Do you have a space in your home or at work that you’ve been meaning to organize for a while but you never seem to get to it?

For the past year, I’ve been wanting to organize my office space. Everything was tucked away. There was no clutter around and everything looked nice and tidy—on the surface. The closet was a nightmare.

The office setup itself wasn’t functional. I didn’t like using the space. Every time I wanted to do something, I wasted time looking for the stuff I needed. There was no system in place and there was a lot of crap.

I started this project estimating that it would take me a couple of days. Little did I know that, like every other project, doubling the time and effort is the minimum requirement. After 4 days I’m happy to say that mission is accomplished.

I am writing this article sitting at my desk and focusing on what I’m doing. It feels great.

Reflecting on the experience, I wanted to share with you a few tips to help you with your organizing efforts.

1. Just start. If you wait for the right time or to have a complete plan laid out before you do something, you will never get it done.  If your project has been nagging at you for a while, the best antidote is action. By starting, I mean go to the space you want to organize and take everything out. Once everything is out of its place, you will have to deal with it.

2. Work with what you have. Don’t wait to get this tool or that gadget. If you need something, you can get it as you progress: it would be a nice break and a change of routine. When I was organizing the closet, I needed some paint which I didn’t have. So I stopped, got the paint and then continued.

3. Find uses for the stuff you own. Don’t go buying stuff to replace what you have. Try to find a use for your stuff first. Sometimes you can organize your possessions differently.  You may also get creative in how you use your space. You will save money and put your stuff to better use. Everything in my office is from my home. I did not buy one new thing and I’m so thankful for that.

4. Things don’t have to be perfect. When you are working in your space, you will face challenges and might have to change some of your ideas or outcome.  Don’t get bogged down by minor details. Instead, focus on the improvements you have made so far.

After applying new paint in the office closet, I noticed that the color was a bit off from the original. I was tempted to go back and get an exact match for the paint and redo it. Then I thought to myself, my intention was to patch the walls and organize. This is not a paint job. So I moved on and accepted that the color is not perfect. The closet looks much better than when I started.

5. Keep only what you use. This is simple but not easy. Getting rid of what you don’t use is harder when you start thinking of what you could do with your stuff. If you are unsure whether to get rid of something or not, put it in a visible place and mark a date on it (say 8 weeks). If you use it before that time, great. If not,  get rid of it without even thinking about it.

6. Identify problematic thoughts and habits. What are the thought and behavioral patterns that you keep repeating? Are they adding more to your physical or mental clutter? Once you become aware of what you do and how it affects your space, try to do things differently to break the cycle.

For me I have this bad habit of wanting to document everything. So I keep files and papers for years. I hardly go back and look at them. I did not eliminate everything at this point but started a process to avoid adding more documents.

7. Create an ongoing maintenance process. When you deal with everything in your space, you will have a better understanding of what you have and how you got there. Take advantage of this knowledge and create a simple maintenance process that you can apply on a regular basis to eliminate the need for another big organization project.

Here is my process:

• No more paper. Keep only accounting and tax records required by law. Scan other important documents and throw out the rest.
• Every day go through a couple of old documents and shred.
• Don’t buy more folders or office supplies.
• Don’t buy new books until all the  books I have are read or disposed of. Eliminate two books per month.
• Start and end the day with everything in its place.
• Be aware of what is working and what is not. When something is not working, deal with it right away. Don’t put stuff in a box to deal with later.
• Simplify as much as possible. Continue to eliminate things that have not been used.

If you are interested to see images of my office space before and after,  check out this video (length 2:40).

There is an amazing feeling of lightness and relief after you get rid of stuff and make sense of what you have. You will also have a reason to celebrate your accomplishment;  you completed something you’ve been wanting to do for a while. If you have something you need to organize and simplify, go for it. Now is the best time.

I hope you found my experience useful. I would love to hear about your own experience with organizing and decluttering your space.

A cluttered, chaotic environment is a reflection of one’s inner state of being.

The physical clutter can be a manifestation of avoidance and indecision. It is better to get lost in the chaos and spend half an hour looking for something than dealing with an important (but often not too urgent) issue.

A cluttered environment also is a sign of a cluttered mind. There is probably a lot of inner dialogue of should and could. But nothing gets done because everything is piling up and the sheer volume of the mess is overwhelming.

Like most situations, we keep creating more of the same clutter to the point of hopelessness.

The best thing to deal with this situation is to start somewhere. Since spring is in full swing and life is starting to bloom, why not take this time to have a look around your house, office and car and see what you can get rid off?

How to de-clutter your physical environment

This is not a new concept. I have been using this for a while. It is a simple process that raises your awareness and keeps things in perspective. I call it the simple power of two.

When you want to buy something. As a rule: when you want to get something new, get rid of two things you own. For example if you want to buy a new pair of shoes, get rid of two old pairs or get rid of two other items in your home (two shirts, pants…etc.).

If you use this method consistently, you will end up with a lot less stuff than you started with.

Also if you fully commit to it, you won’t buy anything before you’re able to get rid of something. For example, before getting an ipod touch, I sold my Palm and gave away an old MP3 player (I wouldn’t have gotten the ipod if I didn’t cut down).

Ongoing. During the day look around and get rid of two small things (papers floating around, stuff that is sitting in drawers). If you can dispose of more, go for it.

