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Hidden Roots Of Clutter

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Why do we have clutter? That’s a tough question. Sometimes it’s as simple as setting up a system or routine that makes it easy for us to control the clutter. Sometimes it’s as complicated as deep psychological reasons. Since I am not a psychologist (although I did take about 12 hours of psychology courses in college back in the dark ages) obviously I can only help by suggesting systems, routines or simply looking at clutter from a different perspective.

So what are some of the simple hidden roots of clutter and how do you find them? Well, the best way is to play detective.

  • Do you have a problem with paper clutter and lost bills? It could be because you don’t have a system set up to deal with paper. You need a place to put your bills as soon as your receive them so they are in one place when you sit down to take care of them. No more lost bills.
  • Do clean pots and pans stay in the dish drainer because the cabinets are so full it’s a real hassle to put them away and then take them out again? The root of this clutter is either too many pans, too little cabinet space, or an inefficient and unorganized cabinet. Figure out the root cause then you can find a solution to change it.
  • Is the bathroom counter filled with bottles, brushes, razors, hairdryers, etc. because the underneath cabinet is filled with old stuff? Cleaning out the old and unused items can clear up some space. If you lack storage space maybe some baskets or shelves put on the wall can corral some of the items.
  • Books, DVD’s, toys, and other things are cluttering up the family room. Are there too many items? Too little storage? Inefficient storage? Rarely used items mixed in with daily used items? Again, figure out the root cause then you can find a solution.

Once you figure out the hidden roots of the clutter then you have a direction to help point you towards a solution. Clearing out the old unused items makes it easier to organize what is left. If this is hard for you to do then look inside yourself to see the hidden reason you can’t let go of things. Once you know why then you can start working to change it.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Decluttering “Mind Games”

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Yesterday a large moving van went up my street. Every time I see someone moving I think about what it would be like to pack up all my belongings and move to a new home. I’ve lived in this house for over 17 years so it’s been a long time since I went through the moving process.

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It always amazes me to see how much trash the person moving has put out for their last pick-up. Why did they wait until they moved to get rid of the broken bookcase or toys? Why do we hold onto things thinking we will fix or need them in our old homes but not in our new home?

Moving gets us in a frame of mind that helps us let go of the clutter. It’s a new start in a new home. We don’t want to bring the clutter with us.

We can use this frame of mind to help us get rid of the clutter in our current home even if we don’t have any plans to move. This is what I call “Decluttering Mind Games”.

We can approach our decluttering with the idea that we are moving soon. When we pretend we are moving we can get in the right frame of mind to let go of the emotional and sometimes irrational reasons we hold onto things.

Look at each item and ask yourself: Is it worth paying money to move this item to a new home? If not, then why am I keeping it?

If it’s not worth moving and you don’t have a legitimate reason to keep it, then let it go. Don’t wait until you really are moving. Too much clutter at that time will only make the move more stressful.

Another mind game to help you declutter is pretending a fire or disaster destroyed all your belongings. I wrote an article called: “How To Decluttering Using A Household Inventory List”. In the article you will learn how to declutter with the “potential disaster” frame of mind plus create an inventory list for insurance purposes. A win-win situation.

Do you play “mind games” to help you get rid of clutter? Please let me know what games you play in the comment section. Thanks.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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National Get Organized Month

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January is “National Get Organized Month” according to NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). Starting out the new year by getting organized is a great idea. It will set up the rest of the year to be a more productive, fun, and happy year.

The hard part is taking the responsibility to get the whole family into the idea and get their help. Do you feel like you carry the whole weight of running the household?

We all live in the house so can’t everybody help by doing their part? Sometimes all we want is for somebody in the house to offer their help without us begging them for it. Other times we wonder if anybody in the house has a clue how much work we do to keep the house clean. But as usual nobody helps or even has a clue.

If the above paragraph sounds like your home, this is the year to change things. You’ll have to set the example and at some point the rest of the family will follow. You might want to have them read the following story. No one seems to be sure of the exact origin so the author is listed as “Unknown”. Many families will find themselves in this story.

“This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.”

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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An Organizing Journey

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I love January. I hate the cold weather but January means it’s a new year and another chance for a new beginning. That’s what New Year’s Resolutions are all about. A clean slate to try again to make our lives better. It’s another chance to get it right this time.

This year I plan on losing some weight. How many years have I made that resolution? Too many to count. But hope springs eternal and it’s a new year to try again.

Another resolution is to have my paperwork more organized and get rid of more paper clutter. I want to organize my photos in scrapbooks, both the physical ones and electronic ones. I bought the supplies a few years ago so maybe this will be the year to get it done. Like I said – hope springs eternal.

So what are your New Years Resolutions? If organizing your home is one of them then stick around for lots of tips to help you move forward.

If you haven’t received my free ebook loaded with tips then sign up in the blue box on the right side of this blog. You’ll receive the ebook and a free weekly newsletter filled with tips, website links, and other information to help you get decluttered and organized.

Remember, organizing is a journey, not a destination. Make 2010 a journey you will enjoy traveling on!

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Simplify Your Holidays – Tip #9

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Food is a huge part of the holidays. There’s parties and family dinners along with all the homemade food gifts (cookies, candies, cakes). If you are the one who is in charge of the planning, cooking, and preparing for a party or family dinner then here are some tips to help it from becoming overwhelming.

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1. Keep meals simple. Not every dish served at the meal has to be a gourmet delight. If the entree is fancy then keep the sides simple and easy.

2. Make as much ahead of time as possible. You want to be able to spend more time with your guests and less time in the kitchen cooking.

3. Consider Pot Luck parties. Have a horsdoeuvre or dessert party and asks guests to bring their favorite recipe.

4. For a family dinner you can assign a portion of the meal to each person or family. Sharing takes the responsibility off of one person (usually you) from having to do it all. Instead of feeling like just guests they will also feel like contributors.

Remember that people are the most important ingredient at your party or family dinner.

If you have a tip to share please let me know in the comment section. Thanks.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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