Clutter busters - Tricks of the Trade
The paper trail
Mail, mail, and more mail. Be it from the office, your child's school, local businesses or any number of companies sending you bills - mail accumulates at a pace far faster than most of us can deal with it! For most items in your mail pile, what to do is clear - you read report cards, you pay bills, you cash your checks, simple as that. But the rest of that pile sits there. Most of us put that pile aside and then we keep adding to the pile until we're fed up or someone spills coffee all over it. Why keep the stress around that long? The trick is FAT. With incoming mail, this is the good FAT - it means File it, Act on it, or Toss it. Save yourself some time and do it now!
Gift books you won't read
Somebody who cares for you has given you a book. You are touched by the thought but are not interested in the content of the book. You keep the book. You feel guilty every single time you see the book "I should really read it", "She's going to ask me about it". The person's goal was surely not to cause you stress - so why did that person give you the book? If they wanted you to share the experience of a good book, share a passion of theirs, inspire you, teach you something, you need to offer them that chance. Invite the person out to lunch and spend two hours listening to the person reach that goal by sharing with you whatever it was they wanted to share with the book. It needs to be all about them. Your friend's goal will be met you will be guilt free, and you can lighten your load and give the book a new loving home!
Samples
So many bathrooms drawers are overflowing with cute little samples. They can be great... or not. Take 20 minutes and do this: take out the samples (and I mean all of them). Read the labels, check expiry dates, smell them. Put those you don't like into a small bag or box and drop them off at a centre for the homeless, an orphanage, a local school. For those you like I have two suggestions. Put them all together and go into that pile every time you finish your current stash (hand lotion, shampoo, foot cream). Using it will really make you feel great and then you can recycle the containers. If you travel a lot or have friends who do, keep them in your travel bags so they are ready for you next time you have to go. There is no need for these itsy bitsy thingies to get in your way on a daily basis.
Overflowing pantry shelves
If you have lots of little containers for spices, Jello packs, cough syrup, soup packets, sauce packets, this is the trick for you. Buy yourself a clear vinyl over-the-door shoe bag (www.containerstore.com) and your problem is solved. You can see what you have, access everything easily, and you won't be knocking little things over every time you look for items at the back of the shelf!
Emails
Receiving information and communicating with people should not become a burden you cannot bear to see every time you turn on your computer. When dealing with emails, the key is quick and light. First, take no more than 1 minute to go over the new emails in your in-box. Once you've eliminated the junk mail, go back to them individually and quickly scan the content. Decide which ones are urgent and those that aren't. Deal with what needs to be dealt with right away. Procrastinating about it will only make the task more daunting and steal more of your time. For the rest, set a time in the day when you'll answer them. Remember the time we waste thinking about emails we haven't dealt with is more than the time is takes to deal with them.
Magazine articles
Magazine pile. Don't let it happen to you. If you buy a magazine, read it, then get rid of it. If there is an article that you really do think you will refer to or need to read again, keep it. Don't keep the whole magazine, just the article. Make a port-folio type binder in your office and at home where you can slip these for later reference. Less space, less guilt!
Remote controls
Here is one of the few gadgets that really do help; a box (a.k.a. caddy) with compartments for your remote controls. Have your children make a box if creativity is more up your alley, or make it yourself if you love arts and crafts. Not having to look for the remote controls and not having to look at them clutter your room constantly will make your ever so rare t.v.time more relaxing.
Medical necessities
When it comes to medical items you use all the time: band-aids, Tylenol, ointments, allergy pills, trying to keep them organized in a medical cabinet or on those tiny little shelves is a nightmare for any normal person. Buy yourself a rigid plastic storage container (usually used for food) and put all these items in together. The inside of the box won't look neat and tidy, but who cares. What you'll have is an easy to find, time-saving and clean one-stop shopping for your essentials. Remember your goal- to save yourself time and stress.