Creating an Organized and Clutter-Free Living Space
How often do you find yourself frustrated and overwhelmed by the clutter in your home?
Do you ever despair at the thought of going home, dreading what you'll find?
Are you looking for an easy solution to organize it all?
If so, then read on. This post will show you exactly how to declutter your house and keep it that way, so that every time you come back from work or school, all that awaits is a calm and inviting space.
If you're in touch with your inner-organizer, you'll find that this process is actually quite enjoyable. The job of decluttering and organizing involves creating order from a lot of randomness and chaos. It's a meditative process that gets your creative juices flowing. If you ever need an extra boost, put on some good music, turn on some lights, put on your favorite workout playlist, and mix in a little dance time!
Before we start, though, we have to set clear boundaries for what we're trying to accomplish. The goal isn't a perfectly organized home. Our clutter is simply an indication that we haven't yet learned how to keep things where they belong. So let's start by getting very clear on what our goals for this project are.
A Clutter-Free Living Space
Once we have a clear, specific goal in mind, we'll be able to set the right pace and determine the most effective steps for decluttering and organizing your space. Let's review some examples of clutter:
Graphic from http://www.cluttergrrl.com/smart-cleaning/ Source: http://www.cluttergrrl.com/smart-cleaning/
So how are stuff and clutter different? The best way to think of it is by looking at the amount of space that something takes up in your life. Stuff is the stuff that's meant to be there – things that you use, need, or love. Clutter, on the other hand, is actually taking up space but serves no purpose in your life. It's clutter because it's unimportant and uninteresting.
There are various kinds of clutter:
Clutter from http://www.cluttergrrl.com/ Source: http://www.cluttergrrl.com/
Look at the bottom of that list and see which category each item fits into. If you're still not sure, read the post by "Clutter Grrl" (we can't get enough of this blogger) and take a closer look at what she means.
There are four main steps to decluttering and organizing:
Step 1: Decluttering
The first step is to spend time with an open mind exploring all the clutter in your home, one room at a time. Eliminating one piece of clutter from your home may not seem like a big deal, but it will give you a chance to pause and reflect on your overall life situation.
Focus on one room at a time, and try to eliminate every item in that room. You may not be able to do it, but this exercise will help you get a sense of what isn't working for you and help you identify where you might need to change your habits.
Don't get overwhelmed by the amount of stuff. Try to take a step back. Ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" "Does it make me happy?" "Do I use it enough that I should keep it around?" If you can answer yes to these questions, then keep the item. If you answer no to any of them, then put it in one of the three categories below:
Step 2: Organizing
Now that your space is clutter-free , think about what you really want from your living space. Think about what's important and enjoyable in your life right now (rather than focusing on the past or future), and what contributes toward a healthy life for yourself and your family today.
Step 3: Staying Organized
A final note about how to stay organized : keep your motivation up by making it a habit. Stick with it for at least two weeks, and watch yourself start to change!
Don't spend too much time worrying about perfection. The real world doesn't operate on the same level of order as this method, so being a little messy sometimes won't kill you. Once you're comfortable with this method, just go with the flow.
You can find more information at these links:
http://www.cluttergrrl.com/smart-cleaning/the-5-de-clutter-steps/ http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/getting-organized-10-steps-to-declutter.html http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/live--thrive-in-a--43905#comments http://abcnewsradioonline.com/articles/ programmes-discovering-cleaning-tips-that-make-you.htm
So what can you expect from this process? It's simple. It doesn't involve spending hundreds of hours cleaning and organizing, and it doesn't require you to give up your life for a few months while the job gets done.
Conclusion:
No matter how much we avoid it, clutter will never disappear. It's up to each of us to keep the clutter in our lives under control on a daily basis. Organizing is an ongoing process, just like living itself. We have to decide every day whether or not we want to live a cluttered life or an organized one. The choice is yours!
Meet our contributor, Jessica Colaizzi :
Jessica Colaizzi is the owner and editor of www.OrganizeWithJessColaioci.