Decluttering: The 30 Minute March Toward Organization

When I met The Man o’ the House, at his home, I was struck by the sparse atmosphere. The bare walls were light grey (OMG!), the floors were covered in large white tile separated by grey grout and a small, round glass table with four chairs almost suggested he might eat here. Passing through the kitchen toward the office in the back, not one implement of cuisine destruction was in sight. A coffee pot graced the long counter top. Cigarette smoke filled the house.

My first thought was, “This man does not live here. He must work here only.” But indeed, he did live here. And I had just entered the home of a dyed-in-the-wool neat freak. Everything was in order. Nothing was out of order because there was nothing there that could be out of order.

Mr. Neat and Organized, Meet Miss Pack Rat

In the ensuing years, we would throw our lives and habits together, marrying and doing our best to raise The Bubblette. The Man o’ the House continued in his monastic ways thwarted only by my hoarding, pack-rat artistic nature. We painted the house a vibrant yellow. Inside, varying shades of yellow grace the bedroom, dining room and kitchen walls . For the Florida Room, I chose a daring cross between deep salmon and coral; it’s bold and beautiful. Gone are the white tile floors and grey walls.

Books line the bookshelf he built for us. Paint, brushes, old photos, scrap booking paraphernalia and some useless junk fill the cabinets underneath the bookshelf. Pots and pans, jars with and without lids, utensils and bakingware occupy the drawers and counters of the kitchen we designed and he constructed. Nic-nacs have taken over shelves. Cables, computer hardware, papers and receipts fill the office.

Clutter crept in and along with it an unsettling lack of relaxation.

Every now and then, The Man o’ the House would make a gentle suggestion. Occasionally, he’d outright complain, almost pleading that I get rid of the junk. And in response, he’d hear…

But I need that! or
I use that! or
I’m going to read that!

Meanwhile, the piles grew. And I began to lose my ability to concentrate.

I’d make halfhearted attempts to clean our home and clear my desk going so far as to pick up a couple of (popular) books on getting organized and getting things done. I did read one of them. The result was a filing cabinet full of labeled folders that I filled with enthusiasm and never looked at again. Yes, my desk was clean…

But the clutter came back.

I tried implementing The Fly Lady’s system of housekeeping. Her suggestions are very good and I’m sure most people will benefit from her teachings. But I could not keep up with the regimen.

And the clutter came back.

Comes the Dawn

The realization that our stuff was taking over our lives dawned slowly.

The Bubblette and I would make fun of The Man o’ the House and his dogged determination to impose order on chaos. Like clockwork, he would clean his desk each and every day, shuffling unnecessary papers into the trash, filing only what must be kept for records. I, on the other hand, was proud my office looked like Andy Rooney’s office on 60 minutes; in fact, I figured if ole Andy can live successfully with his mess, so can I. He’s talented; he’s funny. And look, he’s not a neat freak!

But the idea that “my mess is a necessary result of my creative and artistic nature” is not for working for me anymore.
It hasn’t been working for awhile. In fact, the lack of physical organization has cluttered my mind and stifled my ability to think. The short list of multi-step projects I want to complete require more attention-to-detail than the clutter in my office and home will allow.

A single thought made it’s way to my brain: The Man of the House is right; we cannot think and live in a mess.

Slash and Burn: Everything Goes – But Not Everything in One Day!

This time, I did not go out and buy another book about getting organized or decluttering my life. This time, I did not need a plan. My mission and how to accomplish it was very clear for the simple reason that I made the decision to live in a decluttered environment.

My Organization and Decluttering Mantra

Here is what I knew (and I’ve made this my Mantra):

• I have everything I need.
• Much of what I have, I don’t need.
• I think better with a clean desk.
• My Family deserves a clean, organized environment.
• Everyone likes the feeling of walking into an organized, uncluttered home.

The Physical Decluttering Process

Six weeks ago, I started with my books that had overrun my massive bookshelf. Publication overflow was being stored on shelves in the garage. I pulled 6 books off the shelf, read the titles and threw them in my car knowing if I ever wanted to read them again, I could always visit the library. Without procrastinating, I drove to St. Vincent de Paul and donated those books with a smile. A few days later, having not suffered any ill by actually getting rid of a book, I aimed to find 6 more books I could donate. Back to “St. Vinnies” I went, this time with programming books, romance novels and good used clothing I will not wear.

