de-clutter

I am using the summer months to de-clutter my home and simplify my life. Here are some rules of clutter control that have helped me keep order in my home over the years:

1. A place for everything and everything in its place. Label, if necessary.
2. Organize things for efficiency/ease of access.
3. Pick a number and stick with it: if 12 pairs of shoes works for you, then get rid of one before you buy another.
4. Handle something once; resist the urge to pile it up to take care of it “later”.
5. If you haven’t used it in a while, get rid of it; resist the urge to save it “in case” you need it someday, give it to someone who can use it now.
6. When in doubt, throw it out, give it away, or recycle.
7. Displayed items must pass a test: “contribute” in some way to the “spirit” of your home, have sentimental value, or a functional purpose.
8. Take good care of what you have.
9. Weigh the value of an item against the effort it requires: if something requires more time/effort/room than you are willing to give, pass it on to someone else.

I’ve made it a practice to clean/organize one shelf or drawer each day. Of course it doesn’t happen every day, but by trying to keep up with that habit, things never get too far out of control, and pretty much everything gets cleaned/organized at least once a year.

You may have noticed a few changes to my blog. I’m trying to de-clutter that, too, hoping to eliminate unwelcome comments and get back to posting more often.