Tip of the Month :: Clearing Clutter

What prevents you from being organized?
Whenever you leave things out, it's because you have not decided what to do with the item. The process of organizing comes down to having a system for automatic decisions about where everything goes. You need to have systems that work well for how you think and how you do things. Some people do not have systems that work for them if they have systems at all. This causes you have to make a decision every time on a case-by-case basis. Eventually this becomes overwhelming and exhausting and clutter begins to pile up.

Why do organized people seem to get more done?
Organized people have systems that work for them and as a result they make fewer decisions every day. This is because they have decided what goes where early on. This takes the anxiety of putting things away when the occasion presents itself. It takes far more time to be disorganized than it does to be organized.

How did this stuff end up as clutter?
It's likely the reason these items ended up as clutter because you didn't have a good system for dealing with them. Maybe there is no system at all and they simply don't have an assigned home. Perhaps the place you file or store them is too inconvenient, so it's easier just to leave them out. Maybe you have items that need to be filed, but you don't yet have a file cabinet for them, and your blank file folders are inconveniently stowed away deep in your closet. Ask yourself under what conditions each item might not have ended up as clutter. This will give you a clue as to how to prevent the clutter from returning.

What steps should I take to eliminate the clutter?
There are 3 steps to take when eliminating clutter. Sort Purge Designate. Start by sorting items into piles or boxes by type. Purge whatever is no longer wanted or necessary. Designate a place that will be convenient to store the items. There is no rule that governs how or where the items get stored as long as they will consistently be put in the same place.

Now that I have a system ...
Once you have achieved a system that works, the greatest benefit will be the persistent feeling of efficiency. Working in a self-maintaining, uncluttered environment will allow you to be extremely productive while enjoying the process each day.

Professional help is available
If you don't feel your current systems are serving you well, I encourage you to try something new. Let me help you create a feeling of balance without anything important falling through the cracks.

Past Tips:

Summer 2009 - Enjoy the Warm Weather & Get Organized Too!

February 2009 - Get Organized in a Bad Economy

January 2009 - January is Get Organized Month

December 2008 - Organize Your Closet