So strong is my desire to clear the clutter in my physical space that I do not need a checklist or reminder to take action.

On an almost daily basis, I am now removing from our lives the nic-nacs and junk that had taken over. I have become mercenary in my mission. What is in good condition and can be used by someone else is taken to the thrift store; everything else goes into the garbage without remorse.

Digital Decluttering

The Rolodex above took a few days to make the transition because I had to port my address book to my Google Voice Contacts. I finished that transition today and the Rolodex now sits in my car, awaiting transport to St. Vinnies.

But as a person connected to the ‘Net for the better portion of the workday, there is more digital decluttering that must be done.

Because Google gives me a huge amount of space in which to store my Gmail, I have been freed from the task of deleting email I don’t want. It just piles up in that repository, unopened, as if hard drive space were free! But that has a downside as well. Some email sits unopened, constantly vying for my attention with emails that are much more important.

And then there are the RSS feeds I subscribe to. Sometimes I get to reading those feeds and sometimes they pile up. In the back of my head sits a constant reminder, a critic nagging me, “Oh, you must read that feed,” or “That email from so-and-so is unopened…” This saps my energy and makes me feel like a lazy person for not getting to all of the tasks I set myself up for! It must stop.

Information that is not useful, inspirational or actionable must not be allowed in! Unsubscribing from rss feeds, newsletters or services I do not read or use is the next step in digital decluttering.

Getting the Family Involved

Last week, I implemented Phase 1 of Bubblette Behaviour Modification. Using our local Rita’s Italian Ice as a carrot, I convinced our teenager to complete 30 minutes of Shared Cleanup. Shared cleaning means you and your child or children occupy the same space while cleaning. You’re in the same room, cleaning up the same thing together. 3 days of quick, 30 minute cleanups have resulted in a trunk load of donations. Now, after school, she is prodding me for our shared clean-up. I consider this a coup!

There is a very positive soul-filling by-product to this shared clean up: It has opened the door to conversation between my teen-aged Bubblette and I. As we tidy up together, we have time together. That is priceless and all it took was my commitment to lead the charge.

Here’s how you can implement a quick 30 Minute Shared Clean Up in your home:

• Get a timer like the one shown. It has an audible signal indicating time is up!
• Set aside 30 minutes of your day for shared cleaning.
• Choose a reward for first day and offer a choice to your child: I’ll take you to Rita’s if we can do a 30 Minute Shared Clean Up together.
• You pick where to start or what to clean, “Let’s work on the closet,” or “Let’s fold the laundry.”
• Let your child determine what role she wants in the shared clean up. As long as she is helping somehow, you have succeeded!

  For example, during on of our 30 minute clean ups, I decided we needed to move clothes off the bed and into the closet – but not before decluttering! The Bubblette picked through the clothes on her bed, deciding what she would keep and what would go to the thrift store. She would hand me what she didn’t want and I would take it off the hangar, fold it and put it in our thrift store bin. What she wanted, I hung in her closet.

  Last week, she triaged her stuffed animals and arranged them on her shelf while I sorted and culled nic-nacs in her room.

• Stop after 30 minutes.

Engaging Your Spouse

In my case, getting The Man o’ the House on board was not difficult. He probably thinks his years of quiet suffering have finally brought me around (and he’s probably right). This morning I simply asked him to pick 2 or 3 items from his closet he knew he wouldn’t wear again or didn’t want. He asked me what he should do with them when he brought out two nice shirts. I took them from him and thanked him. Another coup.

Decluttering Our Home: The March Toward Organization

I am not finished decluttering our home; I’ve got a bit more to do. But I didn’t expect nor want to do it all in one day or even one week. I view this as a lifestyle change, a process of sorts. Living a decluttered life means changing the habits underlying the clutter.

Note I am not analyzing myself or searching for reasons why I am a hoarding, pack-rat. At this point, I don’t care why! The pain of the junk is greater than my need to know why. And it really does not matter. What matters is behaviour. Action. When my house is clean and decluttered, maybe then I’ll think about “why!”

For now, on a daily basis, at least one object out-of-place or put-away becomes fair game for the garbage or the thrift store. And with each inch of space reclaimed, I feel my mind awakening and the well-spring of creativity bubbling.