We all do!  Our “stuff” is what makes us unique and defines our personalities.  It’s also what can make us feel overwhelmed (whether we realize it or not) in our everyday lives and minimizes the time we have each day to do all the things we want or need to accomplish.  There’s no better time than the start of a New Decade and Year to begin new habits that can make our time more efficient.  Below are two simple tips that can start to make a difference.

Go ahead give one or both of these a try.  What do you have to loose…other than your clutter!

Mail

➢ Retrieve and sort through your mail everyday!

➢ Recycle/dispose of all ads, flyers, junk mail, envelopes (don’t put the mail back in the envelope) that you don’t want/need

➢ Sort the rest in piles (or get a simple 3 – file sorter, something that can be displayed on a desk or wall)

o Bills

o Coupons/ads

o Personal/Misc (cards, notes, etc)

➢ The above steps really do just a few minutes each day, especially when you start getting in a routine!

➢ Do NOT stack your mail and go through it weekly/monthly or leave it on a kitchen/dining room table!

o Nothing is more overwhelming or exhausting than looking at a stack of bills that need to be paid

o When it is time to pay your bills, grab from your bill section of your file sorter.  Stack is organized and you don’t have to go through the mounds of mail that would normally

Clothes

➢ Go through your closets and purge all of the clothes that no longer fit, haven’t fit, never fit but were on sale and you were going to fit in them (you get the idea), then…

➢ Make a new rule…for every NEW item put in your families closet, one OLD item has to go!

o This includes shoes, belts, coats

• The array of sizes “for the just in case I’m that size again from my former life” to the “for my bloated days”, going all the back to “these were my favorite t-shirts in high school”

• Don’t forget the old make-up that hasn’t been worn in years.  It’s time to trash it!

➢ Put a box/basket in the corner of one or each closet or utility room

➢ Don’t remove items once placed in basket

o Let everyone know that if an item goes in, hits the perimeter of the basket its gone and can’t be taken out for reconsideration!

o Take Nicer Items to resale shop

o Trade clothes w/friends

o Donate the remaining items

• You’ll feel great about helping others and you’ll benefit too.

• If your going to claim the donation, you must get a receipt from the charity and keep a detailed list of the items donated

• You can take a photo of the items too.  That helps for larger items and for “condition” of items)

Even trying to determine what to discard can be overwhelming.  Ask yourself this question as you begin to clear out/exchange the old w/the new; “Have I worn it within the past 6 mo. – (1) year?”  Too tough, can’t cut the cord?  Okay then, stretch it to 2 years.  You’ll be surprised how much you’ll discard.

For whatever crazy reason the more you do these over time, the more organized you’ll find yourself in other areas of your house allowing you more time to do the things you enjoy….Happy un-cluttering!