The 12 of the Most Common Excuses for Clutter, Part 2
In Part one of The 12 of the Most Common Excuses for Clutter we saw 6 of the most common excuses why one could not declutter. Here is the balance of those excuses. Let’s have a look at these.
7. “I’ve been planning to get it fixed.”
Yes it sucks that the item lasted only a short time, but most of the things we buy these days are disposable and most times it would cost more to fix them then it would to buy a replacement, so don’t let that be an excuse for your clutter to grow. Procrastination is a big problem when it comes to not getting clutter dealt with. Don’t let it be the reason you live in clutter and chaos.
8. “I’d part with this if I could just find it a new home.”
This is little more than an excuse so that you don’t have to part with your items. Since no one else wants them you get to keep them preventing you from de-cluttering from happening. Admit it, just because you want to keep it doesn’t mean others want it, besides there’s always charities and good wills stores that would be happy to take anything that is in good condition.
9. “I can’t throw that in the garbage, it’s not good for the environment.”
True, there are things that don’t belong in the trash, but there is such a thing as recycling so stop using that as an excuse to keep useless things like old batteries or old paint hanging around. That’s probably the worst excuse ever! If you have things you can’t put in the garbage do your homework to find out where you can drop it off or whether it can go in curbside recycling. Do you really think these are the kinds of products you should have hanging around your home?
10. “I can’t get rid of this, it has sentimental value.”
Whether a special gift, a memento from a trip, or something that’s been in the family forever, we all have things we need and want to keep, but the key is to reduce the number of items so we have fewer of them. Go through all those special items, take your time, you’ll be surprised at what you decide to keep and what you decide to part with.
11. “I don’t want to get rid of those clothes in case I lose weight.”
Keeping clothes that don’t fit is just plain silly. Styles change. Besides if you lose that weight don’t you deserve a new wardrobe? If your weight fluctuates regularly then hang on to staple items like jeans or the little black dress, but don’t hang onto items that will go out of style.
12. “I need professional help.”
Then get some. It’s not expensive and it will help you get started. Sometimes the idea of getting started on a de-cluttering project is just too overwhelming and so no action is taken. A little help can go a long way in getting you organized and clutter free.
Now that the 12 most common excuses have been debunked, it’s time for you to get busy – de-clutter, relax, and enjoy.
The 12 of the Most Common Excuses for Clutter, Part 1
It never fails, we put decluttering on our list of tasks to do but then we just never seem to get to it. The trouble is until you take on this challenge, you will never really enjoy your home or office, and you’ll never really relax. The other problem is the problem grows over time. One day you wake up and your house looks like the homes on the new reality TV show “Hoarders.”
1. “I can’t distinguish between clutter and essentials.”
Not everyone is able to perceive clutter either on an emotional or auditory level. They simply don’t see the old magazines stacks, or the empty or expired prescription medications. Get help from someone who is not visually challenged and who can see clutter.
2. “For years I’ve wanted to organize and de-clutter, but just the thought of undertaking such a project stops me in my tracks.”
The first thing you need to do is acknowledge your home is in desperate need of organization and decluttering and that you need to take control of your space. Get help. It’s amazing how just a little help can really get you motivated.
3. “You can’t put magazines in the garbage.”
Contrary to what you might believe, magazines are not some type of national treasure, and even if you need an older issue schools and libraries usually keep such issues. With so much reading material surrounding us there’s not enough time to read it all and you definitely can’t keep it all hoping to find time. So out with the trash those magazines should go.
4. “What if I need this one day?”
We’ve all held on to things just in case we need them one day. Ten years later you’ll still be hanging on to them and still saying the same thing. All that space gone to waste for no justifiable reason, because it’s likely most of that bits and pieces are already outdated. Most items don’t get better with age, so why not part with it now and should you need it you can always replace it.
5. “If I just get more shelving or storage I’ll be able to find a place for this stuff.”
This is nothing more than avoidance so you don’t have to part with items. Adding additional storage isn’t bad but only after you’ve thoroughly cleaned house and de-cluttered your world. If you just put all the stuff laying around on shelves and in storage, then you’ll just collect more “stuff.” It’s not a solution.
6. “If I just organized the stuff it would be so cluttered.”
Yes it would, and you’d be moving that same stuff around for years to come. There are things you should keep and things you should get rid of to reduce the clutter. Sure organizing is a huge part of it but you simply must get rid of things too if you want to de-clutter.
That’s the first 6 most common excuses. We’ll look at the last 6 in part 2. What’s quickly becoming clear is excuses for why you can’t or won’t de-clutter your space and your life, are just that excuses!
Declutter and Organize Your Home
Let’s face it; your home did not get disorganized in one day so it is not going to only take one day to declutter your home. You might want to try setting aside a certain amount of time each day to tackle this problem. Start by getting three boxes; one labeled “give away”, “throw away” and one labeled “put away”. Line the “throw away” box with a garbage bag for an easier way to throw out your trash.
Start with one room of your home at a time. Remember that the goal is organization so do your cleaning in an organized way. Start at the entrance of the room and work your way clockwise around the room. Do not skip anything. It can be hard trying to determine what things are important to keep and which ones are ready to go in the throw away or give away boxes. You should ask yourself several different questions when considering what to do with a particular item. Start off by asking yourself how you feel about the item. Do you love it? Does it have sentimental value? Does the item make you feel sad or guilty? It might not be a good enough reason to keep something around that is cluttering up your home just because someone gave it to you and you fell guilt about getting rid of it. Something else to ask yourself about an item is if you have used it in the past year. Is it broken or not in good condition? Do you have another one that might be better? These are all good reasons you might want to get rid of a particular item. Once your “give away” box is full, take it to your local thrift store or donation center. You might also want to consider if you “give away” items might earn you a little cash by putting them on eBay or craigslist.
You might not have realized how many things are out of place in your home until your have looked at you “put ways” box after you have started to declutter a room. Once this box is full stop your de-cluttering and put these items away. Do not put the box in a closet, down the basement or in an attic with the best intentions of getting to it later. You know that you will never get around to doing it until it is time to declutter you basement, closet or attic.
When working around the room you are de-cluttering, don’t skip things like shelves, draws or furniture. This is the perfect time to start to organize the room as well. For instance, if one of the pieces of furniture is a desk, look through and organize the draws. Make sure you have a proper place for things like pens, envelopes, stamps, and bills. This might also be the place where you keep important financial papers. Go through these papers as well. Get rid of anything that is older then a year and create an alternative spot in the home you can keep important finical information for several years.
Decluttering your home is not as overwhelming as it seems. You just have to remember to take your time and be diligent in getting back to it every day until it is done. Keep a rag with you also to clean as you go. When you are all done with your de-cluttering, you can go through the room again to place your special items decoratively and make each room of your home just the way you would like it.
