Clutter 101: The 3 Golden Rules For A Decluttered Life
I’ve written a lot about being organized and decluttering your life, in fact I did an entire book about it (you can download it for free here). It was one of the first big ‘lifehacks’ that I really worked on and it made such a difference to me. In fact I converted several other people, including my own parents, to the idea of decluttering (it backfired slightly because they tried to throw out all my old stuff that I’d left at their home when I moved out).
Recently I was asked how to maintain that blissful decluttered state. She’d followed this blog, checked out Unclutterer and Zen Habits and read numerous books, and she was now happy with the way her house and workplace was. She was no longer losing entire days trying to tidy up, and her husband wasn’t constantly asking where everything was. Well, most of the time ;)
But decluttering is only half of the challenge. Keeping it that way and staying organized is a whole different matter and she sometimes struggled with it. So, I looked at how I was managing and realized I was doing the same three things each day in order to stay on top of my clutter. It doesn’t require a book full of tricks and tips for this, just three simple rules.
I hope you’ll agree with me about these, but if you have your own set of golden decluttering rules, share them. I’d love to read your thoughts on this.
Do a little every day
Anybody who has let the dishes or the laundry pile up can attest to this one. Definitely doing a little every day is far, far better than trying to do a lot all in one go. You may come home from a hard day in the office, tired and fed up, and of course you’d much rather crash on the sofa than face up to all the clutter that’s gathered the day before, but you’re just making it harder on yourself. Don’t leave things till the weekend!
There are many decluttering chores that won’t ever go away, so don’t worry about constantly having an empty letter tray, having all of your clothes always hung up, having every room clear of dust, etc. It’s a losing battle. Just focus on doing a little every day. All you have to do is clean a few dishes each day, wash and iron a small basket of clothes each day, file away some letters each day… Just stay on top of it!
A space for everything
It’s the oldest known decluttering tip in existence, dating right back to the Romans (well, maybe not), but unlike similar old tales about broken mirrors and walking under ladders, this one is genuinely true!
Everything needs a designated space (different items can share the same space of course, hence the ‘messy drawer’). If not, stuff gets put anywhere and everywhere, often in the easiest place you can find. An important letter will get shoved in a drawer simply because it happens to be next to you when you open the mail, and your drills and screwdrivers will find homes everywhere from the garage to the storage cupboard because that’s where you left them when you last used them.
This problem doubles and triples (I’ve done the maths) if other people are involved because they will make up their own ideas as to where things go. Offices and workplaces are a nightmare for this. Mail gets mixed up with all the other paperwork rather than going in one letter tray. Paper clips end up in a dozen peoples’ drawers rather than in the stationary cupboard. I’m sure we can all provide workplace stories of people not following this rule.
So it’s simple. Follow the oldest advice known to mankind (at least it feels that way). Find a place for everything and put everything in its place.
Clean up as you go
This to me personally, is the number one decluttering golden rule, riding triumphantly above everything else (ignoring the fact it’s actually the last rule I’m covering). I think this rule is so important that it was originally my intention to dedicate this entire post to it. Now that’s special.
This is a simple one really, but it makes the biggest difference. Having spent what feels like a lifetime dealing with people who snack on the sofa and subsequently leave the crisp packet on the floor, or open their mail in the hallway and leave the used envelopes in a pile on the table, it’s also seems to be one of the hardest to do.
It takes a little bit of effort there and then to put your pen away after writing a letter, or hanging your coat away after you come home, but it saves you soooooo much time later, and that’s what makes it valuable. Take an average week and think about all the little items you didn’t put away there and then. Then imagine having to do them all in one go on a Sunday and you’ll realize quite how effective this rule is.
8 Comments
I applied your suggestions today (will make it a habit), and cleaned up my cubicle. Put books on the shelf, filed papers away… There is more to do but as you say, a little bit at a time. As for the coat hanging thing, I really need to do that as soon as I get home, as that is the source of much grief!
You are right on! My whole house cleaning system is based on the same basic principle – do a little bit every day, consistently – and your house will stay clean. People really underestimate the power of taking small, regular action.
One of my golden rules of decluttering is to never give up. The main reason it took me so long to even start to try and get organized was because I was once so far gone it seemed hopeless. When you’re still at the stage I was in, trying to do a little each day amounts to bailing out the Titanic with a coffee cup. I’d spend ten hours on a Saturday trying to put everything in one room in its place, trying to organize everything and throw out junk. I’d work and work and feel pretty good, but if I showed someone the “before” and “after” shots of the room, they’d hardly be able to see a difference because it still looked just as messy, and I’d get really discouraged. I know from experience that sometimes the simple act of refusing to be beaten by something like clutter can give you the strength and drive to conquer it once and for all.
Thanks for the comment Caitlin. Yeah, you should never give up particularly because the benefits at the end are really worth it. There are no maybes, or buts about d-cluttering your life, so that’s always a positive thing you can take out of it. If you do it, you’ll feel good about it. Simple as that.
Simple but effective tips here, James. I think it’s helpful to remember why decluttering is worth doing. For me, it boils down to three things:
Decluttering is easier said than done of course, but reminding myself of the above points always gives me the motivation to stay on top of things.
Tim, having children myself I agree about creating a clear and tidy space. I only wish they wouldn’t follow behind me though! Keeping areas tidy does lift the mood and clearly sends a positive message.
Some oldies but goldies. Doing a little each day goes a long way towards keeping your house organized, but there is a tiny urge inside ourselves every now and then to leave it for later. Always resist that urge as it will only cause you more pain later!
I love the simplicity of this list! Too often we try to over-complicate things, but there is no need. Your last tip is a big challenge for our family, especially when you are running from one activity to another, but I think we are going to have a little thirty day challenge to help set this as a new habit.