Clutter is a mess of too many things all over the place getting in your way and making you unorganized. There is no way out of it other than facing and learning to tackle it, as it is as bad as choking the oxygen out of our systems. Here are some ways to deal with clutter.
Start with small steps
Don’t put off for another day because it threatens to smother you. Be determined to take the clutter bull by its horns. Take small steps and things get sorted out in no time. Start with small sections and tackle them from room to room. Take socks from your clothes cupboard for instance. Sort the good, paired ones. Just throw the ones you no longer wear. And those good ones that are holey, decide whether you can darn them or else get rid of them. Some may not have their partners, so ferret them out from wherever they are, like the back of the cupboard or in the drier, or the laundry basket. That’s great. If you are still in the mood, attack the clothes. Be generous and make a pile for donation. It can be of immense value for the receiver. Once you decide to give them away, contact the church, friends or family and get them out of your sight as fast as you can.
Learn to let go
Learn to let go. Give away things that you have not used for a long time. There is no need to convert your house into a museum. Pack away the past and keep life simple with just the necessary things. Cherish sentimental value, but be choosy. If you are very particular about retaining something, try to find some use for it. Mother’s wicker basket can hold laundry or bottles, old suitcases can be used for keeping all babyhood memories together. Choose the best photos and get them scanned and uploaded in your system. Newspapers and plastics can be sent for recycling. Let go of the old TV when the new one comes. Don’t give in to the miserable thought that says ‘what if the new one breaks down!’ It almost never happens.
One in, one out
Follow this golden rule of ‘one in, one out’. You decide to buy a new toaster because the old one is bad, and when the new toaster comes, you decide to keep the old. Which is why you end up with doubles of every electrical or electronic item. So the sideboard designed to hold one has to make place for two. That’s how clutter starts. So, get rid of the old replaced items immediately. Also don’t keep bringing things into the house. See if you have a place for something before you buy it.
A place for everything and everything in its place
Patience is the biggest commodity you need, while getting rid of clutter. It’s worthwhile to sit back and mentally choose storage areas before you start sorting. First allocate the things in the room which need to go and decide where they need to go. Do this on a broader view without getting into the details. So, John’s tennis rackets go to his room, vases in the living/dining area. Crockery in the sideboard/kitchen. Barbie doll’s in Tina’s room. Junk like old newspapers and mags for recycling. Keep a cardboard box for things you are undecided about and which you’ll decide later. Allot places for everything, including bills and important letters. Put clothes in the cupboard, file away papers and put books in bookshelves. Remember, tidiness starts with finding a permanent place for everything that you come across, daily.
Things that have to be handled with care
Just remove important documents, maybe related to your property or bank loans and mortgages, check books and certificates completely out of the clutter. Jewelry and other precious accessories need to be stowed away and locked in your dresser or cupboard. Documents and other papers have to be kept filed away in a safe and accessible place. Just this one step could have you breathing a big sigh of relief. If you follow the routine of dealing with clutter regularly, you will soon have no clutter around you. You will have lots of free time to think better, work better and rest better.
