Yes, we all have it. Clutter that is. It creeps up on us and before we know it, our clutter has taken over a room or table. It blocks stairways. And it challenges our ability to cook. And it piles up in a corner of our bedroom. Clutter can get out of control before you know it. We all need a bit help to manage the clutter in our homes, because let’s face it … clutter happens. Here are several ways that can help you avoid it and stay organized.
One Location
Assign a location for like items in your home. Mail lands on a desk sorter, toys are in the playroom, laundry is in the closet or drawers, and kitchen utensils are in a kitchen drawer. These are examples of keeping like items in your home in specific areas. This will keep your clutter down to a minimum and will reduce your time in clean up and locating specific items. According to Newsweek, most people spend on average 55 minutes looking for things in their homes due to clutter. If you locate items in specific areas, then you can reduce your wasted time of over 20,000 hours annually finding items. That’s 13 days of valuable time you can get back. Thirteen days that can be used for a vacation, binge watching your favorite show, or taking cooking lessons.
Put it Away
When items are strewn around your home, your clutter can turn into less productivity and increased stress. This makes it more difficult to get tasks completed around your home. Take steps to put away items in their specific assigned location. Fold the laundry and place it where it needs to go. This is a great task to enlist the entire family.
Mail is another situation that requires action. Place bills in a bill pile and recycle junk mail. This simple task will help keep your mind free of unnecessary hunting to make payments on time, thereby reducing stress levels.
Buy what you Need
In the society of all things bulk, it is hard to resist the value we get when buying multiples. However, buying in bulk can crowd areas of your home like pantries or bathrooms. These areas are associated with tasks like cooking and getting ready for the day. If these areas are crowded, it could distract you and take longer for you to get ready or prepare a meal. Which means you arrive late to work or specific functions. And dinner is now being served late evening when the family is ready to head off to bed.
Remove Unneeded Items
Sometimes we cannot help ourselves, we just buy items and pretend we will eventually get around to using them. Whether it be that we had to have that blouse or that fantastic painting, we have items in our homes that we do not use. It is time to rid ourselves of items that are no longer needed, used or wanted. Selling these items will give you some extra cash and donating items will give you tax benefits. Either way, it is a win win. You can focus on the items that are important to you and you can reap financial benefits.
Keep a Calendar
Keeping a calendar is the best way to keep track of your time. Knowing where you need to be and on what day and time is essential to keeping you organized. Use your calendar to keep track of daily activities, family or school events, home maintenance tasks, and appointments. All of these areas of life can be consuming, so getting your tasks and appointments organized on one central calendar will help you manage your time and also avoid any unexpected clutter due to these events.
Keeping you and your family organized by managing the clutter is a daily event, but only takes moments a day to save time and keep a well balanced life.
