Clear the Clutter (and prevent it from happening in the first place)

Are you a neat and tidy person, house pretty much in order? 

Or are you messy with things haphazardly stored here and there with no real rhyme or reason? 

Or are you a "clean freak" and everything is perfect? 

No matter which if these types you identify with, you probably have clutter.  Yes; even you!  Clutter shows up in many areas of our homes and lives and some of it is so subtle that you may not even realize it's there.  Well, if it's that subtle and you don't notice it, you're probably wondering why I think you should get rid of it...right?  If you add up all the small bits of time in your day that are devoted to clutter, it adds up to significant amounts of time.  And all the energy the clutter takes from you adds up too!  Clutter robs us of our physical space, of our time, of our energy, of our mental space, clarity and focus and all it gives us in return is stress.  Trust me, I know.  And if you think about it, you know it too.  You know how great it feels to clean out the garage, your closet and even the junk drawer! 

In the past, I've shared a definition of clutter as anything that's not useful or beautiful.  Seems easy enough to define clutter that way so you can then part with "the stuff."  But how do we stop bringing clutter into our lives?  Organizational expert, Barbara Hemphill has a great definition, "Clutter is postponed decisions."  Keeping that phrase in mind, and adjusting your actions by making more decisions each day and in a timely manner will prevent the buildup of clutter.  This means you have to choose to act!  It will take a little more time in the beginning to get set up and to start going though the backlog, but it will save you time, energy and stress going forward. 

The first area we're going to address is The Mail -- I love getting the mail everyday; it's like a little gift and something to look forward to.  But some people hate dealing with their mail so they let it pile up and become a big deal.  It may be because you don't have a system, or there's so much junk mail or you can't possibly deal with it right now so you'll leave it til LATER.  (When is "LATER" by the way?  My clock never says, "LATER;" does yours?)  Do you see that you're postponing decisions? 

Step 1.  Set yourself up for success!  Where do you open your mail?  Do you have a place to put the bills you need to pay?  A folder for the articles you want to read?  A place for the magazines and catalogs you want to peruse?  An area for all the mail that needs your attention, action or calendar such as invitations to RSVP, appointments to schedule, people to respond to, tickets to buy and events to add to the calendar?  Create your own mail hub and action or command center (I can help you do this).  This area contains your calendar, mailing supplies, calculator, a notepad and a place to put things whether it's in file folders, a bulletin board or inboxes labeled for: action needed, pending, to file, outgoing and/or for each member of the household so they know where to find things. 

For your magazines and catalogs, use a magazine file or a (small) basket where you usually read.  Only read what you want to read and what you make time to read, unsubscribe and toss the rest.  If you do receive a magazine you are no longer interested in, you can often receive a refund for the remaining issues or you can change the address and donate the remaining issues to a school, library, salon or medical office.  After you've skimmed a magazine and there are articles you want to go back and read, tear them out and put them in a file folder called, "To Read" and recycle the magazine.  Make time at home to read or you can take this folder with you to read while you're waiting at the salon, dentist office or for the kids. 

The same system works for catalogs.  Tear out what you are inspired by and/or want to order and put them in files for future reference or action.  I have files for recipes, interior inspirations, decor, pretty gardens and landscape inspirations, gift ideas and things to buy.  You're choosing to save only what resonated with you and you can file it away to refer to another day.  Your file for "Things to Buy" is time-sensitive since items change so frequently that you need to go through it on a regular basis and decide if you're going to buy it or if you just enjoyed looking at it.  The "Gift Ideas" file is similar in that you may not be able to find the exact item at a later date, but I usually use it for inspiration and I love being able to refer to it when I feel stuck.  I also tear out pages for with books I want to read, movies to rent, music to buy, and blogs and websites I want to check out.  I have lists on my computer and I add these items in and I toss the pages.

Step 2.  Go through your mail daily!  This is best.  If you usually do it weekly, you can handle this and if it's less often, switch to weekly first, then daily.  I promise you can do it and it doesn't take as much time or energy as you think.  When you go through your mail, follow these steps:

Sort into two categories: Toss and Read.  Be clear with what you WANT or NEED to keep and deal with.  You don't have to open everything (the junk) or read every catalog.

Open all of the "Reads."  Make decisions on that piece of mail now!  Decisions include taking action and dealing with what you have in front of you.  You decide to read it now, decide to put it in the designated place (bill paying center, reading folder, correspondence file, calendar, etc.)  Have your goal be to open the mail, make decisions and take action.  How many pieces of mail do you receive that require less than one minute of your time and you could be done with them?  It really is best to deal with it once and be done with it.  Recycle or shred  everything you're done with including envelopes, inserts and enclosures and file what you need to keep.

Examine the "Toss" pile.  Are you receiving catalogs, donation solicitations and credit card offers you don't want or need.  Sure, it may seem simple to recycle or shred what you don't want, but what if it never arrived in the first place?  You'd save time and energy!  So take a few minutes a day to call the catalogs and be removed from their mailing lists.  It's not fun, but it's not hard either.  You can also go to websites like Catalog Choice or the Direct Marketing Association to stop receiving unwanted catalogs, donation requests, credit card offers, phone books and more.  Spending a little extra time and energy on this now will continually yield benefits.

Step 3.  Address the backlog.  If you have piled up mail, magazines and catalogs, make time each day to deal with some of it (this is in addition to your current day's mail).  Set the kitchen time, your phone or 3-5 songs on the radio and open mail, make decisions about what to keep, decide where it goes and what action you need to take.  Do a little at a time until it's done.  You may also need to carve time out of your schedule to sit and read for 30 minutes to deal with the magazines.  And let's face it...you can probably toss that whole stack of catalogs as you'll continue to get current issues.  And remember to think about getting off their list!

Once you set up your system and address it daily, you'll be in control of the mail you need to deal with and the decisions will be easy to make as things will be placed exactly where they need to be!  Stay tuned for next month's entry where we'll deal with your email...