Thirty tips to unclutter your life
with permission from Katherine Gibson, www.clutterbook.com
- Keep just those things that have a purpose, inspire you, or that you consider beautiful.
- Establish a set time for a daily “Ten Minute Toss”. (That’s five hours a month!)
- Start with the most visible clutter and then move into the cupboards and closets.
- Tackle one drawer or shelf at a time until you have completely uncluttered a room.
- Take everything out of the space you are uncluttering and replace just the things you use.
- Give everything a logical place. Tools in the tool box, kids stuff in the kids room.
- Adopt an attitude of generosity by giving things you don’t use to others. A suit you don’t wear could be worth a year’s salary to someone who uses it in a job interview.
- Toss everything you don’t like and have never used.
- Set an uncluttered example by giving gifts that are consumable (memberships, flowers, specialty foods).
- Remove your clutter immediately from your house or it will creep back in.
- Keep just the current issues of newspapers and magazines. Clip and file articles you may want to reference and file them in a binder dedicated to that topic.
- Put a basket for each family member by the door for mitts, gloves and scarves.
- Designate another basket for the library, video rental shop, etc.
- Cull your photo collection by keeping just the best of each occasion.
- Pay bills and respond to invitations immediately if possible.
- Spread the joy and recycle books when you have read them. Keep just those ones you know you will reference again.
- Review all files and storage boxes annually. Remove all things that are no longer needed.
- When you buy new pillows, bed linens, towels, donate the used ones to a shelter.
- To unclutter clothes closets, take everything out and replace just what you actually wear.
- If you put it down, pick it up; if you take it off, hang it up; if you open it, close it; if you use it, put it back.
- Underschedule. Do more of what matters most and less of what doesn’t.
- Multi-tasking fractures effectiveness and creates stress. Take on task and complete it before taking on another.
- Reclaim after-work hours for yourself.
- Designate "uncluttered family time" daily. Children live in the present. Slow down and enjoy them.
- Turn off the TV and read.
- Create quiet zones in your home, and quiet times in your day.
- Don’t clutter your life with unkind gossip.
- Do less on holidays. Give yourself a break.
- Keep meaningful traditions and let the others go.
- Appreciating what you have will diminish the need to have more.