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Clutter Journal Helps © 2006, Pam Hughes
Are there particular areas of your home or office that just seem to attract the clutter? No matter how hard you try, the stuff just seems to come back, and back, and back? Well, you are certainly not alone. Perhaps with a little thought and reflection though, you can begin to understand what’s happening and take action to truly eliminate some of the constant clutter. A “Clutter Journal” can help! Grab a simple spiral notebook or perhaps a decorative journal and a pencil. Now start in the entry hall or one corner of your office and walk around the whole house or the office. Begin to record the clutter you see, giving each area its own page. As you look at the clutter, list out why the things tend to accumulate, where they ought to be going and how you might get them to their homes in a timely fashion. Some of the things may land there because you are in a hurry and you simply don’t want to take the time to put them where they belong. For these items, you may want to have a basket or a bin to “catch” them and then schedule a routine time, perhaps at the end of each day, to get them where they belong. Some of them may land there because you don’t really have a good home for them. Think through where you would use them and then establish their homes close to those spots. A lot of the things may land there because you can’t make up your mind whether to keep the things or let go of them. Make a decision now that you are trying to make life easier for yourself and sometimes “less is more.” If you don’t love it or need it, pass it on! Now is the time to throw them away, re-cycle them, take them to the car for a donation run, or make a phone call to have them picked up! Getting back to your journal, if you need to create a home or buy something to contain the things in their homes, jot that down in your journal. Make a note also to keep a donation box handy and deal with it when it’s full. As far as the trash and re-cycle items go, jot down that you’ll schedule a 5-minute pick up at the end of each day and stick with it. Keep recording in your journal over the days and weeks ahead. Chart your problems as well as your progress. Putting things down in “black and white” often times helps define and motivate. In time you will find that your “Clutter Journal” is a valuable tool in the fight against clutter.
“As long as a man stands in his own way,
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