Simplify Your Life & Escape Your Chaos
TOP TEN TIPS
Are you overwhelmed by clutter, paperwork, too many toys or treasures?
Are they in your home, yard, basement, attic, and now you’ve rented a storage unit?
Do you want to uncover the clutter and recover your life?
Escape Your Chaos with a few simple steps.
#1 HIRED HELP
Choose objective assistance. While family members and friends will offer to help, they aren’t as objective as you need them to be. They will be valuable members of your team once your sorting is accomplished. Invest in a Professional Organizer who is trained, licensed, bonded & insured.
#2 DON’T LOOK AT THE ELEPHANT!
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Break the project into manageable portions. Focus on one goal at a time. Choose a room, a corner, a cupboard or a table top and START! Celebrate when you have reached that goal by setting another one.
#3 SIMPLIFY
Chaos is expensive. You lose time when you can’t find something. You lose money when you buy duplicates because you can’t find something you know you already own. It can cause relationship discord when lost items are blamed on the innocent. Mercifully end the misery!
#4 TAKE A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY
You will be touching every item in your home. Be prepared to experience the emotions attached to them. Value the memories and lessons learned. Take a moment to remember, smile or weep, These items are the mile markers of your life. The sentiments you feel will help you make your category decisions. If a particular item holds an especially endearing story, write it down for future generations to enjoy.
#5 CREATE CATEGORIES
Keep & Use, Keep & Store, Give Away to Family or Friends, Donate, Recycle, Trash, Shred.
#6 DO THE MATH
What is the cost of storage vs the cost of replacement? Only store items that are irreplaceable or when value outweighs the cost of storage.
#7 LOVE IT, USE IT, or LOSE IT
He who dies with the most toys wins. Wrong! In reality we are only burdening our lives with needless upkeep and expenses. Rent toys or tools by the day if they will only be used a couple times a year. Yearning after the shiniest boat or car, on the market? Rent it for a day or a week and HAVE FUN without the cost of ownership. Many times the “once it’s mine it loses shine” syndrome takes over and you realize you don’t want it as much as you thought you did.
#8 IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT
When will you find the time to do it over? Tame the paper tiger. The definition of a paper tiger is “something that appears threatening but is ineffectual”. Pick up one piece of paper at a time and make a decision. Action, File, Shred, or Recycle. Whether you open mail daily or weekly, make those decisions on the spot. Don’t start piles for later, they will breed while your back is turned! Designate ONE SPOT for the mail, I use a basket. Do not use a container with a lid. Out of sight, out of mind. A basket can be picked up and moved easily to a quiet location for sorting.
#9 IT’S DUMPING TIME!
I don’t care who gave it to you! If you don’t Love It or Use It, LOSE IT!™ It’s totally fine to collect items you feel have value but only if you know where it is at a moment’s notice, if it doesn’t cost more to store than to replace. and it doesn’t keep you from enjoying your home as intended. The definition of hoarding is when your items prevent you from using a room, or your entire home, for the purpose it was meant for. Ask yourself if a rescue team could easily get into your home and transport you out on a stretcher if needed. If hallway floors are being used for storage, call an expert. Remember what each room is meant for, kitchens are for unexpired food storage and preparation, hallways are for travel in and out of your home safely. Bedrooms are for resting. Bathrooms are for keeping our bodies clean. Living rooms are for fun, family and friends. Dining Rooms are for eating or games and hobbies. Attics and basements are for storage, away from heat sources. Think safety over sentiment.
#10 Enjoy your new found freedom!