2 Honest-to-​Goodness Ways to Get Rid Of Clutter

Getting rid of clutter just got easier by usingthese 2 tried and true ways to manage your time and get rid of clutter. If youthink you don’t have enough hours in the day try these for 10 days ans find outwhat a big difference they make.

When I think of my 82 year old grandma I think of her tinyyet beautiful garden with its straight rows of veggies. My cousins and I usedto “sneak” (Now that I am older I suspect she was watching us from her kitchenwindow) into the lettuce patch and pick the luscious greens. We would take theminto the house and after washing the leaves would smother them in mayonnaiseand eat them with relish and delight. My grandma would fake scold us forgetting in her garden and we would laugh and giggle.

Another thing I remember her doing was twiddling her thumbs.I was reminded of this mannerism the other day when I was visiting with afriend and she was doing the same thing. It caught me off guard that someonewho is not old was twiddling her thumbs.

Do you ever say to yourself “I sat around all day twiddlingmy thumbs”? It might be nice if we had that luxury but I know we are all busyand our time is at a premium with everything we have to do. One of the things Isee a lot of in magazines at the newsstands are articles on getting rid ofclutter and clutter clearing.

Just like thumb twiddling doesn’t get us anywhere just beingbusy doesn’t mean we are accomplishing getting rid of clutter. There are manyeasy things we can do every day that will help us to clutter clear in our homesand space.

1. Make lists

·Write your lists in a place where you can findthem again. I don’t recommend using sticky notes as they can pile up, get lostand buried. Write them in your daily planner. (If you don’t have a planner getone and use it—either an electronic one or a paper one). I use a paper onebecause I like the tactile feeling of writing things in it and checking themoff.

·Create a master list where you write everythingthat comes into your head that you want to do. Things as simple as sewing on abutton, calling someone, exercising, working on a craft, or getting rid ofclutter in a specific area in your home.

·Create a daily to do list. Prioritize this listby putting a number by each item in the order of the most important things toget done first down to things you want to get done but can be moved to anotherday if they aren’t done that day. Caution: Don’t always move ‘get rid ofclutter’ to the next day.

2.Plan for tomorrow today.Years ago I was trained in the one minute manager system.The only thing I remember from that training which I have used for years and hasproved to be very valuable is this: prepare for tomorrow the night before. WhenI worked in an office I would use the last 10 minutes of the day to straightenmy desk and check my planner to see what was planned for the next day.

At home I do the same thing, at the end of every day I tidy up which is a way to get rid of clutter that has maybe accumulated during theday. Doing it daily prevents clutter from piling up. Piles always take a lot longer to get rid of.

Mornings are much easier and simpler when the cell phone has been recharged the night before and anything leaving the house has been placedby the door. (Things such as back packs, brief cases etc.) Also checking purses for lunch money or check to see if things needed to make lunches are on hand tomake mornings run smoother.

These two simple tips: to make lists and plan ahead make getting rid of clutter easier as not always being in a big hurry and “scattered”help keep us focused and accomplishing our goals.