It’s hard to find the energy/time/interest to organize. So when that inspiration to organize finally hits and you are able to clean out that black hole in your home, you probably feel ecstatic! Yay! Time to post a brag picture to Pinterest!
But how often have you kicked clutter to the curb only to find out that it has moved back in and invited several of its buddies with him a year later? So frustrating!
So what’s the answer to removing your Unwanted Clutter Guest?
1. Put everything in its place at least once a week. You can do a big tidy-up on Saturday or tidy up a little bit every night, but the goal is to make sure that every object has a home and that every object returns to its home regularly. Consistency is the key here.
2. Your best bet is to keep clutter from accumulating in the first place. That’s why I say be very careful about using shopping as a form of recreation. Be very wary of sales, freebies, two-for-one deals, etc. Remember, only YOU have control of what comes into your house. If it doesn’t get into your house, it won’t become clutter.
3. When people ask you want for your birthday/Christmas/etc., tell them tickets to events or a gift certificate to a spa or a restaurant. Have the grandparents buy the kids memberships to the zoo or museum or Itunes gift cards. Anything that’s not an object.
4. Don’t use the mall or that cute shopping street full of boutiques as a hangout, escape, playdate or walking venue. It’s more than likely that you will stop to look in a few stores, and once that happens, you KNOW you will buy something you don’t need!
5. Make sure everyone in your house knows to put things back where they found them. To do this, they will have to be aware of where things go. This is where labels come in. Read more about using labels in your house here. Convince skeptical family members that if labels work for the Berenstain Bears, they will work for them too.
Every house winds up with some clutter in it sooner or later (even the homes of professional organizers!) The trick is to understand how it ended up in your house, so you can get it out as soon as possible and prevent it from accumulating again.
