Simplify
Your
Space
create order & reduce stress!
Chapter 1
Start Out Right
(Excerpt
from book)
With a good organizational plan, you can be sure to unclutter any area of
your home. And if you maintain the neat, orderly space you’re created, you’ll
always know what you’ve got—and exactly where to find it.
—Mervyn Kaufman
I love the look of a clean
home—and you probably do too. But wanting an orderly home and actually bringing
it about are two different things. If you sometimes struggle to maintain your
space, you’re not alone. Most of us eventually have to admit, “I just have too
much stuff!”
I, too, didn’t realize the clutter I had collected until I opened my
linen closet years ago and found twenty-six tablecloths. That’s enough
for a new one every two weeks, and I didn’t even use tablecloths! That was the
day I discovered what too much felt like. So I started to sort, and then I
created simple solutions to control the clutter.
As we all know,
cluttered closets (like my overstuffed linen closet), paper pileups, and
overflowing countertops gradually fill our homes for a variety of reasons,
ranging from a busy schedule to other people to pick up after. Then, adding to
our piles of stuff, we receive gifts, find great bargains, and purchase new
things to enjoy without getting rid of the old. Before long, the clutter grows
in every room and we feel out of control!
If we
don’t simplify the things we own, our homes become full of gathered belongings
and we become “museum” keepers. And the more things we acquire, the more time we
have to spend taking care of them. Without an effective system to organize our
belongings, we spend many frustrating hours searching for important things that
are lost or misplaced.
Put quite
simply, too much stuff complicates our lives.
Get Things Back Under Control
Perhaps things have gotten a bit cluttered in your life. If so, let me assure
you that having too much stuff is not a character flaw! It can be the sign of a
busy life, a sentimental attachment to things, indecisiveness, or reluctance to
let things go. Whatever the reason, in this book you will learn practical tips
to help you overcome your past and make a fresh start.
There are simple
solutions to getting things back under control. You don’t have to live in a
complicated home. You can make changes . . . at your own pace. The dream of a
simplified space can become your reality.
The good news is that
when you simplify your belongings, you will find not only clear space but also
more time. You won’t be taking care of so many things, and that will free you to
focus on what really matters. Now is the time to let things go, for your benefit
and for others.
Order
Simplify Your Space!
Motivated to Change
We all have personal
reasons for wanting to simplify our space. Mine was embarrassment.
My
well-organized twin aunts were visiting from out of town for a week. I loved my
aunts and knew they were neat as a pin at home and work. Thinking I could use a
little encouragement from them on how to get organized, I casually asked as we
were setting the table for dinner, “Aunt Helen, how can I get these papers on my
kitchen counter in order?”
She folded her
arms, took a step back, and surveyed the situation. I knew right then I was in
trouble. Sure enough, Aunt Helen began to assess my situation aloud.
“First of all,
you need to get rid of these piles on the countertop. Then the piles sitting on
the floor underneath the counter need to go. And then . . .”
As she continued, I was mortified. I thought, Can’t she see I’m a busy
person? I’m raising a family with three kids! What does she expect?
I started to
blame my family for my disorganized lifestyle, but it wasn’t their fault. The
fact remained: I had a cluttered kitchen, and I was responsible. What I had
visually tuned out as a minor problem was a noticeable eyesore to everyone else.
I decided to change.
Make a Plan and Take Some Action
Every Day
You may not have an Aunt
Helen in your life, but you may have heard comments from a spouse, neighbor, or
friends (or feared getting some). This may be your moment to do some clearing
out and cleaning up. If not for others, do it for yourself. The peace of mind is
well worth it.
Here’s what I
learned as I pursued organizing my paper-filled countertop:
1. Keeping things out is the slowest way to find
anything. It all runs together and is difficult to find anything, from the
credit card bill to the coupon for a favorite store.
2. Getting organized is only half the battle. I
had to go a step further and prioritize things to keep and things to let go.
3. Living an organized lifestyle is much easier
than living in a disorganized one. No one told me it was way more fun and took
much less time. Once I discovered this secret, I was hooked on keeping a
simplified space, and you probably will be too.
Little did I know back then I would not only clean up my space, but I would
encourage audiences and clients across the country with the hope that they too
could make changes. Orderliness is not a gene you are born with; anyone can
learn to sort, organize, and simplify successfully—starting today!
How Do You
Simplify Your Space?
Simplifying your space is
the process of organizing your belongings and letting go of the excess until
your surroundings are orderly and peaceful. We’re going to do it room by room so
you can see your progress.
As you simplify
your space, you might be doing one of several things. For instance, you might be
clearing up a cluttered coffee table by separating paper from other items. Or
you might be going through a closet and donating a good portion of the contents
to charity. Or you might be making room in the garage by organizing sections and
getting rid of excess clutter.
