Get Organzied & Bust Clutter in 8 Simple Steps!

"Home is the nicest word there is." Laura Ingalls Wilder

How would you like to live in the peaceful, organized envirnoment you deserve, learn to maintain your space easily, and focus on what is really important to you? With some clear guidance, this doesn't have to be complicated. Here are some simple steps to follow:

1. SET ASIDE TIME: Set aside at least several hours for each room that you tackle. You can also start by takling on just a small area at a time - even just a part of a room. Having a small success will set the ball in motion to accomplish bigger goals.

2. PREPARE: Dress comfortably and turn on some nice music if you feel so inclined. Have large trash bags and plastic containers - about the size of a laundry basket - handy. Open the curtains or shades wide to let the sun in; a new day is about to dawn!

3. CLEAR THROUGH RANDOM ITEMS: It's a good idea to begin by going through the things that are lying around first. Ask yourself these basic questions: do you 'love, use, or need' each item you consider. Your outer environment reflects your inner state of being, so decide to keep just those things than enhance your life, and release anything that holds you back.

4. CREATE A MEMORY BOX FOR KEEPSAKES: If you hold onto a lot of things from any certain time in your life, letting go of some of them will allow you to be more fully in the present. If you choose to keep a momento, make it a conscious and meaninful choice and either add it to a specified memory box or display it. Store the memory box out of the way of your daily life. I do not recommend storing precious photos in a garage where they can get mildewed or ruined though.

5. GIVE AWAY UNWANTED ITEMS: Throw out things that are not useful to anyone - even a charity organization doesn't need things that are broken. Use your trashbags to collect the items you will donate to a charity of your choice. Set aside pricey items that you want to sell.

6. CLEAR THROUGH DRAWERS, CLOSETS, BOOKSHELVES: Use the same process as you did for the excess stuff laying around the room. Trust that your psyche will know what you need to keep, while allowing yourself to release anything that isn't of absolute use to you now. People have a false sense that excess stuff will fill them up. This just isn't so. As you get clear on your priorities, and learn what is of value to you, you will be freed up in ways you may not even be able to imagine.

7. FIND A HOME FOR THE THINGS YOU KEEP: By a 'home', I mean find a place where each item lives/belongs. Once you have a place for everything, puttings things away on a daily basis will be a breeze. Utilize the plastic bins to organize like items together. You may want to label the containers for ease of use.

8. DON'T STRESS! GET HELP IF NECESSARY: Initially people need help with this process. I recommend hiring a Professional Organizer even for one hands-on session. Family members may not be the best choice to turn to as they are not impartial, and their judgements will not allow you to discover what is truly important to you. Also, a good Professional Organizer is skilled at setting systems in place that will be easy for you to maintain.

**MAINTAINING YOUR PEACEFUL SPACE: From this point forward, only allow into your home things that you truly want and need. Since you've reduced the amount of things you have, and found a 'home' for everything, you can now regularly clean up your space with a minimum amount of effort.

Any questions? Feel free to contact me! My belief is that we have things of greater importance to focus on in life (friends, family, career success, spirituality, self-actualization) then feeling overwhelmed in our living or work space.