Clutter

Tools to Control Paper Clutter – Part 1

Having the right kind of tools in your toolbox can make any job easier. You wouldn’t try to clear a clogged toilet with your hand, you’d use a plunger. It would be messy to boil pasta in a skillet so you use a deep pot with lots of water.

It also helps to have the right tools to control paper clutter!

Over the years I’ve figured out what tools work for me to help keep the paper piles from becoming mountains. In this three part blog series I’ll show what I use. It ranges from a timer (my favorite tool) to desk organizers, different color file folders, and containers to hold all those files. You probably already have some of these tools but you may not be using them in the best way. For me, a tool has to help eliminate the excuses that lead to procrastination.

Using a Timer

I learned long ago that a timer is the best tool in my toolbox. My tendency to overestimate how much time a certain task takes usually creates a lot of procrastination. It’s not an uncommon problem for many people. I’m not sure why this happens, but I guess it’s because the tasks aren’t fun, therefore excuses pop up quickly to avoid doing them. With the proper tools and systems in place it’s hard to justify any excuses.

I set my timer to do all kinds of things. It turns a boring task into a game.  Beat the timer becomes a challenge. …

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Kitchen Cabinet Organizers I Use

Kitchen cabinets can be hard to keep organized. There are so many different items we use for cooking, baking, and eating that are stored in them. And if you don’t have a separate pantry, you probably store food items in them also.

With so many different items stored on those shelves it’s no wonder the cabinets become a nightmare of chaos. Since most of us don’t have huge kitchens with tons of cabinet space we have to come up with better ways to organize them. …

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Containerizing Gift Wrap and Ribbons

 

Do You Wrap A Lot Of Gifts?

It’s fun to give gifts. Especially to people who are special to you. It’s also fun to wrap those gifts with love. It doesn’t matter if it’s for Christmas, a birthday, wedding, or baby shower. But how you store all that wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, ribbons, and bows can make it easy or frustrating when it’s time to wrap a gift. …

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Don’t Clutter Up Halloween

I noticed this year that Halloween decorations were starting to show up in the stores in August. Wow! Do you think the stores are trying to get into our heads early to buy lots of things we probably don’t need?

Halloween is second to only Christmas on spending for decorations and other items for the holiday. This means there is a great opportunity to buy a lot of things that are destined to become clutter.

That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the holiday. But if you are trying to keep your home decluttered, you have to think about where you’ll store all those items for the next year. …

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Using Different Decluttering Methods

Have you used different decluttering methods over the years? I have.

I was like a surfer that would try wave after wave. Sometimes I had success. Sometimes I didn’t. But each time I tried a new decluttering method I learned a little more about what worked and what didn’t for me.

Some methods didn’t work at all me. While some worked fairly well, at least for awhile. Then for some reason they just didn’t work anymore. I don’t remember if I got bored or some lifestyle change happened.

It didn’t matter what the reason was, I still beat myself up for being a “failure”. Fortunately, new methods came along as my household grew (children and pets) right along with the clutter. …

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