Winning the War Against Clutter

If you can not stand the clutter that has you surrounded, then you know that something has to be done. For you, it is time to take back the control of your house. Whether it is simply too many papers lying around, maybe too full closets, or it could be piles and piles of stuff that totally overwhelm you, the answer is quite simple. You must take the time necessary to either get rid of everything that is not needed. That is where the simple part ends. Short of hiring a cleaning crew or a machine to come in and physically remove everything, you have to come up with a plan of attack.

Yes, plan of attack. This is war. It is you against the overwhelming opponent of clutter. Do not fret. You will win the war. With a lot of effort and patience in changing the habits that caused the clutter in the first place, you too will come out victorious. So, grab a notebook, a pen, a chair and table. It is time to draw up your plan of attack.

What is the biggest problem you have? What is the one area of clutter that you just can not take any more? Write that down first. This will not necessarily be the first area that you will take on. Stop worrying about how you will handle that problem and remember that step one is to plan. Now, continue listing the problem areas that you know of. This may change once you start clearing some of the clutter. There may be more than you thought there was at the beginning. The problem did not happen overnight, and it is highly unlikely that it will be completely controlled in one night.

Now that you have your list, take a good long look at it. Think about each and every problem area on your list. How long do you think each one will take to clear away the clutter? Write that down beside each area listed. The time is only concerned with the actual time spent clearing away the clutter, not preventing new clutter. Remember that in order to not simply move the clutter from one place to another that the time must include time to sort, dispose of unneeded clutter, and organize needed clutter.

After you have a general idea of how long it will take to do each task, it is time to start scheduling time to actually get down to the business of clearing away the clutter. If you work five days a week, it will take you more days to complete this task list than it will someone that stays at home. If you have children, then expect interruptions. Plan for these. The clutter is causing enough stress. There is no need to allow getting rid of the clutter to cause more stress. You are in control or you will be in control with time and patience.

If you have 15 minutes, then do you really want to tackle the first item on your list when you have two hours slated towards completing it? Common sense says no. But there is another alternative. Can that task be broken down into smaller tasks? If so, then feel free to tackle one of the smaller tasks for those fifteen minutes you have available. If not, then look on further down the list and find a task that either will take less than the fifteen minutes or can be broken down into smaller tasks. Just remember, that often, it will take longer than you expect to sort through and organize the clutter. There will be other times that you may finish earlier than expected. You have to remain flexible with your plans and alter them according to how things are progressing.

Once you have finished every task on your list, take another look around. Are there areas that you previously had not thought of? Did you create new areas of clutter? Write these new areas down along with a projected time to correct. Now, you can begin to tackle these new areas. Just be careful not to create new areas of clutter in the process. If you are only moving the clutter from one area to another, you are simply creating more work for you to do.

When the day comes that your list is completed and there are no new areas to add to the list, you can celebrate. Just do not think that is the end of the clutter. It has a way of creeping back up and surprising you. All it takes is allowing the habits that created the clutter to continue. You can break those habits, but they will take time. When you see clutter beginning to work its way back into your newly cleaned home, banish it quickly. Work on creating new habits to help prevent clutter from returning. Your home is your castle. It is your place to relax and enjoy life. You can not enjoy it as much if you are constantly worried about whether the house is presentable for company. When the clutter is gone, new habits are formed, and your house is always presentable but lived in, then you can relax. Just keep a close eye out for that sneaky clutter trying to get back in. The war may be over, but there may still be a few battles that you will have to win.