Introduction A place for everything and everything in its place. Who hasn't heard that phrase? And who hasn't thought of it as a fantasy? No one has clutter in their fantasy, but in reality, everyone does. Let's face it: No matter how big your home or how much storage space you have, clutter always seems to have a life of its own, abiding by that law of physics that says matter expands to fill the space available. If you have to stop to clear a work area every time you start to carry out a task like cleaning, cooking, or laundry; if you're constantly losing your keys and you have to wade through eighteen months of unread Reader's Digests to get to the TV Guide; then you have a clutter problem. But in case you think clutter is just an aggravation, consider this: Clutter is costly! Have you ever:
- Paid late fees on a bill because you misplaced it until it was too late? Those credit card bills are high enough without tacking on late fees.
- Bought duplicates of the same item without knowing it? Okay, it's nice to stock up on lightbulbs, but twelve boxes?
- Forked over unnecessary fines at the library or video store? Sure, Caddyshack may have given you a lot of laughs, but forget to return the tape on time and that $8 fine will do a lot to wipe the smile off your face.
Mistakes happen, but habitual disorganization can lead to more than your fair share of unhappy consequences. Consider a good friend of mine who carefully arranged every detail of her wedding -- but forgot to bring the key to the reception hall for the caterers. While the food and supplies were being unloaded on the sidewalk, the frantic bride had to dispatch a friend to her home for the missing key. The unlucky caterers had to hastily set up the wedding feast while the ceremony was taking place. Not an auspicious beginning to a lifetime union. Then there was the mother who baked and iced two dozen cupcakes for her son's class birthday party-and left them on the kitchen counter in a last-minute dash to get out the door on time. And what about the health care executive whose closet was so hopelessly disorganized that he once attended an important meeting wearing one black and one brown shoe! Do any of these stories sound familiar? Situations like these are upsetting and stressful, but you'll be happy to know they're also unnecessary -- a little less clutter and a little more organization is all it takes.
You know, the reasons for holding on to clutter are as many and varied as clutter itself. Often we are loath to get rid of a particular item because we think it might come in handy "sometime" or "somewhere." We hold on to broken goods, thinking that the day will come when we'll have the time or the know-how to repair them or scavenge the parts to repair something else. We keep possessions because they have sentimental value, or because they hold promises that we aren't willing to part with. I have a friend whose shelves are full of good intentions: Tae Bo™ tapes that were going to transform her into a feisty size 6, a French language course for a trip that never materialized, a basket full of wool that one day hopes to become a sweater. Is that you? It doesn't have to be.
We all have our favorite things that we don't want to part with. That's fine. Nobody but the most strident organizational fiend would suggest that you get rid of all your sentimental favorites in your clutter clear out. And yet, what happens when everything is a sentimental favorite, when you're so crowded by things from the past that you don't have room for the present? Memories are great -- until you have to dust them.
I'm going to let you in on a trade secret. You can get out from all that clutter. You can live a life that's more organized and, consequently, less stressful. And you don't have to spend money to do it. The key to getting out from under all that clutter and getting organized is not a matter of adding anything: it's the thoughtful elimination of time- and space-wasting things. In most cases, you don't need to buy a single new product to get yourself organized; you can use what you've already got to control the clutter monster in your life -- and keep it tamed.
You already have what it takes to conquer clutter and get organized. So let's work together to get it done. It's easier than you think!
Copyright © 2002 by Linda Cobb
Chapter 1: Twenty Questions
Enquiring minds want to know, right? I'm a Queen with a mission -- to help you find out what will work best to keep your life clutter-free and organized. Just go down this list and answer these twenty questions. And be honest. We don't give out demerits. This isn't about right and wrong. It's about identifying your strong points-knowing what you're good at, what you have a knack for -- as well as finding out where you need to improve your clutter-containing skills. Just remember: No matter how big your home, the biggest room is usually room for improvement!
1. Are you constantly running late?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
2. Do you have trouble letting go of objects that have long outlived their use?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
3. Are you using eyeliner and lipstick to write down messages because you can't seem to find a pencil or pen in your drawers?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
4. During the last six months, have you had to search for your car keys...
· Never · Sometimes · Often
5. Do you organize and reorganize, but always end up with the same amount of stuff?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
6. Have you ever run the baby's formula through the automatic coffee maker because the microwave is used for storage and you couldn't find a pan?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
7. Have you ever missed a doctor appointment or social engagement because you just plain "forgot" all about it?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
8. Is your closet filled to the rafters with clothing and shoes? Does it contain clothes of all sizes?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
9. How many times during the past year have you given unneeded items to charity?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
10. Have you ever tucked in a pile of clothes because there is so much stuff on the bed you can't tell if your child is in there or not?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
11. Have you ever found an item you needed -- after you'd purchased its replacement?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
12. Do the kids think that everybody turns their underwear inside out on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday to get an extra day's wear out of it?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
13. Are there papers on your desk that you haven't looked through for over a month?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
14. Do your neighbors come to your house first every time there is a scavenger hunt?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
15. When you start cleaning and organizing your house, do you tend to get sidetracked and start another project?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
16. Do you generally know what time it is, or do you usually need to consult your watch?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
17. Is your idea of clearing off the countertop sliding everything off it into the wastebasket or drawer?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
18. Does your car sit outside because you need your garage for storage?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
19. Are you able to shut all of your dresser drawers without clothes hanging out the sides?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
20. Do you have to remove dirty pots and pans from your oven before you can use it?
· Never · Sometimes · Often
Now it's time to check your responses. For each time you answered NEVER, give yourself 1 point. For each SOMETIMES answer, give yourself 2 points, and give yourself 3 points for each time you answered OFTEN. Now add up your score and let's see how you did.
If you scored 20 to 35 points, you are indeed a royal organizer. Good for you! Use this book to help you hone your best organizing instincts and make yourself the Queen of your own castle. You probably have a lot of the basics in use, so now's the time to pay attention to the small organizing details you may previously have overlooked. Fine-tune your storage systems and banish clutter once and for all, and make sure you are spending enough time on evaluating and eliminating. If you scored 36 to 45 points, you fit into the largest group of clutter conquerors. Constantly trying to improve, you nevertheless feel like you are running on a treadmill as the clutter continues to grow...and grow....You're not part of the remedial organizing group (see the next paragraph), but you still have a ways to go to get your palace organized and clutter-free. Why don't you start with the chapters that pertain to your biggest problems? You'll make great strides if you really question and take stock of the areas you want to conquer -- find out what's not working before you come up with solutions. Take it in small stages and work through your clutter crisis area by area.
If you scored 46 to 60 points, then, yes, let's just say it -- you have a clutter problem. A BIG ONE! But we're no...
