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by Paul Talbot
Now that Christmas is over, the tree is down, decorations
boxed and ready to put away, things might - at first glance
- look a little bare. Then you rember that, prior to Christmas,
all the ‘stuff’ you did not need you packed
into boxes and hid away - under the bed, or in the basement
or garage (that is now packed to the rafters). Since the
25th of December we have all accumulated new stuff, some
we truly want and others - well the less said the better.
Jaunary is a great month to de-clutter your life. A new
year is also a great time to reflect, to look at the past
year and make positive changes in your life, such as simplifying
it. This may sound difficult, but it can be done.
The Oxford English dictionary defines clutter as “a
crowded and untidy collection of things.” You only
have to walk around each room to see what you have piling
up on the kitchen counter, coffee table and don’t
forget the piles of newspapers, magazines and clippings
you want to read - one day.
Physical clutter is easy to see. In Feng Shui, the centuries-old
Chinese method of achieving pohysical and spiritual harmony,
they talk about clutter as “stuck energy.”
You can often enter people’s homes and feel that
you are suffocating from too much stuff. How are you feeling
in your home?
We also have emotional and sentimental clutter. This is
often more difficult to deal with or to let go. When we
let something go we have a space or void and often in North
America we quickly want to fill it up. Try and live with
it empty for a while and then see how you feel. Some of
the symptoms of clutter can include: stress, confusion,
frustration, lack of focus, tiredness, low energy and the
feeling that we are spinning our wheels.
Some of us feel we were born disorganized, and that’s
why we live in a mess. This is far from the truth. It is
a skill, and we can all learn it, but we have allowed ourselves
over time to continue to fall into bad habits. Here are
a few simple rules: 1) If you take it out, put it back.
2) If you open it, close it. 3) If you throw it down, pick
it up. 4) If you take it off, hang it up.
Once you know why you want to de-clutter your home and
your life, then you need to come up with a plan. The word
chaos stands for “can’t have anyone over syndrome.”
Are you living in chaos and confusion?
Let’s get started. First, do a walk-about from room
to room. Make a list of the areas of clutter. Work on the
visible first. Imagine you have guests coming over to visit.
Ask yourself, “which areas of the house would they
be using?” Once you have made a list, then prioritize.
Next, make an appointment with yourself. Start with two
hours per week (this can be in one block or you can split
it up). Select times when your energy level is good and
when you will have little or no distractions.
Most of us have four kinds of clutter: 1) Things you do
not use or love 2) Things that are untidy or disorganized
3) Too many things in too small a space 4) Anything unfinished.
Let us look at these one by one.
1) If you do not use it or love it, either give
it away, donate it to charity or try to turn it into cash.
2) Sometimes we have items we only use once or twice
a year (like having a family party) or we only cook and
bake for large groups when we entertain (and if you only
do that once or twice a year perhaps you could eat out)
for these items we need to be creative and find clutter-free
homes.
3) If you have too much stuff in a small space,
you need to re-think your space. Be creative and get rid
of the excess.
4) All those projects that you meant to complete
but never did, give yourself a time-line or pass them on
to someone that is more committed and passionate about
it than you are.
Remember that to de-clutter is a lifetime process. You
need to put yourself and your house on a diet. Three key
words you need to keep in mind are: Value - ask yourself
what is the value of keeping this? Is it sentimental or
dollar value? Purpose - What is the purpose of keeping
this and how does it empower or affect my lifestyle? Ruthless
- This is a must in de-cluttering or downsizing. If you
are unable to do this, consider hiring an organizer.
Keep what is essential to your well-being. Be practical
and, if you wish, hold on to those things that are beautiful
or sentimental.
Start with one area, such as a room or a closet. Do not
zig-zag or you will end up with incomplete projects in
all areas. Throw out obvious garbage and remember to recycle
where possible.
Quckly divide up items into themes, such as what is essential,
useful, beautiful or holds sentimental value.
Subdivide these items, for example: papers, books, pens
and kitchen stuff. Sort through these piles more thoroughly
to determine again if they are garbage, recyclable, to
be given away, for garage sale or consignment stores, or
if they belong to another room or to someone else.
Place things in proper order. This may entail purchasing
more storage accessories. Do not buy any items until you
have sorted, purged and assigned a home - rethink your
space, be creative, visualize or call in a professional.
Remember that your “stuff” did not happen overnight,
and it will take time, energy and commitment to de-clutter.
As a general rule, any clothing you have not worn within
the last twelve months, consider letting go. Most of us
wear the same 20% of clothes 80% of the time. Try each
item on. Be realistic. If Christmas is showing on your
waist, let the items go. Many women’s shelters would
be happy to receive your clothing.
Most people are drowning in papers. Set up some simple,
practical systems. Be ruthless. If your house were burning,
could you find your passport, mortgage, insurance papers,
bank records, etc.?
Consider the ten basic laws of stuff from the “Complete
Idiot’s Guide to Organnizing Your Life.”
1. Stuff breeds
2. Useless stuff crowds out the ‘good’
stuff
3. Dust loves stuff
4. Stuff loves to stay where it lands
5. Stuff expands to fill space available
6. Over time, stuff becomes ‘invisible’
7. Stuff costs you money more than once
8. Stuff has a powerful effect on your state of
mind
9. Stuff takes on value only when it’s used
10. Stuff doesn’t make you happy. You do.
When we start to de-clutter or downsize, our home and
our life will become more functional and easier to clean.
We will have more time to do the fun things in life and,
perhaps, entertain more as we no longer live in clutter,
chaos and confusion.
Paul Talbot is the author of Clear the Clutter and
Simplify your Life. He conducts a clutter support group
on the last Tuesday of each month, and often gives talks
at the Vancouver Public Library. For more information
call 604-694-5059, or take Paul’s Clutter Quiz
online at www.dialaspeaker.com.
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