Outside the buds are experiencing a rebirth and the tulips are welcoming spring with their annual sense of renewal but inside your home it may be a totally different story. Has winter left you with a cluttered living space? Is your disorganized home depleting your energy and depressing your spirit? If so, its time for a little spring cleaning of your home, body and soul. Do yourself a favor and make spring cleaning and conquering clutter part of your annual routine. Okay, so it sounds good, but who has the time? All the more reason to stop and make the time. Think of it as an investment in you. The inefficiency of clutter and disorganization are not only counterproductive but also harmful to our well-being. Following are some of my favorite creative solutions and organizing tips to get you on the road to becoming clutter free. Get The Family Involved Sending everyone away for the weekend may seem like the good solution but having them pitch in is even better. Aside from getting some help, they also learn first hand how putting away their own things can keep clutter and last minute panic at bay. A valuable lesson is learned from having a place for everything and having everything in its place. Decide on a weekend to get started and make sure everyone knows there is no calling in sick. Assign tasks according to individual strengths and interests. Failing that, draw jobs from a jar. Purge Parting with things can be difficult, especially when they have been part of your nest for a long time. If you cant decide whether or not to give something up, put it in a garbage bag and store it out of sight. After six months if you havent opened the bag to retrieve something or better still, if you have forgotten what you put into it in the first place get rid of it! One Room At A Time Clean the room from top to bottom. Once finished, assess what really needs to be in there. Get rid of anything that doesnt support the function or needs of the room. Now may be a good time to remove the TV from the bedroom. Organize piles Sort items by creating different piles e.g. charitable donations, recycling, mending, garbage etc. Assign someone the job of mending so no items in need a repair, end up back in the closet. Create hobby space We all need our personal space and the hobbyist in particular needs both a functional work surface and storage area. If you dont have what you need to get organized, start a list and put it into action. If not, youll soon find yourself sliding back into a familiar clutter zone. |
