Start to get organized – it’s not as hard as you think

When you’re knee deep in clutter, decluttering and actually organizing can seem an impossible feat. However, it’s not too hard if you follow some basic steps…

1. Make a plan:

You CANNOT get organized (not truly and forever) without a solid plan. If you willy nilly organize, you’re more likely to willy nilly keep it up – and we all know what willy nilly behavior can lead to. Or maybe I just like to say willy nilly? Hmmm. In any case develop your perfect organizing plan by reading:

• One of the first things you should do before organizing your house
• Three ways to motivate organizing change
• Quick Tip: Be Realistic About Your Organizing Goals
• Organizing problem: you have too many organizing tools
• One organizing step that many folks miss

2. Get started:

Start slow, start small, start huge if you like, but just getting started with decluttering is half the battle won right there. If you’re just sitting and looking at your disorganized house, nothing is going to change. You need to stand up, walk over to that pile and start sorting. Sad but true. The only way to declutter and organize is to DO IT. Try some of the following easy start tips…

• Organize the worst first – yes or no?
• Reduce prime clutter areas
• Help for the Overwhelmed House – A Quick 11 Shot To Do List
• “What If” Items – Tips for Clearing Clutter
• The 2 minute toss it rule

3. Deal with your clutter issues:

We all have clutter issues of some sort. Some of us have too much clutter. Some people like me, get rid of stuff so often that their house is clutter-free, but some decisions can’t be taken back (like those letters you tossed). As you get started with decluttering and organizing, some issues are sure to pop up. These issues can hold you back from ever getting organized. Deal with them. Read the following…

• You won’t go to Hades for tossing that (fill in the blank) out
• Clutter Confessions and Denial
• Four Tips for Clearing Out Sentimental Clutter
• Organizing problem: you have too many organizing tools
• Ways to Remove the Mental Clutter from Your Head

4. Keep it under control:

After you go through steps 1-3, and get all your rooms under control, you’ll want to develop a plan for keeping your home organized. It’s lame to do all this work only to lose the battle again because you start to slack. Once your home is good and clattered, you should plan a weekly cleaning/organizing schedule. Keeping up with the incoming clutter on a normal basis is far easier than dealing with all of it again in a year. To stay on top of it, try the following…

• Don’t bring in new gear, junk, stuff unless it’s necessary. Most of people’s clutter is just stuff they think they need. Consider all your purchases carefully.
• Live smaller to fight clutter & cleaning issues.
• Give everything a home and once daily or weekly return misplaced items to their home base. This is one of the most important rules to follow if you want to live clutter-free. If an item has no home, maybe it’s an item you don’t really need or want.

Spring is less than a month away; hence spring cleaning is less than a month away. Are you getting started now with your decluttering plans?