sure to use these properly, and not just to pile things in, on, around, or lean things against.
Finding A Home for Things
Here are the three steps to follow when organizing:
1. PURGE - If something is not needed, discard it.
2. STORE - If something has a home, put it away.
3. ORGANIZE - If something does not have a home, organize to create one.
Organize for convenience by creating appropriate homes for things. Plan to keep often-used items readily available, and those seldom used out of the way and out-of-sight. Store things near to where they are used and you will be more likely to put them away.
Do It Your Own Way
Everyone has their own unique method of organizing, even those who consider themselves organizationally challenged. It's like singing. Most people believe they cannot sing, but everyone can sing; some just better than others.
So make the most of the organizing skills you do possess. You may have the neatest sock drawer around; the only order among chaos. Be proud of that skill and carry it a step further. Take on a bigger challenge by coming up with your own system for organizing larger projects. If you can prevent a junk drawer, try your hand at a junk closet, junk room, or a cluttered home. Any system of organization that works for you, if used consistently, will always succeed.
Know thyself. You don't always need to remember where you put something, so long as you know where you would have put it.
Keeping It Neat
Once your home is in order, keeping it tidy can be as simple as practicing these new habits:
KEEP IT CLOSED Simply closing closets, cabinets, and drawers can go a long way to helping a room look need by hiding the contents within.
DO IT NOW To prevent unfinished projects from taking root and becoming new clutter, take the extra time needed to complete the task at hand: unpack the grocery bags, put away the clean laundry, sort the mail only once and do it at either the shredder or a recycle container.
LIMIT MULTITASKING Do not multitask beyond your ability to do so, as you will only leave unfinished tasks in your wake.
DON'T OVER STOCK - Dedicate a fixed amount of space for things, and keep no more than will fit.
LETTING GO You cannot always keep everything, so learn to choose between things that are truly important to you, and those you can let go of.
Finally, allowing for areas of empty space throughout your home will help give it an open, airy, non-cluttered ambience. Treat free space like money in the bank - make sure you never completely run out!
