"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, lean NOT unto your OWN understanding...in ALL your ways acknowledge HIM and HE will direct your path!!!" Proverbs 3:5,6

Monday, March 07, 2011

Clearing the C L U T T E R!!!

I've been lurking behind the scenes for a few weeks since my step daughters death trying to process it all. It seems my life is very cluttered at the moment and I'm not sure WHERE to begin to CLEAR it all up. Before Chris died I had just won "Clutter Rehab". I really wasn't sure what I was going to do with it besides skim through for a quick fix or two. This book has been SO good though...I'm not completely done with it yet but I've got about 15-20 of the 101 tips ear marked.

My main issues are 1) dealing with the PILES of "paper" clutter that seem to be stressing me out every 3 months when I just can't stand them anymore. I made this cool file folder pocket system for my fridge and within 1 day it all fell apart...ugh. It was going to hold our outgoing mail, incoming mail and magazines in 3 different slots. I've GOT to come up with some type of system. My husband just finished me out an AWESOME office and I'm never in there because of all the clutter. My second main issue is I want to get organized so I can coupon efficiently. I haven't been a big couponer but I joined the grocery game and have the Sunday paper ordered so I can give it a whirl and see how it goes. I'm going to attempt to put together some type of coupon binder system...hopefully that will work better for me.

I heard the coolest thing the other day - I love to be organized but don't like "maintaining" my organization...that fits me to a 'T'.

I've noticed when I'm overwhelmed with my clutter...my mind seems to be in a cluttery fog too.

2 comments:

Oh, the "maintaining"...not the easiest part for some people, lol. I'm with you on that. I've been trying to do ONE new thing each day, then the following week on that same day (Monday = Kitchens) I maintain what was done the previous week before I move on to the next project. Not perfect solution, but so far its working.

Sometime soon I hope to do a post (or several) about my couponing system. NOW, it's not for everyone, but I was tired of not having all my coupons when I went to the store, but wanted to keep them in order (I do SavingsAngel). I'll make that a priority. At the very least it might help you get jumpstarted on coming up with a way to organize yours!

I have one of those wooden sorters that I got at a garage sale or thrift store that hangs on the wall for mail. I actually hang mine inside my walk-in closet, because I don't want to see it all of the time. (I don't use it for outgoing mail, though...because then I would forget about it.) Anyway, I put all the bills in one slot, blank envelopes in one, and papers that I need to have access to often in the other.

For other pending papers (for our organization, bank statements that need to be reconciled, etc.) I bought this basket from LTD Commodities that is the shape and size for file folders. Then I have files set up and pop things in the appropriate one. As the basket starts to get too full, I grab a file and deal with it. It hasn't been foolproof, but it has helped a little.

I have a TON of paper clutter with everything going on...so I understand that battle.

One site I follow has a "tackle a pile" day each week...which I thinks help to just designate a time during the week to at least deal with part of it.

You'll get there once you find the system that works for you...and SCHEDULE how to maintain it...I know for me, it doesn't get done if I don't actually schedule it. :)