Clutter & Organization

by Donna L. Watkins

Having a home free of clutter is a step-by-step process, and consistent principles of organization are the key. Establishing clutter-free zones and give the responsiblity to manage that space to an individual within the home.

If you have the room where people enter your home always clutter-free, you will feel a lot better about having people drop by and you will have at least one room as a retreat. This is usually the living room. When you buy furniture, always make sure it has drawers and cabinets so there are plenty of places to organize things.

Paper clutter is sometimes the worst obstacle in home organization. People keep paper thinking they will need it later. Even if you have a good filing system, you can keep adding more files because you are keeping things that do not need to be kept. Fear of "I may need it later" is the motivating factor to keep too much paper.

Let me guarantee you that you probably won’t need 80% of what you keep. We’ve been in business since 1982 and we still have only one four-drawer filing cabinet. I simply stated that there was no need for more than that! I regularly go through and remove what is not needed. Knowing that I have to do that, I really evaluate what I want to put in it at all.

Something that has helped many is to have a recycling box for paper. You may feel more comfortable about dumping it there instead of keeping it because it will still be around a few weeks later if you truly do need something. Personally, it’s a rare event that we have to dig something out of recycle, but it does happen a few times a year.

Taking action is the first step and that’s why you are here. Plan it, do it, and stick with it. Make and keep your home a sanctuary.

Clutter’s Side Effects
How the State of Your Home Affects Your Life

by Stephanie Roberts

Each area of your home has a symbolic meaning with which you resonate on a subconscious level. Clutter and untidiness within each of these areas causes constriction and inertia in the corresponding aspects of your life.

CLUTTER IN THE KITCHEN
The kitchen has been called the "heart of the home," and with good reason. Here we are nourished and provided for, even if we are dining on a frozen entrée zapped in the microwave rather than a homemade meal lovingly presented by Mom. An untidy and disorganized kitchen makes it hard to nourish yourself and others, on both physical and metaphysical levels. How you care for your kitchen is a clue about whether you are giving proper attention to your own nourishment and sources of abundance. Cleaning up and de-cluttering your kitchen opens up space for you to receive the support and comfort that you need in life.

LIVING AND DINING ROOM CLUTTER
These are spaces where you mingle with and honor your relationships with family and friends. Here you engage with the world while being at home through watching television, reading the paper, or arguing politics with old friends over dinner. Clutter can turn these social spaces into dens of isolation, especially if the mess is so bad that it has been years since you’ve invited people over. Look around your living and dining rooms to see what they say about your relationship with the rest of the world. Are you hiding your true self from others, burying it in clutter, or putting it on display here?

CLUTTERED HALLWAYS
Hallways are the arteries and highways of your home. Think of clutter in your hallways as a traffic jam that prevents important connections between different areas of your home and your life. Look at your hallways to see how you feel about your life’s path: are they well lit and easily navigable, or do they trip you up? If you feel a disconnect between work and family, self and others, what you need and your obligations, it may be time to give your hallways a good clearing out.

BATHROOM CLUTTER
Bathing and anointing the body is a preparatory ritual for many religious rites both ancient and contemporary. On a daily basis we use this space to prepare ourselves to meet the world. Clutter in the bathroom can indicate a devaluation of self-worth, a lack of attention to self that goes beyond the physical. A clean, well-decorated bathroom can become a tranquil sanctuary for rejuvenation and self-care. Scented soaps, attractive accessories, and fragrant candles have a place here. Beautifying your bathroom by eliminating clutter and disorder and transforming it into a place of refuge will bring a sense of the sacred into your morning and evening personal-care rituals.

CLUTTER IN THE BEDROOM
Adults’ bedrooms are for sleeping and intimacy, and they should function as places of renewal for self and relationships. Clutter in the bedroom is enervating without being restful. If you feel "wired and tired," creating order out of chaos in this most personal space can help you relax and let go of the stress of the day. Then you can get a good night’s sleep or enjoy some special time with your partner.

CLUTTERED CLOSETS
Closets represent things that are hidden, unknown, or unrecognized. When we fill our closets with clutter, we stifle our ability to be intuitive and insightful. Cluttered closets can indicate problems that you may not be consciously aware of but which impede your progress through life, work, and relationships nonetheless. Keeping the closet door closed is not an effective solution.

ATTIC AND BASEMENT CLUTTER
A cluttered attic creates a feeling of being under pressure. It’s hard to feel optimistic about the future when there’s so much stuff "hanging over your head." Ancestor issues reside up there, along with all those boxes and chests holding the detritus of generations. And the basement and other below-ground storage areas are considered abodes of the subconscious, so watch your step and get that clutter cleaned up!

CLUTTER IN YOUR GARAGE
Think of your car as a symbol of your mobility, independence, and ability to be self-directed in life. If there’s so much stuff piled up in your garage that you can barely fit the car in there, you may be hampered or overly cautious moving forward in life as well.

Stop thinking of clutter-clearing as a tremendous chore, and start thinking of it as one of the most effective self-improvement tactics available to you. Every magazine and piece of paper you recycle, every book you give to the library, every knick-knack and item of clothing you release to a new owner creates space in your life for new insight, energy, joy, and experiences to come in!

© 2003 Stephanie Roberts
[excerpted from "Clutter-Free Forever!", Lotus Pond Press, 2003]

About The Author
GOT CLUTTER?!? Clearing out clutter is the most important and powerful way to dramatically improve the feng shui of your home. Stephanie Roberts’ "CLUTTER-FR*EE FOREVER!" Home Coaching Program provides all the insight, motivation, and step-by-step guidance you need in an in-depth ebook and 6 weekly lessons. Plus, you can join our Affiliate Program and earn a commission on every referral sale. Find out more at http://www.clutter-free-forever.com. st*******@cl****************.com

10 Reasons Why You Should Get Organized

1. If you are organized, you will have more balance in your life. You’ll be able to minimize the time spent on necessary things like shopping and looking for things, but increase the time spent on important things like family. 2. You will be more productive. You’ll be focused, have better direction and get more done in less time. 3. You will save money. Last minute purchases, party gifts, or grocery trips can be costly without adequate planning. 4. You can better manage your time and prioritize your daily chores. These things tend to fall into place when working within deadlines and limits. 5. It will reduce clutter. Most of us have too much stuff and are in the process of getting more. The new stuff continues to accumulate, adding to our never-ending clutter. 6. It will help you set and achieve personal goals. With your goals in mind, spend a few minutes every evening planning for the next day. Make lists of the things you have to do and the things you want to do. As each day passes, you will be closer to your goals. 7. You will learn to focus on the big picture; making sure you have room in your life for the important things.  8. It will give you the proper tools to do your job right. Things that you need will be in their proper place. You will find what you need quicker, you’ll accomplish your tasks more successfully, and you’ll have more time to do the task because your tools will be readily available. 9. It is economical to be organized. If you take the time to plan and be organized, you’ll save time and money. 10. Being organized has to be a way of life. If you want the benefits of being organized, you might as well start now. The sooner you start, the sooner it will be a habit. There are many areas to focus on when getting organized. Your time needs to be organized. So does your money, your home, your family your kitchen cupboard and your mail, just to name a few. It can seem overwhelming at times, but getting organized will do wonders. Try it and see! == ** == ** == ** == ** == ** == ** == ** == ** == Doris S. Dobkins, is a money saving expert and the author of the book “Financial Freedom from A-Z”. She is also the publisher of a weekly online ezine $mart Money New$ full of financial strategies and money saving tips. To subscribe, send an email to:  ne**@cr**************.com or visit her web site today at:  http://www.creativefinances.com