In this busy world we all find areas of clutter in our homes. Simple and consistent practices can help us eliminate daily clutter like mail and bill paying.
Some of us clutter for deep psychological reasons. The reason needs to be explored and a decision needs to be made if the person is ready to let go of old habits or not. If they are ready, steps can be made to eliminate clutter and then set up ways to stop clutter form creeping back! This blog will deal with both kinds of clutter.
Organizing in the Fall
By Frances D'Amato
As the days grow shorter, children return to school, and leaves begin to fall we think of spending more time indoors. This is the perfect season to organize our outside space.
First of all we think of the garden, leaves get raked and put into the compost heap or bagged and put on the side of the road for city pickup. Bushes get trimmed, bulbs get planted for next Spring and mulch gets put down. Now all we need is a plan. Some of us have gardeners who will schedule these tasks; others need to plan to do it ourselves.
Set aside time every Saturday for leaf raking. Since we enjoy the benefit of our deciduous trees all summer, fall is the time to clear them away. If we think green,...
Clutter Free Forever, How do I get there?
Frances L D'Amato
As I enter a client's homes for the first time, I ask how did this house get this way? As you will imagine there are numerous answers, I've listed some:
I've just been too busy at work.
My aging parents now need my help daily.
My children have returned because of the lagging economy.
I just haven't been able to keep up with the mail and things.
I buy multiple things because I don't know where to find what I have.
The more clutter there is the less incentive I have to do anything.
I'm sure you will be able to add your own excuses and for now I will share my experiences with clients who have dealt with these...
Insulating self with stuff
Have you ever felt that some of your objects are really preventing you from being whom you are?
You may ask what does she really mean by that question?
Let me see if I can make myself clear. I have an office containing three bookshelves. I do love books and have bought many for research purposes, but do I need to keep three bookcases? I doubt it. So why do I do it? Having three bookcases prevents me from having the room to put a bed in my office and turn it into a guest room. In a way this insulates me from having overnight guests. My crowded space prevents me from opening my heart and home to friends I'd like to see who live out of town.
When I look at my dinning room table I see the morning...
SEPTEMBER -- PROACTIVE ORGANIZING
As Americans we do not like to talk about death especially our own. I contrast that attitude with one of my Grandmother who died in 1971 after living a long and very happy life till she was 84.
I had just come back to the US from Beirut, Lebanon where I had been teaching at the American University. I loved being there and absorbing the culture but when Israeli jets started flying over Beirut and we were told to pack two suitcases that we could carry. My thoughts of returning home seemed more attractive.
I have always been very close to my Grandparents, so I went to spend time with my Grandmother. I didn't know that she had sold her home to my cousin with the understanding that she was going...
Clearing the Deck for Autumn
I live in Charlotte and we have experienced an unusually hot, dry summer. I have hardly been able to enjoy my outside patio or deck. But alas there is a glimmer of hope, the rain of the hurricanes has helped cool us off and we are enjoying 65-degree temperatures in the evenings and early mornings.
I may once again enjoy my coffee on my patio, but oh what a mess has accumulated over this hot summer. My glass table is covered with leaves; my chairs need a good scrubbing. My patio floor looks like it is part of the garden.
So I take each in its turn. The Windex comes out for the table after I have scooped up the leaves. It takes a few applications of Windex before I can see through the glass once more....
Clearing the Way for New Possibilities
Summer is coming close to an end, schools are beginning, some of us are looking forward to the holidays others are dreading them.
Suppose we could wave a magic wand and clear all the clutter we have been gathering all summer. What would you wave away?
Mail, clothes, books/magazines, objects from trips, family heirlooms to name just a few.
I'll start in the easiest category: incoming mail. Whenever I come home from a trip I have a box of mail that needs attention. It is a time consuming task. To avoid the mail pill up on an ordinary basis sit next to the waste paper basket when you open daily mail. Most of the ads, free credit card offers etc. go right in the trash.
I did at one time...
Clearing clutter in the Garden
It's May and time to turn our attention to our garden. During the winter months I don't get outside to do much gardening but as soon as the weather warms I love to sit on my patio and watch my perennials come out one by one.
I also get my rake and take out all the weeds that flourish with the warm weather. There are also a few leaves from the Fall that I find hiding among my Rosemary leaves.
So one day, I just rake and pull and fill a huge garbage bag with all the unwanted debris.
The next day I add some potting soil to the areas I will plant my annuals. I love Inpatients because they like my shaded garden and just a few plants will keep expanding to fill my open space.
We have a...
Buying Too Much
As the economists argue over whether or not we are in a recession, we all know we need to cut back. My car gas bill has doubled forcing me to look to other places to cut funds.
Instead of complaining I look at this time as one where I may be able to review my spending habits.
I look in my closet and see about 20 pairs of shoes that I seldom wear. Since it is springtime, I'm pulling out my sandals and beige and white shoes. I realize that I don't often wear high heals any more but look at four pairs of them. I try them on and decide to keep one and put the others in a bag for Good Will. Then I look at my winter shoes and do some sorting. I keep three comfortable pairs: black, brown and navy blue, the...
Saving for Security/Identity
We continue looking at the psychological reasons we clutter; today it's security. How many times have you heard someone say, I need to keep this because I may need it someday and I might not have the funds to buy another one at that time.
To some of us this may seem reasonable. However, when we look at the psychological and physical cost of keeping things we no longer need we may think differently.
If you have an object that once was useful but is no longer needed, you'll understand the other side of the story. A client of mine sold her home but kept her electric lawn mower when moving to an apartment. The mower took up valuable space in her small outdoor closet. She didn't have a lawn...
Preparing for 2008
The hustle and bustle of the holidays are over and now it's time to plan for 2008. It will take some time to put away all the holiday decorations and to finish up giving away the treats. New Year's Eve will soon be here and with it a time of contemplation.
We'll have time to be quiet and review all that we accomplished in 2007 and a few things we have yet to tackle. I suggest we begin with the accomplishments: Take time to look through photos of time spent with family and friends. After looking at all of them it may be time to begin sorting. Save the ones that are really great and delete the ones that aren't. Create digital or paper albums and label the photos so future generations will know who...
Frances L. D'Amato, M.A. M.Ed. is an Organizational Psychologist as well as a working artist. She founded the Tree Group in 1981 and has been helping Organizations reduce clutter and streamline systems for more efficient management. About ten years ago she expanded her focus to include individuals who work at home and then individuals who need help decluttering their homes. Frances works with the individual to discover the meaning of clutter and develops a process to allow people to let go and live in a more clutter and stress free environment.
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