This post is more of a cry for help than anything. I hope that by posting about clutter I might be held more accountable. Clutter is my Achilles’ heel. I have talked about it in the past because I don’t want you to get the idea that my house is organized and everything is in it’s place just because I post about binders and organization. It’s not. But I reaaaaaaally want that to change. So. This year I’m going to kick clutter to the curb. Will you help me?
In order to really get rid of the clutter in my life I think it’s important to address how it happens. I’ve sat down and reflected on why in the world I have things that just take up space in my home, in my life and in my mind. Here are the top 3 reasons I’ve come up with:
- Bad habit.
Instead of putting something away right away, I move it to another spot thinking I’ll get to it later. And then that never happens. This is a reoccurring theme in our home and it needs to change. It will take work to turn a bad habit into a good one but I know it’s possible. - Emotional attachment.
I’m a feelings kinda girl. A sentimentalist for sure. I hold on to things because they mean something to me. But the older I get, the more I realize that they are just things. I still have the memories and I don’t need to carry the friendship bracelet from 6th grade. Even if it is cute. - What if?
This is another deadly one for me. I hold onto things because I might need it one day. The problem is, in the mean time it occupies space for the 2910391029102 days that I don’t actually need it. This is especially dangerous with craft supplies and kitchen gadgets. They both need a serious purge so that I can actually see what I have to use instead of wanting to pull my hair out every time I need to open a cabinet.
Ok so now that you know why I’m a clutter freak, here’s what my plan is to combat:
- Good habit.
Set a timer each day to pick up and put things in the correct space. I plan on working for a solid 3 hours, then having 10 minutes to organize, then 20-30 minute break. I think that’s doable. I know that a lot can get done in just 10 minutes and I have no doubt cleaning up the clutter will make me more productive while I’m working. - Emotional Stuff.
The emotional aspect is especially tough for me. I know that there’s more to this but I’ve gotten to a place where I just can’t anymore. We’ve actually rented dumpsters to get rid of all the stuff in the past. (no we are not “hoarders” but we have held on to a lot of stuff that we didn’t need to) I am ready to make kids boxes for their important papers and for binders. For anything that doesn’t fit in the boxes, I will take pictures of. The things I truly love will either need to be hung up, put in the box or I need to let it go. Sorry for saying that, now you have that song in your head, don’t you? Oops. - 6 month rule.
In all my reading up, it seems like 6 months is a good place to start. If I haven’t used one of those “what if” items in 6 months, it needs to go. I’d rather free myself of the space and overall junk than hold on to it just in case.
I found this when I was trying to get some courage to conquer the clutter beast and I LOVE it. I’m going to plaster it on every wall. Ok maybe not but still…
Image via Pop Sugar
——–> Ok so how can you help me kick clutter to the curb? You can join me as I check in over the next several months and address each area one by one. You can also give me your tips below. Let me know that I’m crazy because you’re a neat freak and don’t get it or totally get me because, you too, have issues with clutter!
If you’re looking for other posts on organization, check out these awesome organizational posts from the pro’s:
Click the images to be taken to the posts.
Please don’t store the kids artwork! Take a picture of your child holding the artwork. Hang it on the fridge with magnets and take another picture. Get creative, use the “letter” magnets to put the date and age of your child above or below the artwork. Or in the case of a clay sculpture, or cardboard building, etc. place it on a white poster board on a table and then take a picture. Then upload the photos to a “photobook creating” website. This would also work on other mementos that you need to purge. Be faithful about uploading them. Ask yourself, do I want to lose the photos if my computer crashes? It only take a few minutes.
I’ve also scanned in my important papers like birth certificates, marriage and divorce papers, my high school diploma, title to vehicles, etc.
I have all these on one website and though I have never created one of their books, I know I have the memories in a safe place and when I have the time and the money (when the kids are grown, lol) I can have fun turning all these photos into cool books for myself and gifts for them when they are adults.
Hope this helps!
I love number 2 on the list of 8 questions, “Would I buy this today?”
It’s something I don’t usually think about and will most certainly be helpful.
Another question I ask myself stems from the many times our family has moved
over the years…”Would I take up valuable box space to move this to a new place?”
(Most times the answer is, “NO,” so I have to give it up.)
Thank for all your great ideas!
Thank you Heidi and Melissa, these are great tips.
Mique there’s nothing wrong with keeping a couple of mementos from 6th grade. Kitchen gadgets, maybe less so.
My personal recommendation is freecycle . org (not com! that’s not a good site!). It’s a “I can’t use this anymore, it’s junk to me”… “Hey wait, I am a different person and I have a use for that!” website. I find it overwhelming to stage a garage sale. BUT if I gather up a bag of similar items, maybe some old toys, I can post it on freecycle and before you can blink an eye, at least five people volunteer to take it off my hands almost immediately. Before the garbage man can even come! I put it on my porch, choose one person, email that one person my address, and within about five hours it’s gone. With little or no effort on my part. And they can use it! I love it because let’s say you can only do a drawer right now. I counted about 40 pencils in my drawer — DON’T NEED 40 pencils!! So I put ’em in a bag and within five or so hours, GONE. Maybe that person who picked it up has a bowling alley. Or a pre-school. Point is, it’s free treasure to them. To me it was clutter — but now it’s gone! And if I don’t have time until next week to do another drawer — one that contained about 15 craft items for little kids like coloring books and sparkle glitter glue that my kids will never use because they’re teens now — freecycle and its readers will still be there, waiting. Just bag it, post it (with a photo if it’s furniture or something like that), choose a person, shove it on the porch, GONE. Love it.
I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum. I’ve moved so much I’m in constant purge mode so my closets are “move ready” at all times. :( Here are my tips…
1. “One hand touch” on any item. Means that you only touch something one time while putting it away. I also teach my kids this principle.
2. Think of Salvation Army as your low cost storage unit. Drop off anything you are not using and have faith something similar will be there when you need it. When you look at a closet think, “would I pay to move this item?”
3. The emotional thing: don’t beat yourself up over this. I wish I had more emotional attachments to things. Give yourself a set space for these items.
Good luck! Find a middle ground for your family.
Please come to my house and help me declutter….Please….
I love this idea and your spirit. Let’s work on it together. :)
Understanding your habits is a GREAT place to start! Almost all ‘clutter’ is physical evidence of either in-decision or delayed decision. Figuring out which is which is helpful – then the next step is planning how to be proactive. :)
There are a few quotes that I like to refer to when working with my organizing clients that help guide the process of de-cluttering. I’m sure you’ve heard of some of them:
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” (william morris)
I also add to that, ‘and what you have SPACE for.’ You could have a house over-flowing with what you believe to be beautiful/useful things – the key is to honestly assess the space you ACTUALLY have and decide how much of that space you want X,Y,Z to occupy.
Cheers to a clutter free & organized 2015!! :)