The Two Step

Two Easy Steps to Stop Clutter

Don’t Let The Clutter In!

How do we collect clutter in the first place? After all we came into the world possession free! Sometimes it's a learned habit. Our home environment where we grew-up is instrumental in developing the habits you now have. I have heard clutterers say they have the clutter gene. There mom or dad was a clutterer. Fortunately, gene therapy is not required to cure clutterers' syndrome.

Some folks hold onto everything because at some point in their life they lost everything. Floods, fires, earthquakes or financial hardship stripped them of everything they owned. The clutter gives a feeling of security.

Two Steps to Stop Clutter Collecting.

Items In minus Items Out

If you are happily removing clutter but, are adding things just as quickly, then you won’t ever be clutter free.

Step One:

Identify where the clutter is coming from. Observe your life and you will find your clutter input:

Junk Mail: Do you have a pile that you will look at ‘one day’? When was the last time you looked at anything in the pile? Toss it now!

Email: Do you get lot’s of unwanted email? Or are you inundated with newsletters and ezines you signed-up for? Unsubscribe the next time one hits your inbox. ICANN regulations require that the publisher provide an unsubscribe method in the email.

Gifts: When you receive unwanted gifts do they residence in some corner or closet? Get them out and either sell, donate or toss them. 

Shopping: Are you a shopaholic? You buy things because it makes you feel good at the time. Then you find that you don’t really use or enjoy them? In fact, they are taking over your life and causing stress. When you go shoppping take a list of just what you need and take cash. No credit cards, debit cards or checkbooks.

Unfinished Tasks: Is your mind cluttered with tasks ‘to be done’ that never seem to get to the top of the list? Actually write a list of all the "to do" things. Do one thing a day or at least one a week. Cross it off the list when completed.

Ideas: Are you a creative person whose head is always so full of ideas that it drives you crazy? Again, make a list. When an idea pops into your head, write it down. Then return to the work at hand. You can come back to the list when you are relaxing and further develop the idea, if you still think it is a good one.

Step Two:

Create methods that work for you! Here are some ideas:

One in one out. If you buy a new item then another must go.

Purchase only consumables for a set amount of time. Buy just enough to use until your regular trip back to the store.

When you are about to make a purchase ask yourself: ‘Where am I going to put it."

Unsubscribe to unread newsletters and ezines.

Get taken off the junk mailing contact lists. Go to http://www.the-dma.org and take your name off their lists. You'll need to look around on their web site to find how you have your name removed from their marketing lists. They don't make it easy because they don't want people to remove themselves. But, they will do it of you ask.

Put all your ideas on paper, into a folder and off your mind

Open your mail by the trash can or paper shredder – dispose of junk mail straight away.

Talk to friends and family about dropping their unwanted junk onto you.

Celebrate!

Enjoy what you have accomplished. And…keep working towards a clutter-free life.

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