Think of the
process like a pyramid. Sorting is the base, organizing is the
next block, and simplifying your space is the attractive pyramid point
that shows you have completed the space.
Space-Saving Tip #1
To simplify your
space, you sort things to give away, organize the
remaining items, and then simplify by keeping and neatly
arranging your favorites.
How Are We Going
to Do This?
Simplify Your Space
takes you through your home in a way that will give you the biggest results in
the least amount of time. The book’s easy-to-follow sequence covers your entire
home from the most visible and used spaces to the larger and less used storage
areas.
The sections of
this book, as well as the three chapters in each section, progress from easier
to more challenging rooms. You don’t want to get lost organizing a back closet
when your family room media center is screaming for attention. Simplify the
things in your home that are the most visible first, and then organize the less
used rooms last, which need your finely tuned skills to work up to them.
I drop
organizing hints in each chapter (fifty-two throughout the book), so you can
follow the chapter sequence or you go to the room chapter of your choice.
Passion to start and finish a job creates momentum, and that's what we’re
looking for!
By
following the step-by-step directions in each chapter, you will be equipped to
succeed. Living in a clean, organized home creates a sense of serenity and
order. You’ll feel good about yourself and your space.
Ready, Set, Go!
Read each chapter, follow
the strategies and tips that work for you, and then stand at the door of the
room with that chapter’s checklist in hand. Success means many “yeses” on the
checklist at the end of each chapter or when you clean up what you started for
the day.
Too often, inexperienced people start to organize
without a specific plan and end up making a bigger mess than when they started.
No more! To ensure you won’t end up creating more piles in a helter-skelter
sorting frenzy, in each room we will follow my CALM approach, an easy acronym to
remember that will keep you focused.
Create
a plan
Approach
it by sections
Lighten
up and let go
Manage
it simply
Think of me as
your personal organizer, coaching you through each room of your house. You will
be able to see and feel the organized approach to each room. I think you
can do this yourself, but if you have trouble making decisions you may want to
invite a friend to join you.
This process may
take one day or one week per room, depending on the amount accumulated and how
determined you are to create a simplified space. The problems multiply the more
they sit there. But the more you overcome them, the more skilled you will
become.
By the end of
the book, you will be problem solving like an organizing pro as you personalize
these systems. One drawer, one cabinet, and one countertop at a time, you can
simplify your space.
You Can Do This!
There is a Finnish proverb that says, “Happiness is a place between too little
and too much.” We are going to find that place—the place where you are content
with what you have and not overwhelmed by having too much.
Then the fun begins when you can decorate and put your personal
touches in each room. To help you do that, I’ve invited restaging and interior
design expert Susan Wells to provide decorating tips in each chapter.
Think of the
benefits of a simplified home: No more endless searching for items you need. No
more rummaging through drawers, cabinets, and shelves for lost or misplaced
items. Things will now have a designated space in your home so they will be
right where you need them when you want them. The benefits will multiply the
more you simplify.
So
whenever you see a pile of clutter that looks daunting, remind yourself to break
it down to one section at a time and declare, “That’s not hard. Even I can do
this!”
* * *
* *
I say this not just
from my experience as a professional organizer but from my own personal
experience. As I put the finishing touches on this book, we moved across country
from San Diego to Dallas. My message was especially put to the test as we moved
to a smaller home—one less bedroom, one less bathroom, and one less garage
space. Consolidating and simplifying our belongings took some time and effort,
but the result was an organized move into a neatly arranged home.
A simplified home
creates a sense of serenity and order. Every clear countertop and organized
piece of mail helps you feel good about yourself and your space. Every small
victory counts in the overall goal of simplifying your space. These are habits
you can learn and succeed at.
Change your
space—change your home—change your life. A new life of order and freedom awaits
you. Soon you will see your home in a new light and with clear spaces. Enjoy the
journey!
Ten Tips
to Simplify Any Space
You can begin to simplify any
space with these ten easy tips:
1-
Keep the front two-thirds of every countertop (or desk) clear.
2-
Do a two-minute pickup before you leave a room.
3-
Put clothes away now, rather than later.
4-
Make your clean kitchen table a focal point with only a centerpiece.
5-
Look for a clear line of sight in every room.
6-
Open your mail in one spot with five key file folders.
7-
Create a file for reoccurring papers in your life.
8-
Organize one shelf, file, or drawer at a time.
9-
Continue to pare things down to until you can manage them.
10-
Congratulate yourself on living space you maintain daily.
Remember, one pile sitting out is the potential
beginning of a complicated life.
Keep your life simple, and put the pile away.
—The Organizing Pro (This excerpt is from
"Simplify Your Space: Create Order and Reduce Stress"
by Marcia Ramsland, Thomas Nelson 2007)
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