Is Clutter A Problem?

10 Questions to Help You Declutter


by Mandi on April 12, 2010
http://organizing.yourway.net/10-questions-to-help-you-declutter/

One aspect of having a simple home is to keep it free from clutter. While there are varying degrees of this and not everyone chooses to live a minimalist lifestyle, there’s no way to get around the need to declutter regularly as part of your simplifying goal.

1. Is this item something I use regularly?

A lot of times we keep gadgets, tools, toys, art supplies, et cetera around because they seem useful. However, it’s important to consider how often you actually use each item when deciding whether it’s worth keeping or should be given away. If you haven’t touched it in three to six months (or more), despite your best intentions, it is a good candidate for decluttering.

2. If not, is it something I love?

Of course, there are obviously exceptions to this rule (including seasonal items that you usually regularly in season). One exception I would always encourage you to make is for items you love. Keeping a painting from your grandmother that you love even if it doesn’t have a place in your current home is much different than keeping a snowcone maker that you have been meaning to use for two summers but never seem to have the motivation to actually pull out.

3. Am I keeping this out of obligation or expectation?

Chances are there is at least one thing in your home that you’re keeping not because it’s useful or you love it but because it was a gift from someone and you feel obligated to keep it. While I completely understand the desire not to hurt someone’s feelings, I think it is also important to remember that this is your home and if it is affecting your life, it’s okay to declutter gifts as well as the things that you’ve bought for yourself.

4. Am I holding onto this because I think I should love it?

Maybe you have a piece of artwork or a trendy outfit you picked up because they were popular and you felt like you should love them, even though you really don’t. Maybe your craft area is stocked with supplies for a hobby that no longer interests you. In all of these cases, it’s important to consider how you really feel and make your decisions based on those feelings rather than the ones you think you should have!

5. Am I saving this just in case?

One of the most common causes of clutter is a fear of needing something that you’ve given or thrown away. The reality is that if you commit to simplifying and decluttering, chances are that this will happen at some point. But for those of us who take the plunge to get rid of the unnecessary, the benefit of a clutter-free home is almost always worth the tiny bit of regret in these situations.

6. Do I have multiples of the same thing?

How many spoons or spatulas do you really need in your kitchen? Obviously your answer will depend on the type of cook you are, but ask yourself this question whenever you have multiples of any item. There’s a difference between being prepared and more efficient and just creating clutter!

7. Could something else I own do the same job?

I think this is a fun question! As you’re decluttering, look at any specialized tools or items you have and ask yourself if you could do the same job with another item, thereby cutting down on the number of different things you keep. To use another kitchen example, I decided to simplify our entertaining by giving away a bunch of our serving bowls once I bought a set of beautiful stainless steel mixing bowls from Ikea. I use these every day for cooking, but they also make great bowls for chips, dip, ice, et cetera.

8. Am I holding onto a broken item to fix one day?

This is another classic cause of clutter. Perhaps you have a piece of broken furniture or a broken electronic that you’re just sure you will have the time and desire to fix at some point. But ask yourself how long it’s been sitting in storage waiting for that day to come and whether you’re really ever going to get to it as you make the tough decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of.

9. Is this item worth the time I spend cleaning/storing it?

It’s important to remember that both your time and the space in your home have value. Think about how much time you spend cleaning knickknacks that you don’t really love. Or how about the time you spend sorting through the things in storage time and again to either find something you do need or want or to try to declutter once more. Would your life have less stress and busyness without those items?

10. Could I use this space for something else?

Think of the possibilities of what you could do with a closet or storage area in your home if you weren’t holding onto everything that currently fills it. What about a shelf full of knickknacks or books that don’t really interest anyone in your home? Your space has value too, and it’s important to look at the cost of everything you keep in terms of the space it occupies as well.

Which of these questions is the most challenging for you? Are there items in your home that you need to give yourself permission to give or throw away?

As I read through the above tips, I couldn't help but see myself in so many of them.  I am going to print this out and post it somewhere where I will read it every day.  These are excellent questions to help us look at what is cluttering our lives.  Thank you Mandi

Fran

Change Your Life For The Better

What Innovation Can Do to Your Life

Have you ever marvelled at somebody's creative prowess? Guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. Think about the box of crayons you were given in kindergarten. They were not limited to those the teacher thought possessed potential, they were given to everyone; because the truth is, everybody has potential.

You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or to drive or to never commit the same mistake again? It's the same with innovation. It takes a bit of practice and a lot of time to train your mind. This article is designed to give you a few tips on how to bring more innovation into your life.

First, don't listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will probably only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. For the most part, they won't. And the help you will probably get often comes in the form of negative feedback. If all geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

You need to spend time on it. Instead of watching TV, exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to squeeze both work and creativity into your day.

Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure you have, this shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create a spark in you that can lead you in a completely new direction.

Find your own style. Perhaps you can't always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse but maybe you'll know what Hemingway wrote by the choice of words on the paper. Each of us is unique. People will appreciate your innovation because it is uniquely yours and no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. People see how valuable an asset you are.

Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece, nor do you need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a high-end laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't. Grab yourself some coloured pencils or coloured pens and start working on your ideas. Take a look at SARK and her amazing handwritten books. She has her own unique style and you can create yours.

Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so bad you become virtually unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul, you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

I hope this article has helped you with some ideas on how to bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there.

To your new life!!

Fran Watson

P.S.
Join SARK in a totally NEW, expanded juicy journey through words, feelings, and fabulously juicy living...with Juicy Journaling with SARK - Volume 2!