5 Ways to Stop Clutter

Wherever I go, I meet people who find out I am an organizing blogger, and I get pretty much the same response! They begin making excuses for why they aren't organized, why they need me to come to their house to help them, and launch into questions about how organized my house must be. 

While it's true that I'm organized, I don't think I'm so organized that life can't happen. What do I mean by that? Well, if we organize to a fault, we can live life for fear of messing up our organization. That makes no sense! My main focus when talking with people is clutter! You get rid of the clutter and I'm guessing the organizing will be WAY easier! Here are my tips to stop the clutter - remember, I'm not an organizing professional. I'm just a girl who loves to organize. I'm not over the top organized - OCD, completely perfectionist! Just a girl who loves organization. I have said before I believe it's because I AM a bit ADD and tend to get distracted easily!

1. Get rid of distractions

Clutter is clearly a distraction. Do you ever sit down at your desk or kitchen table or anywhere, and there was clutter all around? Yeah, it's hard to get much work done or feel comfortable or just live.

2. Stop saying "yes"

Why are you bringing stuff into your house if you've got too much clutter? Stop saying "yes" to things. Why do you feel you MUST have something? If it's paper, throw it out, take a picture of it - but don't keep it unless it's a priceless, irreplaceable document {like a birth certificate}. If it's junk mail, use an app like "Paper Karma" and throw that stuff in the recycling bin. If a friend is giving something away, don't agree to take it. Pass on it.

3. Is your house on fire or have you been robbed?

I don't say this to be mean. I say this to take things into perspective. We were robbed in 1996. We were married just two years and in our new home. We didn't have much. We both worked full time and someone figured that out. They broke in and took all kinds of stuff. Do you know what? I didn't really miss much of what they took. It helped me put into perspective what was really necessary.

If you had a house fire, what would be the MOST precious things you'd want? You can't keep everything. You can't claim that everything is precious. It's just stuff in the end. 

If you were to move, do you want to move ALL that stuff? Start looking at your things with a different perspective. Realize that you don't know so many gadgets, so much stuff. It's causing you more harm than good. This summer my kids and I did "The Great Summer Clean Out" and I got rid of SO MUCH STUFF! Go to #OMFgreatsummercleanout2015 hashtag to see what I've done. I was merciless. I feel like I can breathe again. I got rid of things I have been holding onto for years for this or that excuse. 

4. Say "No" more

Say "no" to things online and in the store. Limit yourself. Get rid of everything you don't need. NEED! Why do you NEED so much? Does it really make you happy? Or is it making you feel stuck and awful? 

5. Stop the excuses

I hear so many excuses from readers as to why they can't declutter. It's my husband, it's my kids, it's my parents.....I'm not saying you don't have a valid excuse, but they are just excuses. I know, I have a husband who would like to keep stuff too. We work through things and compromise. Get a professional organizer to be the middle man if you can't work something out. They are knowledgeable about how to help you out with that kind of thing. Sometimes someone {like me}, just needs to give you a good kick in the pants to motivate you to stop the clutter. If I'm not working, get a professional organizer, and they will do it! I promise that getting rid of stuff will make you feel SO much better. 

Clutter is no fun. It can make you feel depressed and anxious and just plain miserable! Where do you start? Start small...and read more here about this. 

More about clutter here:

 

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