Clear the Clutter

Do you ever feel that if anyone leaves the dog’s leash on the floor or drops that dripping umbrella on the rug beside the door just one more time, you’re going to get out the rattles, paint your face, and perform a wardance?

We need to create the right places for specific items in our homes to help clear up cluttered surfaces such as floors, desks, and countertops. When our belongings have a designated spot, our homes automatically look tidier, and we save time and energy by not having to search for things. Perhaps one of the best times to get organized is at the end of the long, dark winter season. It fits right in with the spring-cleaning urge many of us feel at this time of year.

The Process

Before getting started it would be a good idea to create a list of the rooms in your home that need to be organized or reorganized. Under the heading of each room, write down what you want to change. For example, if you wish to free up some counter space in the kitchen, you might record the need for a coffee maker that can be mounted to the underside of the cupboards. Be very specific about what you want to change in each room.

Basketball Laundry Game

If any of the changes include children’s rooms, try to include your children in the planning process. Most kids hate cleaning their rooms, but if there’s an easier way to do it, they may be more likely to cooperate. For example, a laundry holder that looks like a basketball net hanging off the door can encourage kids to put laundry where it belongs. The laundry basket that was on the floor could be replaced by an item of their choice, perhaps a shelf to house their books or DVD games that may be cluttering the floor.

Managing the Money

Usually, budgeting is a necessary part of realizing desired changes, so make a list of your priorities and write down the cost of each item. You might want to arrange a garage sale to raise some money while getting rid of unnecessary items and making room for needed ones.

Years ago I got rid of a major headache by setting up a home filing system for bills, subscriptions, and other information that cluttered the top of my desk. The evolution of electronic billing and banking has helped not only to save trees, but also to contain the growth of my filing cabinet. Now I can store e-bills and bank statements on a CD, which saves time, takes up less space, and creates zero clutter.

Mind-Boggling Moves

Last, but by far not least, our thinking facilities need regular clearing of clutter. Sometimes, just sorting and tidying up our physical environments helps ease our busy minds, because then we’re not constantly thinking, “I still need to...” But other times we may have unresolved issues or unrealized dreams gathering dust in our conscious or subconscious compartments, affecting our happiness and well-being.

Are you fed up with your job? If you just want a different employment environment, that’s easier to solve than changing your profession. But they both require planning, so start brainstorming how you can make the change happen. Then follow through with the steps and ultimately get rid of the clutter that keeps reminding you how much you hate your job.

Do you still need to set up a regular exercise program? You can turn off the “exercise nag” quite easily just by doing more walking, perhaps only 20 minutes a day to start, then increasing gradually to 30 and 40 minutes. I started off with walking, but now I’ve added swimming for some variety. It seemed easier to fit in more exercise time once I started feeling the benefits.

Remember, once you’ve set up the basics, it’s just a matter of maintenance–and that’s so much easier to deal with. So go ahead, get uncluttered and dance to your heart’s content.