Clarity about Clutter

I’m an organized person—just ask anyone who knows me. In spite of my talents at organization, clutter loomed its ugly head during our recent move.

You see, I’m committed to making the most from what I have and I can find a use for practically anything. As a result, I’d turned our home and my studio and office into an attractive, well-organized landfill.

I’m over it. After vigorously pruning before the move only to find that I had an additional ten boxes of books and magazines (are you beginning to get the picture?), six more giant sacks of clothes, and six boxes of unclassifiable junque to get rid of, I saw the light.

Never again am I going to collect more than I can keep attractively and accessibly in the space I already have. No more will I hold onto odd screws, outdated clothes, and books just because they could conceivably be useful to someone, somewhere, someday.

If you, too, have been slowly suffocating under growing piles of indispensable clutter, it’s time to take the clutter challenge. Evaluate how true each of these statements is for you on a scale of 1 to 5. Be honest. Then choose one area in which you fall short and resolve to de-clutter there, this week, without fail.

1.    Each season I discard or donate the clothing that I did not wear, whether or not it still fits and regardless of whether or not I made it myself.
2.    I buy quality books in hardcover and donate them to the library when I finish them, excepting only books that I use in the day to day operation of my business or which I resort to on an ongoing basis for inspiration and delight. (Note: the test is not whether I might use them, but whether or not I do use them.)
3.    I give away, recycle, or toss anything I have not used for a year. (If I do find I want something like it in the future, I will happily borrow, rent, or buy it, knowing that in the meantime I have not had to pay to store it, clean it, or look for it.)
4.    I return—immediately–any purchase that does not fit or function.
5.    I repair anything within a week of when it breaks or stops working or I discard/donate it.
6.    At the end of each year I discard files that are more than seven years old.
7.    I discard, donate, or recycle any souvenir or memento that is not framed and displayed within thirty days of acquisition.

Action tip: Get a clutter buddy and make a commitment to each other that you will put these principles to work. Make a date to go to the recycling center, the dump, and Goodwill together. Help each other say “no” to the clutter in your lives. Phone each other for support and intervention whenever you are tempted to rent a storage unit, buy new shelving or drawers, or build a shed.

Bonus tip: Lose the catalogs. Recycle them immediately and write the Mail Preference Service of the Direct Marketing Association to stop future mailings.