Yesterday, I wrote about the game of
Whac-a-Mole that is the organizing process. Unless we stop bringing anything new into our homes -- something that's completely unrealistic in the long term -- we're constantly coping with a balancing act between just enough and too much.
While the one in-one out rule can help keep things under control, it's far too easy to end up on the wrong side of the line when we get busy. Couple that with styles and preferences that make it hard to get rid of things, and, before we know it, we're in Too Much Stuff-ville.
Have no fear. A few strategies can help stem the tide.
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Get rid of the easy stuff. There are some things that are relatively easy to dispose of.
- Things that are torn or broken, or missing pieces
- Half a pair of anything
- Things that are outdated (e.g back issues of magazines)
- Things you no longer use
Automatically getting rid of these things when you run across them can save you work -- and angst -- later on, as well as helping to develop a "weeding out" habit that helps keep clutter in check.
Create a stopgap. Not sure whether or not you can part with something? If it's an item of clothing, turn the item's hanger backwards. If it's still there, facing the wrong direction, at the end of the season, that might be all it takes to give you the nudge you need to let it go. Or, gather all of your maybes into one box (out of sight) and date it. If the box is still there in a month (or another time frame you decide on), get rid of it. Feeling brave? Don't even open the box.
Send it to a better place. Many people who struggle with throwing things away are happy to donate them, whether to an organization or someone they know who will love the item as much as they did. Find the inventory reduction method that works for you and put it to work.
One
of the best ways to stay organized is to always have more storage space than stuff to fill it. How can you make this happen at your house?
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