OUT OF THE FOG: DECLUTTER YOUR LIFE

Life has a way of piling things on until we feel like we're just going through the motions, only to keep up with the bare minimum of what has to be done. The result can be a home and life that is full of things that need to be done. It can be very overwhelming, at times. Getting through one little thing at a time is the key to taking control of your life and home. If you are feeling like there is just way too much that needs to change, focus on one little thing at a time. Use these tips for quickly taking back control of one area at a time.

Scheduling

Life is full of schedules. Between work, kids, cleaning, grocery shopping, meals and paying bills, you can quickly get out of control if you don't have some way to keep up with it all. Setting up an electronic calendar on your computer can be very helpful. If you can lay eyes on it, you can see which days are overscheduled and which days you have room to add in something that isn't urgent. Set up reminders on your phone or make check lists for each day of the week. It's easier to accomplish your goals for each day if you see that the things you need to do are dwindling throughout the day. At the end of the day when the list is complete, you can relax without worrying about the other things that need to be done. They will get done on the day that they are scheduled to happen.

Clearing Clutter

Organizing can be a huge task if you look at doing the whole house at once. This usually motivates people to throw their hands in the air and give up, prolonging the problem and making it worse. Use your schedule to tackle one room per week until it is done. Then you can schedule maintenance for one room per week after that so that it doesn't happen again. If a room is particularly bad, enlist help from your family or friends to make the job easier. You may have to dedicate more than one week to a room if there is too much to do, but doing a little each day can make the task seem so much easier.

Creating Storage

Storage is a problem in just about any home. Make room in your closet for extra things that you want to get out of sight by using hangers that help you save space. Get rid of everything that you can and dedicate some room to storage. Use the space under the bed, on the backs of doors, or even under the couch to store containers.

About the Author: Jo Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for well made garment hangers.