Go Organize: Conquer Clutter in 3 Simple Steps (5 page)

Remember Paula's story from the beginning of the chapter? She had the desire to organize, but she didn't get far because she got distracted. When she uses the principles of the Green Light, she will be able to stay focused and finish her work. Knowing where to start and how to approach the work will help you get started, and eliminating outside distractions will help you finish. I'll give you tips to help you stay in the Green Light to stay focused.

 


• Collect four containers
  .
  Before you begin any organizing project, be sure you have four essential containers with you: one for trash, one for recycling, one for items you plan to donate, and one for items that belong in another room. This last container is your “belongs elsewhere” (BE) basket. Put items that belong in other rooms in this basket and carry on with your organizing. Don't leave the room to put things away. If you find a broken item that you want to repair, place it in your BE basket and continue organizing. Don't stop your work to make the repair. Finish the task at hand first. You can deal with the items in your BE basket when you are finished organizing for the day. If other people live with you, distribute the items and let them help.
  

 


• Ignore the phone
  .
  When the phone rings (it will), let the answering machine pick it up. Have a planned time when you will listen to and return messages, say at 10
  A.M.
  , 1
  P.M.
  and so forth. This will save you a lot of time and you will quickly get more done! Let your family and friends know you will be returning calls at those times.
  

 


• Take your organizing tool kit (see page 22) with you.
  

 


• Use your timer
  .
  Take your timer in the room with you, and set it for the length of time you initially plan on working. If you have to leave for a break, take your timer with you and set it for five minutes to remind you what you are doing so you don't do what Paula did. Make it your goal to stay in the room for the entire designated time. Your energy will be focused and you'll make the most of your time.
  

 


• Take your drink and treats with you, that way you won't have to leave to get them.
  

 


• Wear clothes to get you in the mood to organize — comfortable, everyday clothes.
  

 


• Use a slow cooker to make dinner, or order out so you don't have to think about fixing dinner. This will help you to stay focused.
  

 


• Tell someone else what your plans are and then report back to her with your success. You will also get encouragement from her.
  

 


• Keep your written goals with you and cross them off as you complete each one.
  

 


• Get up one hour earlier or work after the kids are in bed to eliminate distractions.
  

INCREASE YOUR WATTAGE

As you organize, you'll find you need to make lots of decisions. Here are some guidelines to help you make the brightest choices based on your situation.

To Keep or Not to Keep, That Is the Question

Keep only the things you love, things that light you up, things that you use and enrich your life
. As you look at an item, trying to decide if you are keeping it or getting rid of it, give it a rating from 1 watt to 10 watts on the wattage scale (see page 15); 1 watt is low voltage; 10 watts is high voltage. If you give an object a wattage of 7 or above, it is a keeper. If it is at 4 watts or below, let it go. Ask yourself questions like: Do I love this or do I just like it? Do I like it enough to keep it? Can I live without it? Will I miss it if I don't have it? Will someone else love it or get more use out of it than I do? Is the space it takes up worth it to me? How does it make me feel? Am I lit up about it? Am I keeping this out of guilt? Am I keeping this out of fear? What is the worst thing that would happen if this item was removed from my life?

What is the best thing that would happen if this item was removed from my life?

When you are living in an environment where you are surrounded with the wattage of 4 or below, your energy is being drained, and you are living in a dark space, even if you aren't consciously aware of it. If your home and possessions all reflect a wattage of 7 or above, you are living in a bright environment. This is a place where you are lit up, happy, peaceful, and have positive space around you, which also reflects in your life. If you are living in the neutral zone of 5 to 6, you are not being drained, but I encourage you to turn up the wattage to a 7 or above. You'll enjoy your surroundings even more.

Only keep things you have a use for.
If you are using it now or have used it in the last year, then it is a keeper. The exception to this rule is don't keep useful things that have bad memories attached to them. Maybe someone you don't care for gave you the object or you bought it and you wish you had returned it but never did.

Keep only a selection of memorabilia you have inherited.
You don't have to keep everything. What was important to someone else will not necessarily be important to you. Donate items to enrich and bless someone else's life, and you'll find you are blessed as well; you won't be dealing with clutter. If you're still not sure about donating something, but you know you'll never use the item and really don't want it, you can take a photo and then donate the item. Keep the photo on your computer or develop it and put it in a book. You'll keep the memory of the object without having the clutter.

When Diane lived in the dorms at the local university, her roommate, Tina, moved out but left her iron in the room. Diane had no way of contacting Tina so she kept the iron. For years, whenever Diane used the iron, even though it was infrequent, it brought back negative emotions because Tina had been a horrible roommate. Diane put the Lights On Organizing System to the test, and she donated the iron and bought a new one. Her new, upscale iron lights her up every time she uses it. She feels good and it doesn't trigger a negative memory of Tina when she uses her iron.

Angela had a high-end, free-standing mixer. She wanted to sell it because she never used it, and it just took up space on her kitchen counter. She kept it for years because everyone told her she should keep it because it was a great machine. One day, as she was organizing her kitchen, she realized it didn't matter what other people said about the mixer, she never used it, she didn't want it, and it took up valuable counter space. She sold the machine, and she's never regretted it.

