Organize and De-Clutter Your Home and Office

Much has been written about the power of being organized and de-cluttering your home or office. With so little time in our schedule… Why take the time to focus on organization?

It’s simple. A clean and functional space has a positive impact on our mood and makes much better use of the time spent in that space. And if you are anything like me, I am sure you too can benefit by that!

There are Many Kinds of Clutter

  1. Paper clutter
  2. Mental clutter
  3. Sentimental clutter
  4. Other people’s clutter

Whatever the type of clutter, the longer nights and the shorter days of January are the perfect time to de-clutter.

Set the Right Mood to Successfully Organize and De-Clutter

To many people, setting the right mood for de-cluttering is the key to success.

  1. First, find some music that you find inspiring.
  2. Next, make sure that you are wearing comfortable clothes.
  3. Have all the right tools available, such as a large garbage can, boxes for sorting into, and pens to label the boxes.
  4. Make large labels that say “Charity,” “Shred,” “Give Away,” “Recycle,” etc.
    Home Office Organization – Desk and Wall Storage

The Importance of Your Mindset when You Organize and De-Clutter

The mindset you need when de-cluttering is a mindset of decisiveness. Decide before you begin that you are going to decide. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But it requires a mental toughness, a willingness to let go, and a no-dawdling attitude. If you touch every little piece of paper while you are trying to de-clutter, you will surely go crazy before you finish. The less physical contact you have with the things you are trying to toss, the better your success will be at de-cluttering and getting organized.

Once you have made your decisions about what to keep or what to toss, immediately take the items to your car or out to the trash. The job does not end until everything has been taken away, hauled out, tossed, etc. In most cases, you will never think again about 99% of what you decide to toss. You will feel lighter and happier. Then you can begin to focus on the other things in your life that you might have overlooked, such as hobbies that were lost or reconnecting with old friends.

IMAGES COURTESY OF VALET CUSTOM
Carol Stephen – Stephen Organizing
Email: cjs_organizing@yahoo.com