Clutter Clearing Tips that Work

Coping with clutter is rarely easy. There's more involved than just catching up on overdue housework, and staying focused and motivated over the weeks or months it may take to get the job done can be one of the biggest challenges. Here are some tips to help you stick with it until it's done:

1. "How do you eat an elephant?... One bite at a time!" That's a good way to approach clutter clearing: one "bite-sized" task at a time. An entire house, or even a room, of clutter can be overwhelming. Instead, focus on a single small area - one shelf in a bookcase or one drawer in the kitchen, for example - before moving on to the next.

2. Don't expect to get it done in a weekend. It probably took a long time for all that stuff to pile up, so make peace up front with the fact that getting rid of it is going to take some time, too. Plan to do a little bit every day over a longer period of time, rather than waiting until you have a large chunk of free time available to devote to clutter-clearing (which may never happen!).

3. Set time goals, not task goals. If you've decided to declutter the kitchen cabinets on Saturday morning, for example, but it's really an all-day job, you've set yourself up for failure. Instead, set a goal to work on the kitchen for three hours on Saturday. That way, when the time it up, you'll have met your goal even if the task itself is not entirely completed.

4. Use a timer to get over the "don't-wannas." Tell yourself you only have to focus on clutter for 5 minutes. Pick your bite-sized target (one drawer, one shelf, or one pile of paper) set your timer, and go go go for five minutes. When the timer chimes, you can stop? or keep going, now that you've established some momentum.

5. If you just can't make a "keep or toss" decision about something, put it in a "for now" box and plan to return to it later when you are feeling more decisive. Items that you do wish to keep, but that have no "home" in your home, go in a separate box with other things you need to make space for. This way you end up with pre-sorted boxes of stuff you still need to deal with, rather than leaving things where you found them (which is not where they belong, or you wouldn't have a clutter problem).

6. Be prepared to make more of a mess before things look better. You can't do a thorough job of clearing out a closet, for example, unless you begin by removing everything that's in there. That means you're going to create a big heap o'stuff while you are sorting and purging. Don't mistake the temporary mess for lack of progress; just keep doing a little bit at a time until you've gone through it all and made decisions about what to keep and where to keep it.

7. Get rid of the excess first, before you think about organizing and storage. One of the most common mistakes people make is to buy more storage containers before they've decluttered. Eventually, they end up with a home cluttered with boxes and bags and bins of other clutter. Sort and purge first, then tackle storage.

8. Reward your accomplishments, both great and small. Finished the hall closet today? Good for you; now make an appointment for that manicure you promised yourself. Plan in advance what treats you will earn as you reach your clutter-clearing milestones; knowing you have a specific reward coming will help you stay motivated to stick with the process until it is done.

Of course, the biggest reward of all is the joy and convenience of living in a home that is free of clutter. Don't wait another day to get started!

© 2005 Stephanie Roberts

GOT CLUTTER?!? Reclaim your space and your life with Stephanie Roberts' highly-acclaimed Clutter-Free Forever Home Coaching Program, which includes the Clutter-Free Forever ebook, weekly lessons, membership to an online support group and bonuses. Find out more at ClutterFreeForever.com.

---

Ten Signs That Your Life Is Cluttered

How do you know if you need to clean out?... Read More

Organization Tips - How to Organise Your Computer Files

Everytime Mary had to find a file on her computer,... Read More

New Business? Changing Careers? Youve Got a Whole New Ball Game

When you embark on a life transition, the skills that... Read More

The Organized Move: Packing Made Simple

(This is the second in a series of three articles... Read More

Organizing Solutions for the Disorganized Entrepreneur

After more than 20 years as an entrepreneur and a... Read More

The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Organizing Your Kids Rooms

1. In terms of organization, what is the first thing... Read More

Organize Your Children & Save Your Sanity

It may be difficult to relate saving money with organization... Read More

10 Tips on Color Coding Your Paper: From Chaos to Coherence

Color-There Is No SubstituteIn anatomical illustrations you see the brain's... Read More

Spruce Your Environment, Spruce Your Spirit

After a long winter, this is the time of year... Read More

Feng Shui Guidlines for Storage Spaces

Professional organizers and helpful-hint sources often recommend storage solutions such... Read More

Mental Clutter- Is It Taking Over Your Life?

Chances are, most of you have a lot you need... Read More

Is Your To Do List The Problem?

You start each week with great intentions. You are determined... Read More

Organization Tips - How to Set Up Your Database

What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the... Read More

To Make a Change -- Take a Chance

Life is really all about CHANGE. In order to make... Read More

Relieve Vacation Stress By Planning Ahead

Cindy looks at the calendar and sighs. Ah, the end... Read More

Effective Closet Cleaning Tips - Let Go of More Than Skeletons

I know I have a problem when I have to... Read More

25 Tips and Tricks for an Organized Move

Worried because you're moving soon? This really doesn't have to... Read More

Spring Clean Your Life

Spring is here and its time to sweep away the... Read More

3 Simple Filing Guidelines

One of the most basic ways to find papers when... Read More

Digging out of Paper Clutter - part 1

Digging out from under stacks of paper might seem like... Read More

Taking Care of You: De-Clutter

De-Cluttering our lives can be an extremely liberating exercise. There... Read More

Identifying the Rocks: Organizing Your Priorities

In one of my favorite books, First Things First, written... Read More

Sticking to Your New Years Resolutions: Ten Tips for a More Organized Life

1. A calendar is an essential organizing tool ? start... Read More

Overcoming E-mail Overload Using Microsoft Outlook

Do you feel like you just get too much e-mail?... Read More

Have an Ugly Day

"Do something every day that you don't want to-do; this... Read More

Organizing Tips to Help You Conquer the Laundry Monster

Laundry. You sort, you wash, you fold, you blink ?... Read More

10 Tips for a More Organized Morning

1. Teach your children to use an alarm clock or... Read More

Are You A Collector?

Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or... Read More

Spring into Spring

Hasn't time flown? Already we're into the last quarter of... Read More

Home Organizing Tips & Gizmos

Staying organized can be a constant battle. The following organizing... Read More

Give Up Control to Get Control

For some reason, Americans think they have something to prove... Read More

Kids Clutter: Organizing at Every Age

Our children are probably the biggest clutter creators we have... Read More

Breathing Life Into Dead Spaces

"I don't have enough room!" -- this is a common... Read More