Remember, it's your home and your possessions; make it work for you. If you want to sell or donate your belongings to make more space in your house, it's OK. Don't let other people's expectations keep you from achieving your organization goals.

My daughter made two salt dough dolls when she was four years old. I thought they were the cutest things, and I was sure she would always want them. They were funny looking and splashed with paint as only a four year old can paint. I saved them, and when she was thirty, I showed them to her and said she could take them to her home. She looked at me with a you've-got-to-be-kidding expression and said, “No, thank you.” I couldn't believe she didn't want them. In fact, she didn't even remember making them. I decided I would continue to hold on to them for her. One day when I was organizing a closet, I came across the dolls again. This time I took a picture and tossed the dolls. (With some longing, I admit). I downloaded the photo, and the next day, I was going to send it in to have it developed so I could put it in our family photo album. When I looked at the photo I thought, why? Even though it seemed important at one time, I decided I didn't need to keep it forever. It felt good to get rid of clutter and create space. It would have been better if I had taken a photo at the time she made them, with her in the photo. This way I wouldn't have had the clutter all those years, and the photo would have gone in her life book.

Do not keep things “just in case” you may need them someday.
They take up space and create clutter. Ask yourself questions like: How hard would it be to replace this? Would it be cheaper for me to keep it or replace it when I need it? Do I have space to store it? Yes, there is that possibility you could use some of the things you are holding on to, but chances are you will never need them or use them again. I was cleaning out my file cabinet, and I came across a poem. It had been in the cabinet for more than twenty-five years, and I had completely forgotten about it. I argued with myself about throwing it away. I finally did and the next week (after garbage day), a friend called to tell me she was giving a talk, and I immediately thought of that poem and how perfect it would be for her talk. I contacted another friend for a copy of the poem and she directed me to a Web site where I might find it. I not only found the poem I wanted, but I now have a great resource to use in the future that does not clutter my space. And it turns out my friend didn't want to use the poem for her talk anyway.

A phoenix is a mythical bird with a tail of beautiful gold and red plumage (or purple and blue, by some sources). It has a thousand-year life cycle, and near the end, the phoenix builds itself a nest of cinnamon twigs that it then ignites. Both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn to live again.

The story of this beautiful bird that rises out of ashes reminds me that when we organize, there will be chaos and things will actually look worse for a little while (like a big mess you may want to catch fire!). But just like the rising of the phoenix, beauty, organized space and peace of mind will prevail. Your new, organized spaces will rise out of the chaos of your currently disorganized spaces.

Tip:
Don't hold on to a lot of “stuff” you really don't need, and justify it with, “I may need it someday.” This thinking is keeping your home at a low wattage.

Brighten Your Thoughts

If you have told yourself that you can't get organized, here is a “light bulb” moment: You can get organized. Change your thoughts to
I want to get organized
and
I can be organized
. You will start to believe it as you see progress — and by following the three simple steps — Searchlight, Spotlight and Green Light — you are on your way.

My daughter participated in a two-day, two-hundred-mile bicycle ride from Seattle, Washington, to Portland, Oregon. The hardest part of her training was the challenging hills; she said they were about killing her. Anytime she saw a hill ahead, she dreaded it. We suggested she change her thinking from how hard the hills were to telling herself she could bike the hills with ease and other positive self-talk. When the ride was over, she said thinking positive had really helped her every time she approached a hill. Every time you start to dread organizing, think to yourself,
I can organize with ease and it will be fun and rewarding
(or, if nothing else,
it will be done and I will be so much happier
). Positive thoughts produce positive feelings. I will be here encouraging you every step of the way.

You have used the Searchlight to find what you want to organize and the Spotlight to determine your goals, and you have a new and positive outlook. Now move on to the chapter with instructions for the room you want to organize first. You don't have to read the chapters in the order they are printed in this book. Let's get started. Green Light ahead!

Our homes can be our sanctuaries, our place of comfort from the stresses of the outside world. Our feelings of welcome and peace begin when we see the exterior of our home and continue as soon as we open the door to the entryway. These areas also create a visitor's first impressions of our homes. Creating an environment that is inviting to both you and your guests is one of the key benefits to organizing. So what better place to start organizing than in your home's welcome center?

Entryways vary from home to home, and many homes have more than one entrance. This chapter deals with all of them, from the back door, “mudroom” entrance to the more formal front door entrance, and the exterior front entryway. Let's start with the exterior entry and work our way in.

Using her Searchlight, Paula walked to the front of her home and evaluated what kind of impression her home was making for family and guests. She liked the wreath on the door and the welcome mat. She didn't like that the mat was dirty, and there was a broken flower pot with a dead plant in it. Children's toys were all over, and flyers had been left on the porch. She could see that her porch had a cluttered look and did not look inviting. On the wattage scale, she felt it rated a 4.

THE FRONT PORCH

The front porch, or exterior front entrance if you don't have a porch, may be a quick and easy place to start organizing.

