De-Cluttering, where do you start?

The biggest problem I face as a Professional Organiser is helping to adjust my client's belief, or rather their disbelief that they can get organised.

We (you & I) tend to keep doing the same things over and over again hoping that one day we will get a different outcome! Well, it's not going to happen. You need a new approach to get a different outcome. The thing that changed my life from chaos to order was having a plan. Plan your room, I know it sounds simple but it works. Take your dining room for example, what do you use it for? Eating? Well, that's what it was designed for but there are other things people use this space for, for example...

1. Entertaining
2. Storing table linen
3. Family games nights
4. Homework
5. Sewing!

Many of my clients use this space for storing unsorted papers, shopping that hasn't been attended to or as an extension of the laundry. NO! I rarely see these things on my clients 'perfect world' list!

The dining room table is a great spot for homework to be done. Mum can see sweet little Johnny happily doing his times tables (well, alright, through my rose coloured glasses that's what he's doing...) The table is also a perfect height and size to cut out patterns etc.

Once you know what the space you want organised is REALLY used for then, and only then, you can start sorting and know what to keep. The rest is simple, if there is anything that does not have a reason (or permission) to be there, remove it.

Clutter, you're NOT the worst!

When prospective clients call I often hear 'but you haven't seen anything like this, I bet mine's the worst'. As an experienced organiser I can honestly say that I don't know if yours IS the worst but I can pretty much guarantee that there'll be 3 things I will find with the 'seasoned' clutterer.

1. The clutter. This is the stuff that's causing the disorganisation and usually consist of all kinds of paper; little & big pieces,X-rays and silly shaped sticky notes, important pieces such as passports, notes written envelopes and (I quote) 'things I am going to read but haven't had time to'. Please don't think I am writing with judgement as, so far, I haven't met anyone who was more disorganised than I used to be! Clutter isn't just about paper piles, it can be about piles of toys, crockery, or linen.

2. The Containers. The stuff that will help with the clutter, it consists of all types of things that are 'guaranteed' to get you organised. Containers from very reputable home organising shops, bought in good faith but now blocking hallways, garages, bedrooms and offices! These include, my favourite, paper trays that you can label and stack one on top of the other. The trouble is you still need to learn how to use them if the task of organising does not come naturally to you. All types of containers but none of them are being utilised because my client has no idea where to start and the task is now bigger and more overwhelming because of the backlog of c o n t a i n e r s!

3. The Self Help Books. These will help teach you how to use the stuff that will help with the clutter that you had originally! There are some brilliant books on how to get organised and I ALWAYS recommend 'Organsing from the Inside Out' by Julie Morgenstern. Her book comes second only to the Bible in my opinion. These piles of self help book piles are the ones that give me the giggles. Once I get the giggles my clients will usually join in either out of sheer relief that they have actually shown someone their deepest well kept secret or they actually start to see the funny side. Why do we laugh? Well the books end up in piles, in front of or on top of the containers that were placed beside the piles of the original clutter!

Now, it's not that I'm saying you're predictable, but...