3 Questions To Ask Yourself When You Are Clearing Out Clutter

We all have it.  Clutter.  It just accumulates.  Little by little, bit by bit, "things" just come into our space. We may ask ourselves "How did I get all this?!"  At least twice a year it's a good idea to go through your home or office and get rid of things you no longer need or want.  Here are 3 Questions to ask yourself as you go through different areas in your home that have accumulated clutter.

But first a Tip: Focus on one area at a time.  If it is a drawer, take everything out of the drawer.  I mean EVERYTHING.  Not just mostly everything, EVERYTHING!  If it is a shelf take everything off of the shelf.  Put it on the floor, counter or in a clear plastic bin (my personal favorite).  Next, go through each item one by one and ask yourself these 3 questions.

1. Do I USE this?  Keeping things in our space that are never used takes up physical space, mental space, and emotional space.  Because everything in our environment is part of our own personal energy keeping things that are never used (no matter how much you paid for it!) prevents us from having, being and doing what it is that we really WANT !  So, if you don't use it...lose it!  Let it go.  Keeping things out of fear of not having enough does not bring us more.  Keeping things out of fear only keeps us stuck in that fear.  Letting it go is what frees us.

2. Do I LOVE this?  Our world on the outside is a reflection of our world on the inside.  Keeping things around that you don't love (especially when it comes to clothing) is not loving to yourself.  And it's keeping you from having the things you really do LOVE!  So if you don't love it, let it go.

3. Am I keeping this for SOMEONE else?  The people in your life that really care about us, that really love us, want what is best for us.  If you are keeping items out of guilt then it's time to let the guilt AND the item go.  (PS - letting go of the item will help in letting go of the guilt!)

Good luck and remember it's always easier with someone to help you who is not attached to your "stuff" so inlist a loved one, friend, or professional organizer to take on your clutter with you!

How to Clear out Clutter

What you will need:

12 small clear plastic bins
12 medium clear plastic bins
12 large clear plastic bins
1 Black Sharpie pen
Post-it stickie notes

1. WHAT: Decide first on the area you want to start with. Starting smaller is sometimes better as it is less overwhelming. A small closet or cupboard is a good starting point.

2. WHERE: Designate your work space. A larger area where you will be able to lay out your bins.

3. PREP: Lay out your bins in an orderly fashion so you can reach all of them and will not trip on any. Around the edge of a room with a row down the middle usually is good. Don't get too hung up on the bin placement as you can always move one if it is in the way.

4. SORT: Take out the first set of items from the closet or cupboard and begin to sort them between the bins. Label each bin with a stickie note to designate what will go in that bin. For example, if you are cleaning out your desk you might have a small bin labeled "BALL POINT PENS" and another labeled "PAPER CLIPS". Be as specific as possible but not overly detailed or you may run out of bins. DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY AT THIS POINT.

5. DECIDE: Set out 4 large bins and label them as follows: 1) TRASH 2) RECYCLE 3) DONATE 4) SELL. Set these up in an area away from all of your bins. Take the first bin (example: PAPER CLIPS) into the other room or to the area where you have your 4 big sorting bins. Also you will need an empty bin for the things you want to keep from that PAPER CLIP bin. This is your "Keep" bin for paperclips. Take out the first item from the bin and move it to the appropriate bin; KEEP, TRASH, RECYCLE, DONATE, SELL.

Tips:

EVERYTHING IS ENERGY: Remember that everything is energy and everything in your space is an extension of you. The things you get rid of that no longer serve you open up the way for new, better, more abundant things to come in!

I MIGHT NEED THIS JUST IN CASE or SOMEDAY: To keep things "Just in Case" or for "Someday" usually means that you've had it for a while and never use it and probably never will. I'm not talking about a designated survival kit or something like that. I'm talking about those ten empty journals, or that planter box that's never been used.

BUT I FEEL BAD THROWING THIS AWAY ! : Think about why you might be keeping something. Are you keeping it for someone else? Do you not want to hurt their feelings? Ask yourself if they would really want you to keep it. If the answer is no, and you don't want it then get rid of it. If the answer is yes, this person would really want me to keep this even though I have no use for it and don't want it, then consider asking yourself again would they REALLY want me to keep this? If the answer is yes then it might be a good idea to keep the item in a special box labeled " From _____ ". However, keeping things for someone else sake just keeps you from having the things YOU really want! If someone really cares about you they will want the best for you and will want you to have what YOU want, not what THEY want.

SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT TREASURE THIS: Somethings you might not need or want but someone else may love or desperately need. When making your decisions think about if you really love the item. If you don't really love the item, then do you need the item. Both are valid reasons for keeping the item. You want things in your space that are meaningful to you and reflect the type of life you want to live. Something that you've kept around for ages and never used might be needed or loved by someone else. In this case donating or selling the item is the best option.

So how are you doing on your bins? Ok back to the step-by-step directions:

6. After you have moved everything from the PAPER CLIP (example) bin and decided whether to KEEP (moved to empty bin), TRASH, RECYCLE, DONATE, SELL, move the stickie note "PAPER CLIPS" to the bin with all your favorite paper clips that you have decided are the best of the best, you want them, you will use them and they will add value to your life and your home office.

7. Put your newly gone-through bin in a separate area and get the next bin (example BALL POINT PENS). Follow this same decision making process with your ball point pens. This is a good time to see if they are all working by the way. Remember if you get hung up on something read through the tips again and decide is this something I love or I need.

8. After you've gone through all the bins, one by one, in a separate room you are now ready to put everything back. Clean the area so you have a fresh start. Ask yourself if you need any organizational tools like desk dividers or filing cabinets. Or for a garage or closet you might need some stack-able bins.

NEED HELP?: Do you have a friend that's super organized? Or you can look up your local Professional Organizer. In fact, you can have a professional help you with the whole process from start to finish. If you are going to do it yourself here are my tips about picking out storage/organizational items and tools.

BINS: It's important to have clear see-through bins. When you can see what's inside a box you are more likely to use it. Baskets and boxes may look nice but are less functional in most areas of the home. Bins with lids are fantastic for garages. Clear drawer pull out bins are great for bedroom closets, bathrooms and hall closets. They come in all sizes from tiny, for your make up and toiletries, to jumbo for your sweaters and shoes.

OPEN STORAGE TRAYS: These are usually smaller and do not come with lids. They are perfect for desk drawers and kitchen drawers. You can find interlocking bins which I highly recommend because you can fit them in drawers in many different combinations.

USAGE: What items do you need to use most? These should be the most accessible and easy to reach.

LABELS: Invest in a label-maker! Label exactly what is inside the bin. I recommend the Brother brand label makers.

Feel free to email me if you have any specific questions.

Thanks for reading and check out my pictures of Before, During and After this process!