Searchlight

Start by getting out your Searchlight and evaluating the area. The

Searchlight step is the time for you to look at the space and identify any problems. Decide what you like, what works for you and determine what doesn't work for you or what is keeping you from a wattage that lights you up. In your notebook, make a list of things that you want to change in this space by answering these questions:

 


1. What do you like about the space?
   

 


2. What don't you like about the space? Identify needs by asking these questions:
   

    
   

   1. Is the space orderly?
      

    
   

   2. Are there things here you could get rid of?
      

    
   

   3. Does everything have a home? (Are things contained or scattered around?)
      

    
   

   4. Are you keeping only things you use?
      

    
   

   5. Do you think this space looks inviting?
      

    
   
 


3. Now that you have taken a good look at this area, rate your wattage (see page 15). On a scale of 1 to 10 does it light you up on a wattage of 7 or above?
   

On your porch, you could have a welcome mat, a boot scraper, a container to contain shoes, an umbrella stand, plants, a wreath on the door, or a small table and chairs. Take a picture of this area so you have it for a before-and-after comparison.

Spotlight

After identifying the problem areas, use the Spotlight to consider and focus on what you want your porch to look like. Write down your vision for the porch. Then use that vision to set goals and develop a plan so you will reach your goals. Here are some goals you could set to increase the wattage on your porch:

 


1. Keep the porch clean.
   

 


2. Keep only beautiful things on the porch.
   

 


3. Do not keep toys on the porch.
   

 


4. Pick up newspapers and flyers on a daily basis.
   

If you have large goals that will take a lot of work to achieve, break those goals down into smaller steps that you can work toward. Also set deadlines for when you want to reach your goals.

Green Light

Once you've set your goals, you've got the Green Light to start organizing. This is the step where you take action and make the changes you want! Here are some things you can do to turn up the wattage at your front door:

 


• Move everything off the porch. This will make it easier to clean, either by sweeping or vacuuming, if you have carpet.
  

 


• Place things back on your porch being careful not to get a cluttered look by having too many things in the space you have.
  

 


• Make space at your front door for people to stand. This is one place where the expression “less is more” is certainly true. Plants and flowers are beautiful, but if they take over your space, they can also become clutter. Cobwebs are not welcome at the front door (or anywhere else in your home).
  

 


• Don't keep empty or broken flowerpots.
  

 


• Return gardening tools where they belong; don't keep them on the porch.
  

 


• Make a place for outdoor toys to go when not being used. This could be in the garage or at the end of the carport.
  

 


• Remove holiday decorations or seasonal items in a timely manner. When decorating for a holiday, plan ahead and mark on your calendar when you will take the decorations down — or better yet, arrange for someone else (like a family member or a professional service) to take them down and put them away.
  

Wrap Up

Let's chat for a minute about maintaining your newly organized area. With your Searchlight you found the problems, with your Spotlight you created your vision of your desired outcome, and with your Green Light you took action to organize. Share your goals with your family about keeping this area looking clean, organized, and inviting for them and for visitors. Ask them what wattage they think it is. Tell them why you want it to stay this way and enlist their help. Ask them for suggestions on how they will help to keep it looking nice and inviting. When they are a part of the decision-making process, they will more readily help. After you receive their input, set up some rules. Rotate weekly whose responsibility it will be to keep the area clean and neat. Be sure everyone understands and agrees with the rules. Be sure to praise your family as the weeks go by and the porch stays uncluttered. If you start to see clutter creep in again, take care of it before it becomes a big problem. Go back and discuss the rules everyone agreed to.

FAMILY ENTRANCE

Now that the exterior entrance is organized, it's time to move on to the interior. Let's start by focusing on the entrance you and your family use the most. Not everyone uses their front door. We often access our homes through back or side doors. Some homes have a mudroom attached to the backside entrance, and others have a door that opens directly into the kitchen. Whatever your setup, the entrance that is frequently used can quickly and easily become a magnet for clutter.

This entryway is a high-traffic area that should be organized so it can handle all the activities that take place here. This is where you and your family leave coats, shoes, boots, school papers, keys, and maybe sort the mail. Organizing and having places for everything eliminates (or at least greatly reduces) the problems of clutter and chaos.

Searchlight

Take your Searchlight and start searching for what is working and what isn't working. As always, start your search from the inside out (closets, drawers and storage containers you may have here). Take a picture of this area for a before-and-after comparison.

 


1. What do you like about this area?
   

 


2. What don't you like about this space? Ask yourself these questions:
   

    
   

   1. Is the closet filled with a jumble of coats? Are there coats that don't fit family members anymore?
      

    
   

   2. Are boots and shoes all over the floor and spilling out into the room?
      

    
   

   3. Is there miscellaneous clutter, such as boxes and empty bags, that have been tossed here because you didn't know where to put them?
      

    
   

   4. Is there space to hang up backpacks?
      

    
   

   5. If you sort mail here, is there a landing place for it?
      

    
   

   6. Is there a place for children's school work?
      

    
   

   7. Is there a place for keys?
      

    
   
 


3. Rate your wattage (see page 15). On a scale of 1 to 10 how does it make you feel?