Historical Fall 2006 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Your home – it’s supposed to be a refuge. Isn’t it?
When the day is over, you drive your tired body home to your “castle”. You want to be able to relax after a long day of the usual grind.
The children have probable already straggled in from school, attacked the fridge on the way to their rooms to do, of course, their homework, or whatever it is kids do these days.
But in their wakes are shoes, book bags, jackets, and hats. Do you really want me to go on?
I don’t think so.
This family has a double income with two kids; today’s typical family. Dad arrives home before mom, gets the mail, and throws it on the table, whichever table or flat surface is within throwing distance. Where to put the briefcase, jacket, and the lunch box? Hum, what about in the hall way? Mom arrives shortly after dad with several bags of groceries.
The perishable stuff goes into the fridge and the rest of the things stay on the counter or the kitchen table. That can wait until later. Someone shouts, “What’s for dinner?
We are starving.” Hum, you have plenty of food, but what do we make with it, and besides, everyone is hungry. Who wants to cook? Where would you eat it when groceries still cover the kitchen table?
The counters are cluttered with reminders of things left undone. Go out and grab a bite to eat. Everyone agrees that is much easier. You leave the house with groceries half put away, daily leftovers from school and work strewn in the hall and on near by tables. Does this feel like a haven to you? Let’s face reality you are drained when you get home. Homes do get cluttered.
It is a 24/7 job not to fall into the trap of the cluttered home. Wouldn’t it be great if you could clean and straighten the house and it would stay that way for awhile? Wrong!
It doesn’t work like that.
As a professional organizer I find cutting clutter is overwhelming to most of my clients.
To keep stuff from building up, the family, the entire unit needs to agree that clutter is not acceptable.
In a family of four the mom cannot pick up after everyone, well she can but she will probably wear out pretty fast. No one should bear the entire responsibility of keeping home the sanctuary. It’s not fair to mom, and who said that the rest of the family doesn’t have any responsibility in keeping their home free from clutter?
Each member of the family needs to cooperate to achieve and maintain a comfortable, sane, and peaceful life. Clutter is an insidious thing.
It can disrupt our lives and drive us crazy. Things are lost or forgotten.
A feeling of unease possesses many people who have to deal with their clutter or the clutter of others. Why do we do this to ourselves? Does it really take longer to put something away?
I think that most people have too much “stuff”. Really, how much “stuff” does a person need? Anything we need is within a stone’s throw. Seriously don’t let your “stuff” control you. . Simplify, simplify, simplify! Organizing tips – C.L.A.I.M. your space 1. Clear the area you want to organize; sort in piles labeled; keep, recycle or donate, and throw away. 2. Love and use the items that you decide to keep.
The excuse “might” need, or “might” use someday just doesn’t make an item worth keeping.
If you give it space, please love it. 3. Assign a “home” for everything that will take up space in your home.
If you want to keep it, give it a “home”.
The item stays in its “home” and is returned to its “home” so everyone knows where to find it. 4. Identify the purpose for each room in your home and use the space for what it is intended. 5. Maintain the purpose and peace of your home by intentionally staying organized.
The time you spend getting to that point will ultimately make your life easier, happier, and more productive. Organizing is a process.
It is ongoing.
It takes focus, attention, and intention.
The benefits of being organized are beneficial to your mind and surroundings. Give yourself the gift of time and peace – Get organized. For information about our services, go to www. clutterconsultants.com, or call Trish Martin at 862-3138.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Fall 2006.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2006_09.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
