Cluttered Home = Cluttered Mind Part 2

Now that you have decided that your clutter is not that bad and that you can handle it, let's get started! First thing to do is what I call "Assess the Mess" or take a look around your home or office and make a list of the areas that are giving you trouble. Now put these areas in order with one being the area that is most bothersome to you or that has the most negative effect on your life. For example if your bills and paper work are piled up that would be of greater concern than say organizing the kids play room. Or perhaps it takes you way too much time to get dressed in the morning for work because your closet it a mess. That would take priority over the storage area.

Now that you know which area to start on you can continue to "Assess the mess" by making a list of the goals you have for this area. Perhaps in your home office you would like to have your bills organized as well as papers that the kids bring home. While taking note of the different activities that take place begin to think about dividing the area up into segments that will house these activities. You don't want the kids school work getting mixed up with the bills.

Now it's time to start clearing out the area so you can make a fresh start. This part of the process is referred to as the "Purge". You will need to have some containers, boxes, bags or tubs in the room before you begin this process. Generally you will need 3 of these. One for trash, one for donations or yard sale/consign and one for items to be relocated to other areas of the home or office. Begin the purge in one area and work your way around the room. Depending on how cluttered the area is you may want to set a timer for around 20 minutes to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed. You can then take a break and come back again later for another 20 minutes. Breaking it down into short increments makes it easier to stay focused.

Ask yourself these questions when purging. Do I need it? Do I love it? Does it reflect who I am today? Does it enhance my life? If the answer is no to any of these questions then get rid of it! Once you start letting go of stuff you will see how freeing it feels and you will want to do it all the time! So, go ahead and "Assess your Mess" and then determine the purpose for the area and start your purge. Check back in a few days and we will talk about what to do next.

Don't forget to check out my web page at www.simplyorganizedval.com. Also, there is still time to register for my up coming workshops!

Happy Organizing!
Valerie