How To Organize Your Life And Get Rid Of Clutter
Time to get rid of what you don't need.
getty Are you looking to get organized in your life and get rid of clutter both at home and at work?
Do you feel like you are being swallowed by life and mess, but you really need to start making changes?
Let me help!
Getting organized and getting rid of clutter requires some attention and determination but, if you are willing to do the work, it will pay off in spades.
To organize your life and get rid of clutter you must:
1. Use a calendar.
The number one most important thing as far as how to organize your life for success is to have a calendar. And use it!
So how do you use your calendar for maximum success?
With one of my clients, I suggested that every Sunday night she sit down with her calendar and make a plan for the week. She would write down everything that was non-negotiable for the week, like work, appointments, after-school activities, etc.
Once she had those things noted, she could see where in her week she might have time to get other things done, things like haircuts, grocery shopping, and time at the gym. She noted those things on her calendar as well.
The thing about having a calendar and checking it Sunday night is that you familiarize yourself with what your schedule looks like — big picture — for the week. You also know when you have a specific time on your schedule for things that need to get done — you don’t just try to get them done whenever you have might have time.
2. Find a block of time to get start getting rid of clutter.
Getting organized and getting rid of clutter requires some time, dedication and determination. And now that you have your calendar it is time to use it to that end.
Find a block of time on your calendar and mark it as a time to organize your life and get rid of clutter. Choose a window of at least 2 hours once a week (or more) that you will dedicate to getting rid of stuff in your home or office. That block will be written in red and be non-negotiable.
Once you have determined that block of time, it’s time to identify what exactly it is you are going to work on.
Does your kitchen need cleaning out? Perhaps the kids’ playroom? Does paper in your home office, or at work, need to be either recycled or filed away?
It is important that we identify what work we are going to do ahead of time because if we don’t we will get overwhelmed by the magnitude of what needs to get done. If we know that we are only doing a manageable piece of the work, getting started will be that much easier.
So find a block of time, identify where you are going to start and be dogged in your devotion to getting it done.
3. Get some help.
There are some of us who are really good at organizing and de-cluttering and there are some of us who have different strengths. And there are some of us who couldn't de-clutter if threatened with loss of limb or life.
If you are one of those people, consider investing in someone who can help you get rid of stuff and get organized. People . like me, who know how to de-clutter, can come into your home and get things done in the amount of time it might take for you to get started.
So consider investing in some professional help. If you can’t afford help, find a friend who is a good organizer and barter for her time. Perhaps you can take care of her kids or bake some cookies or help her finish her work project.
Whatever you need to do, get some help. You will be glad you did!
4. Set up some routines.
Once you have managed to instill some order into your chaos it’s important to set up some routines to help keep everything organized.
For me, some things that work:
- Sorting through the mail immediately to get rid of envelopes and junk mail. Doing so immediately greatly reduced the number of papers that were piling up on my counter.
- Doing the laundry and the grocery shopping on certain days every week. That way, I could stay on top of my laundry piles so that they don’t get too big and I could manage the amount of food in your fridge and cupboards so that it didn't build up and get out of control.
- Doing the dishes before bed EVERY night. No piles in the sink mean no piles on the counter which means a reduced mess in the kitchen.
- Paying the bills on a certain day each week. I keep my bills in one place, arranged by the date they are due, and sit down and pay them every Thursday. That way I know my bills get paid and any paperwork gets filed away immediately.
Those are just a few ideas for establishing routines. There are more.
5. Notice and appreciate the changes you are making.
This one is so important and rarely done.
After you have completed cleaning out one area of your house or office, take a moment to look at your newly organized space. Perhaps even take a picture of the before and after.
Noticing and appreciating how good your space looks makes you realize how good it feels to get organized and de-clutter. And that knowledge and awareness is all the motivation that you will need to get organized.
I remember, when my kids were little, I used to keep the dining room perfectly clean, everything in order. That way, whenever I walked by the dining room, I could pause in the doorway and experience, even for a moment, a clean, organized and de-cluttered space.
It filled me with calm every time.
So, when you are done with a task, stop, if only for a moment, and appreciate a job well done.
Good for you for looking to organize your life and get rid of clutter at home and at work.
Using this list is an excellent starting place for making your life, home, and office all that you want it to be.
Get yourself a calendar and set it up. Use that calendar to block off some time when you can start throwing things away and putting things in their place. Get some help if you need it.
Once you have done that, set up some routines and always stop and appreciate the work that you have done.
Being organized and clutter-free is a huge part of living your life to the fullest and to being all that you can be!
Mitzi Bockmann is an NYC-based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. Her writing has been published in The Huffington Post, Prevention Magazine, The Good Man Project, among others. She works exclusively with women to help them to be all that they want to be in this crazy world in which we live. Contact her for help or email her at mitzi@letyourdreamsbegin.com.