I need help to learn how not to clutter so much.

amother

Thu, Mar 03 2011, 2:04 am

HELP!!! I was never this cluttered in my life. Probably over 6 months ago my husband and I have become a mess. I just leave things around and my husband is even worse than I am in that area. We have one table in our apartment and everything, I mean everything goes on that table. From things like bills to sometimes toys and even sometimes when I am just too tired to clean up from supper. Anything you can think of is there.
Then we have the living room area (connected with the dinning room and it is a small space together) where we have two couches and one of them is always covered with things (clothing, toys, coats) and then lets not even start with the kitchen. I just can not get myself started on cleaning the dishes every day. I leave them for once or twice a week.

I need to learn how not to make clutter (and how to get started on things and keep at them (our guest room is full of laundry - clean but not folded)

And please dont tell me things like "Get moving, dont let the clutter get so bad to begin with". That wont help me. I need either a recommendation for someone who comes to homes and helps people learn how to make order of their clutter or something like that.

Sherri

Thu, Mar 03 2011, 6:30 am

Professional organizer Vicki Norris has some great videos on YouTube, and I third the FlyLady suggestion. Good luck!

BTW, any professional organizer will tell you that the key is to have good systems that are easy and intuitive to YOU.

saw50st8

Thu, Mar 03 2011, 10:27 am

I struggle with this as well.

I have a few suggestions:

1) Have less stuff. Seriously, the less you have the less there is to make a mess.

2) Be realistic about what you can or cannot accomplish. I've given up on putting away laundry for my kids because they are sleeping after I fold it. If I get to it on the weekend, great. If not, its folded in a laundry basket for easy use.

3) Have a place for everything. Make sure to put it back. DH is very good at this and is making me better.

4) Start small.

I like Flylady too, but never got into her sink thing.

yidish

Thu, Mar 03 2011, 10:28 am

http://www.hakolbeseder.org/

Hakol Beseder
Turning your life right side up!

Step by step guide and full support 347-772-1188. I think she would also come down to you and help you implement the program.

Hatzlacha

PinkFridge

Thu, Mar 03 2011, 10:44 am

saw50st8 wrote:

Think of clean sink as a concept. For some people, it could be a clean stovetop, or uncluttered table. Something they do on a regular basis that brings peace.

amother

Thu, Mar 03 2011, 2:00 pm

yidish wrote:

Thanks. I will check out the site, but I am not in america.

fortunate123

Sun, Mar 20 2011, 1:49 am

I have been plagued all my life with this problem. People who are naturally organized don't get it at all why we can't just get organized. All the professionals in the world won't be able to help you because they don't get the fact that some people THINK differently than they do. I am guessing you are the type of person who daydreams a lot, gets distracted easily, and has an extremely hard time with self dicipline if any kind. You are most likely the type of person who will "play it by ear"...your true solution is to accept this fact, realize this is your mission in life - to start having systems and living within those systems...systems for where you will put things, where you will store things, and time systems as well for how often you will do certain things. As soon as you make even the smallest change in your life to transitioning from "playing it by ear" to "following notes" you will immediately feel encouraged to regulate your life much more and begin to establish more systems that you actually stick to.
Good luck!

Sherri

Sun, Mar 20 2011, 7:17 am

Any professional worth his/her salt will be able to work with all different kinds of people, even those who think differently than they do- those who are naturally organized don't need the professionals.

amother

Sun, Mar 20 2011, 4:54 pm

You are describing me exactly! I used to be so organized and lately like you are saying everything is ending up on the dining room table! My problem is I dont know where to put the things. I have pictures on the table (from my shower) and bills and things like this. I just look at the table and get overwhelmed because I dont know where to put the stuff so it never gets cleaned.
I will be watching this to see if anyone has good advice.

Sherri

Sun, Mar 20 2011, 7:56 pm

I would advise you both to check out flylady and other organizing sites (there are videos on YouTube if you don't want to just read and want to be more motivated), and see what systems they have to offer. There are many many tips and tricks and systems out there. When you see one that seems like it is doable for you and works with your personality, try it out!

Flylady, for example, is into baby steps, and routines- most good organizing systems are into routines, because once you get into them, things run on their own, half the work is done.

Figure out your hot-spots- where does everything in the main rooms tend to clutter?

To de-clutter- have large bags labeled Keep, Give Away, Throw Out, and on a timer, spend 10 minutes or so in a closet, dividing objects between these 3 bags. Do this until you are basically de-cluttered.

Work out a system for mail and bills and paper clutter...

LisaS

Mon, Mar 21 2011, 7:08 am

Fortunate - you described me exactly.

I do my best cleaning up when we have guests. It means tidying up under stresss, but it works.

(and no, I do not invite guests for the purpose of cleaning. It is just a side benefit of hachnasat orchim.)

Sweet Valley Gal

Mon, Mar 21 2011, 10:56 am

thekosherchannel wrote:

Isramom8 wrote:

Flylady!
http://www.flylady.net/

Go to Beginner BabySteps

I SECOND THAT!
Flylady is great!

I just signed up. Mayeb this will help me with my clutter! Thanks OP for starting this thread!

NotSoNewKallah

Mon, Mar 21 2011, 11:22 am

I didnt like Fly Lady so much but what helps me is this:

*Everything has to have a place. And put it away immediately. Buy yourself and expanding file and label each section for different bills and paperwork.
http://www.officemax.com/offic.....files

*If you dont need or use it, dump it. Junk mail gets thrown away right away. Dont leave it laying around to pile up.

*Fold laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer. This way you dont have piles and piles waiting to be folded.

*Same goes for dirty dishes. Dont even leave it in the sink. As soon as you finish eating, wash it.

DONT PROCRASTINATE!!

bluebird

Mon, Mar 21 2011, 10:07 pm

Another clutterer here. Most of the time I end up with clutter for exactly the two reasons others have wrote: not having a place to put things, and procrastination. The #1 thing that has helped is finding places for things by starting with the place where I tend to dump them. Keys, purse, mail, shopping bags all over the kitchen counter? I solved that by making an organized area to dump those things right by the door. Forget about where you think things should go, and concentrate to finding places for them where you tend to drop them now. There's usually a good reason why they end up there, so you might as well work with it.

NotSoNewKallah

Mon, Mar 21 2011, 10:59 pm

Another tip: Get a key hook and hang it up near the door. FIRST THING when you walk in the door, hang your keys and purse. Always. You will never be rushing out the door looking for your keys, purse, wallet, etc...

Hang up a notepad on the fridge with a pen hanging from it. As you notice you are running low on grocery items, scribble it on the notepad and just take along when you go shopping.

newbie

Wed, Jun 29 2011, 3:59 pm

I LOVE the Flylady, after 4 or 5 years I still follow her and found my own way. 15 minutes a day can change everything. I fell back here and there but know that's ok, it can happen (new baby, stress etc.), but so far I've always bounced back. Give her a try!
I also find this page inspiring when I cling on to too much stuff:

http://www.clutterbusting.com