Now that the lazy days of summer have passed, and autumn has arrived, it is time to get serious about getting organized, being productive and accomplishing goals that may have been put on the back burner. September always feels like the beginning of the year to me, a time to start fresh, tackle long-neglected projects and take a hard look at what needs to change in order to live well. A good place to start is by sorting through piles of papers and possessions in order to get our lives in order and our priorities straight.
Eating well and exercising is not all that is necessary to be healthy and happy – our lifestyle and surroundings can have a huge bearing on our emotional well-being, which in turn affects our state of physical well-being. If we want to thrive for the next 25, we need to take a look at the state of our homes and possessions unless we are already a practicing minimalist. An orderly environment also fosters and orderly mind plus grants us the ability and freedom to focus on what matters.
North Americans are drowning in stuff. We sometimes procrastinate with the dreaded task of getting organized, but bravely facing the problem of too many possessions and decluttering has many rewards. By getting rid of unnecessary complications and junk, we are blessed with more time to spend looking after the things that really matter.
Every item we own costs us in time spent cleaning, storing and repairing so we need to ask ourselves whether each of those objects bring us enough joy to justify the expense. Simplifying means less time spent sorting through stuff and more time enjoying life with your family. Just picture how light and free you will feel having to deal with only the things you really need and love.
Key #1 – Get Rid of Stuff
William Morris (a Pre-Raphaelite designer, artist and writer) said, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Don’t go out and buy containers! By doing this without actually going through your things and assessing what sizes are needed, you are just creating more clutter. Once you have edited down your collections you may even find you already have everything you need to get organized, so you have saved yourself time and money. This is coming from someone who has learned the hard way that lots of matching wicker baskets are not necessarily useful once you have pared down your stuff.
Even if you have no aspirations to minimalism, you will still be happier and less overwhelmed by owning only the essentials that you truly cherish. But, how do you know what to keep and what to chuck?
Key #2 – Start with Your Clothing
The best way to simplify getting dressed is to choose a uniform. It can be jeans and a t-shirt with a cute jacket or leggings with a long tunic or a dress with tights. Men have it easier since their wardrobes are already way simpler in both colour and variety of garments. A limited colour palette also makes getting dressed quick and easy. Try to express your creativity in other ways than having a vast wardrobe. Limiting your options not only saves time, it keeps you from being overwhelmed by too many choices.
Anything that does not fit, is damaged (that you know you won’t get around to repairing) or you haven’t worn in eons should probably go. An exception might be fancy dress clothing that is only worn occasionally.
Only keep things you really love and would be happy to be wearing if you were to run into an old acquaintance. You do not need a whole wardrobe of painting clothes, so retire most of your old, stained, stretched out sweats.
Key #3 – For the Packrats Among Us – Use a Holding Box
If you really do not have time to do a major clean-out or are torn by what to keep and what to toss, try putting away into storage anything you are iffy about. Marie Kondo, in her best-selling book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, says that you need to look at everything you own, literally hold each item in your hand, and if it does not “spark joy” you need to get rid of it.
If you are having a tough time letting go, try temporarily moving items you are not sure you want to keep in a box or suitcase as a temporary stop on the way out. If you do not go back to rescue items in a timely manner, it is a sign that you do not really love or need them.
Key #4 – Everything Needs a Home
Once you have chosen the things you love and use, decide the best, most convenient place to store them and then corral all the smaller, related items together in containers.
This task will be so much easier once the bulk of the unused, unloved objects are gone. For inspiration, think of high end boutiques or celebrity closets and see how things are displayed with a lot of air between them.
Key #5 – Stop Shopping
Putting a halt to the inflow of stuff is the next major piece of the organization puzzle. If you keep bringing things in at a pace that is greater than you eliminate things, you will never find your way out of this mess.
I always make an exception for things like flowers, food and candles which are “consumables” and will leave of their own accord. Books are, for me, another exception, but only if I know I will refer to them again – otherwise, I make good use of my local library. A good rule to adopt is to get rid of an older item if you really insist on bringing home something new so the amount of things ceases to grow exponentially.
Just say no to free stuff too – I mean, how many more pens or tote bags do you really need? I know I have way more than I will ever use.
So, while I am sorting through my piles, I hope you are also sorting through yours and we can all enjoy the calm serenity that comes with beautiful, tidy spaces.