More out less in. Do your best every day not to add to the mess. For example when you receive your mail, clear it right away; don’t add it to the pile. If you have to keep something, use the same principle and get rid of two things.

The end result.Take a few moments and imagine doing this for 300 days a year. You can get rid of 600 things. Feel the lightness of having less and the added space. This is your best reward.

A comprehensive de-cluttering project. If you have time and want to do some massive de-cluttering,  pick one area (choose the one that bugs you the most) and do the following:

• Create a simple plan: visualize how you want your space to look. What items you want to keep and why. Always think of how you will use your space and the things you keep.
• Eliminate. Pick all the stuff that doesn’t fit into your plan and give it away, throw it out or sell it.  Be as ruthless as you can and do it!
• Finish. Organize what is left according to your plan. Don’t let things sit and fester. If you can’t sell or give away the stuff, label a couple of boxes one for sale and one for give away. And do it soon.

De-cluttering the mind

These days it is really easy to pile up a lot of information that we want to use or learn from.

We spend more time trying to organize and categorize our files than actual learning (my number one weakness). This is OK if it doesn’t stress you out and you don’t have a hundred projects or things (either on paper or in your head) that you want to complete or learn.

Start with a mind dump. Before you can get rid of the stuff in your head, you need to make them visible by writing them down. Do a mind dump and just write everything that you can think of on one sheet of paper or one document on your computer.

Use the same rule. You can use the same simple power of two principle. Don’t add any more things to read or complete before you get rid of two. It can be as simple as deleting files or recycling paper.

Do it every day. Each day for every item you add to your day (things you have to do, read, write…etc.) take out two.  Try this with your email and you will have your inbox under control in no time.

Stick to doing it and keep it simple. The result may not be visible in one or two days but, as mentioned earlier, thinking of the cumulative result makes a big difference. The reward is worth a few minutes a day.

Ask yourself the following questions whenever you are unsure of what to do with something:

• When was the last time I used it?
• Why am I keeping something that I haven’t used in such a long time?
• When am I likely to use it again? If you think you will use it, write a date on note and attach it to your item. If the date comes up and you haven’t touched it, get rid of it. As you do this, consider what your true motivation for keeping it in the first place was.
• Can someone else use it right away? Am I helping someone?
• How would I feel if this item was lost or stolen? Would I notice, would I want to replace it, would I care?
• What would happen if I did not do this project a year or five years from now?
• Would I be willing to pay for a storage space to keep this item? Why would I do that?

De-cluttering can be good for the soul

There is a spiritual element to a clean clutter free environment. It gives you a sense of control over your space. You feel more calm and at peace.

You become more aware of your surrounding when you are not distracted by the chaos of everything else. When you have a clear mind, you can focus on what really matters to you and let go of the rest.

Photo courtesy of urbaneapts

I wrote earlier about the emotional and mental strain that is caused by unfinished business. Today I want to expand on that and discuss decluttering.

Clutter to me is anything that sits there day after day and has no use or enjoyment in our lives. It can be furniture, kitchen appliances, books and magazines, clothes, things that are broken and haven’t been fixed, computer files or programs not in use. You get the picture. If you don’t use it or enjoy looking at it, you can chuck it or give it to someone who can use it or enjoy it.

“People hold onto stuff like their kids’ old clothing as a way of holding onto the past. Or they keep things they think they might need someday as a way to control the future.” – Peter Walsh

Whenever I go through the process of getting rid of stuff, I feel much lighter and at ease. There is comfort in knowing that I made a difference in someone’s life. The lightness of being and the feeling of helping others can be considered spiritual.

Getting rid of stuff can provide insights to the true motivation for holding on to stuff. So when we experience resistance as we try to cut down, we can see what has been holding us back.  Is it fear, control, or simply not paying attention?

But that’s not all. One of the most important results of decluttering is that you end up with much less stuff. The less you have, the more time and energy you have to know and enjoy what you own. In other words having less increases your awareness and appreciation of the things that surround you.

Increased awareness is definitely a spiritual act in my book. It is the foundation to a fuller more authentic life. Would love to hear about your experiences with decluttering.

To your awareness!

I wrote earlier about having to clean up after finishing a project. My clean up ended up causing more clean up in the garage, the office files and office supplies.

It is so easy to buy stuff and even easier to make a mess. Cleaning up is a different story; it takes more time, energy and desire to face the consequences of our previous actions or lack thereof.

Cleaning up the garage and the office supplies are on my list of things that need to be done completed. In the past couple of days I made good progress but I can’t say I’m finished yet. There is still more stuff to do.

One of the important lessons I have been trying to remind myself of is: if you don’t finish it, start gain soon before you lose momentum. Also don’t start a new project before finishing up loose ends on other items. The less things to do , the less stress and more fun things can be.

Taking everything out of the closet to sort out makes the room look like it was hit by a hurricane (which is me in this case since I can be a natural disaster when it comes to starting a mess). As things get sorted into piles (throw away, give away and keep), the storm starts to calm down.

I felt so light after reducing my stationary supplies from three large boxes to one small box. I filled a large cardboard box with items to be given away. This was a reminder to self: DON’T BUY ANY MORE CRAP!

It is really that simple: if I don’t buy stuff, I can’t make a mess, and there is nothing to clean up after.

The calm is setting in and I’m closer to my target of completing what I started.