Using Clutter to Your Advantage

Nervous Nellie's

Did you know that clutter serves a purpose?

Discover what it is doing for you and you’ll be able to use it to your advantage.

Having excelled at creating an environment of clutter in my youth, I brought it with me into adulthood.  It’s taken years of buying various containers and reshuffling the clutter out of one room only to have it wind up in another, before I found a workable solution. Discovering the “causes” of my clutter and taking “3 easy steps” have helped me free up space so I can find and use the things I possess.  These ideas are based on the principles in “Organizing from the Inside Out,” by Julie Morgenstern.

Causes

What is this clutter telling me?  What are the causes?

“Need for Abundance” – Being raised by parents who grew up during the depression, I’ve had a fear of going without. Stocking up on food was a regular occurrence.  Just recognizing this has helped me to buy more sensibly.

“Unclear Goals and Priorities” – This required that I sit down and think about what I want to accomplish. Now, it’s time to dream.  I have a passion for photography and would love to make money selling photos.  Therefore everything that would help me toward this purpose stays.  I am in the process of writing my great aunt Anna Bella’s memoir which I plan to complete by 2017. Having the research and all the support material accessible would aid in my being more productive toward this goal.

“Fear of Failure” – Fear that my writing won’t be good enough meant I needed to find a more comfortable and convenient place to write. Writing more will improve its quality.

“Sentimental Attachment” – This is a tough one, so much stuff and so many memories.  For bigger objects that there’s no space for I’ve decided to take pictures of the items to have as mementos. Using the pictures for my memories I am free to sell or donate these items. This will create more space.

3 easy steps

1. Analyze
2. Strategize
3. Attack

1.  Analyze

What’s working and what’s not?

During this phase, I discovered that I do much better organizing supplies like printer ink, copy paper, pens, etc.  I’m not good at filing; therefore papers tend to pile up. The supply cabinet was organized but my work space was not.

My study with its years of research consisting of boxes, books, newspapers, and writings were littering most of the space. Getting to the computer desk was a hazard. There’s a floor somewhere. Finding anything was almost impossible.

2.  Strategize – Create an Action Plan

What follows is a simple strategy for my study. This is where I work on the memoir and do my job as Communications Coordinator for York-Ogunquit Church.

First I mapped out the space, breaking it up into activity zones.

Computer zone: a long desk with drop down keyboard drawer and two computers. One is for my job and the other for the memoir. To make organizing and writing the memoir easier, I’ve purchased software called Scrivener and it’s working quite well.

Copier Zone – a cabinet with the Copier on top and the supplies in it.

Book Case – one shelf for books relating to the memoir, one for communications job books/manuals, and one for photography.

Two research zones – containing information for the memoir. One zone set off to the side on a shelving unit to be used as needed.  The other zone a table that will allow me to pull out then look through information needed for the current chapter that I’m working on.

A filing Zone with two separate file holders one for personal and one for work.

3.  Attack

Now the fun begins.

As I looked at the mess in front of me I took a deep breath.  My goal was to clear the floor in the easiest most effective way possible.  With the above plan, I sorted by section.  All research material in one pile. Books went on the shelves according to topic.  Paper work was sorted into piles – personal or work.  Before long, I found the floor.  I was able to use a folded up bookcase with wide shelves for the research zone. Once the computers were in place, I discovered that there wasn’t a convenient place for the phone.  I re-purposed a small square table that fits perfectly next to the desk.  There’s enough room for the phone, a pad of paper to record calls, and a pen.

I found the floor!  It’s now easier to work on the memoir and do my job.

My biggest hindrance to keeping this space up is filing.  I’m currently working on a simpler system to make this more manageable.

I’m on my way to fulfilling my dreams.

If you found this information helpful, let me know either on Facebook, Google+, or in the comments section below.

In the next blog I will share: “Time Clutter: a strategy for making time for the things that matter.”

“Organizing from the Inside Out” is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble