Clutter-Less!

Declutter Your Life and Become Stress

Free Forever
By Staci Summers
 Declare War on Clutter!
Hi, my name is Staci and I am the author of this book. For many years I was the
“messy” person in the house. My husband and kids always called me “sock
monster” because I would constantly leave my socks around the house.
The fact is, I have been a messy person my whole life. When I was growing up,
my room was always messy. When I went to college, none of my friends wanted
to be roommates because they knew how messy I was.
I wasn’t only disorganized in my living area, I was disorganized with my
finances and personal life too. That all changed one day in 2010 when I decided
to “Declutter” my life...
Most People Have a Problem with Clutter
Since you are reading this introduction, I would take a guess that you have some
clutter you want to get rid of.
But the truth is, most people have a clutter problem in one way or another.
Did you ever walk into someone’s house and think “Wow, this is a really nice
place and very organized” only to catch a glimpse of their garage with things
stacked on top of each other.
Most of us have clutter in our life or our home, in one form or another.
The Good News for Dealing with Clutter
The good news is that all of this clutter can be fixed! It doesn’t matter if you
have never been organized with anything in your life, you can declare war on
clutter on your own terms!
It’s not very difficult, and you will feel a whole lot better once you have some
order in your home and your life. I conquered clutter, and you can too! I wrote
this book to help everyone become less stressed or more organized!
Start Conquering Clutter Today!

TABLE OF CONTENTS
50 Tips for an Uncluttered and Simplified Home
INTRODUCTION
PART 1: GET READY
PART 2: TACKLE THE BATHROOM
PART 3: DECLUTTERING THE KITCHEN IS A PIECE OF CAKE
PART 4: CHILDRENS ROOMS
PART 5: LOVE YOUR LAUNDRY ROOM
PART 6: HOME OFFICE MAKEOVER
50 Tips for an Uncluttered and Simplified Personal Life
INTRODUCTION
PART 7: CLEAR YOUR MIND AND EMOTIONS
PART 8: REVIEW AND RENOVATE RELATIONSHIPS
PART 9: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR TIME
PART 10: DECLUTTER THE MONEY STUFF
PART 11: DECLUTTERING AT THE WORKPLACE
PART 12: DECLUTTER EXTENDED FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
PART 13: LIVING WITHOUT NEIGHBORHOOD CONFLICT
50 Tips for an Uncluttered and
Simplified Home
INTRODUCTION
Meet Sarah
It starts with just a small stack of papers on the desk in the home office. Not too
bad; not anything to be concerned about. Sarah is sure she’ll get to the stack over
the next weekend. But the weekend comes and goes, and the stack is still there
Monday morning; and is still there on Monday morning two months later, having
grown considerably taller and messier.
On Monday morning, while making pancakes for family breakfast, Sarah can’t
find the baking powder. It’s not where it belongs. While looking for it, she also
notices several other pantry items out of place. Not cool on a school and work
morning when every minute counts.
When putting on her shoes, Sarah trips over a stack of clothes that she had
intended to take to the thrift store last week, and drops her coffee mug. Coffee
splashes all over the front of her blouse and she has to change her clothes. She is
already feeling the pressure of running later than she should be. (She had used
precious getting dressed time to wrap a co-workers birthday gift, and had had to
hurry over to the neighbors to borrow tape for the wrapping.) She knows the
carpet will be stained if she doesn’t clean up the mess right away, and blouse
will be ruined if she doesn’t pre-treat it for the laundry. She takes care of the
carpet, but leaves the blouse on the floor untreated.
After she drops her children off at school, Sarah looks at her watch and realizes
she has only ten minutes to make her twenty-minute commute to work. She
breaks the no-phone while driving law and calls her supervisor to say she will be
late for the staff meeting. She knows this is the third time in the past couple of
months that she has been late for a meeting, and it does not sit well with her
superiors. Fighting back the tears at the thought of losing a promotion over
tardiness, Sarah realizes that she has been living in chaos and clutter at home,
and something needs to change.
If this scenario seems familiar to you, you’ll be glad to know that, in very little
time, you can declutter your home and enjoy it again. While decluttering your
home won’t solve all of your problems, it can solve some of them. 50 Tips for
Decluttering Your Home brings you simple ways to clean out and organize the
key areas of your home for convenient, efficient living that allows you to find
things when you need them, feel at peace when relaxing, and stay on top of your
game when you’re working. 50 Tips for Decluttering Your Home will save you
time and money, cut down on mental fatigue and chaos, and help you keep your
sanity. Read on, and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to live clutter-free!
PART 1: GET READY
As mysterious and complicated as we try to make it, to a large extent,
decluttering is simply about getting rid of stuff that you don’t need or want, and
effectively using the space you have to store what you do need and want, with
easy access to it. Ideally, the storage looks nice, matches décor, and brings a
sense of organization and peace to the room or area.
Adopting a few simple principles or “rules” for those who like a stricter word,
will help you declutter your home, and keep it that way.
TIP 1: Procrastination is Your Worst Enemy
One of the first tactics in winning the war against clutter is to wield your sword
against procrastination. Until you’re able to stop procrastinating, clutter will
sneak up on you like the stealth dust bunny that you never saw coming.
Procrastination is what clutter thrives on. Stop feeding the clutter monster with
procrastination, and you really can live clutter-free.
True, avoiding procrastination is easier said than done. But here are some simple
tips you can use to help send procrastination running. Start implementing these
steps today, not tomorrow and you’re on your way to decluttering your home.
- Put the task into perspective. In most cases, people don’t really

hate doing the things necessary for keeping the clutter at bay, but they
over-think the task and blow it way out of proportion. Instead of a
simple task, in your mind it becomes a monumental task that you just
can’t tackle and will do anything to avoid. The longer you avoid the
task, the bigger it grows in your mind. Take the time to think
realistically about the task. Look at it for what it really is, not as the
monster you’ve turned it into. If you decide you honestly can’t tackle
the task, hire someone to tackle it, but don’t continue to put it off.
- Set aside the time. Determine how much time it will actually take

you to accomplish the task, and set aside that time at the earliest
possible date. Don’t allow yourself to do anything else in that
dedicated time slot, and don’t trick yourself into thinking you can do it
in half the time that it will actually take or that you can magically slip
in the time, when you know you can’t. Make a quality decision about
when you will accomplish the task, and stick to it. Just knowing that
the task will require a finite amount of time to be completed and then
you’ll be done with it, can bring relief from that nagging feeling that
the task will never get done and forever be hanging over your head.
- Tackle the hard jobs first. Dale Carnegie once said, “Do the hard

jobs first. The easy ones will take care of themselves.” It’s like when
you were a kid and you made yourself eat your green peas first so you
could really enjoy the mashed potatoes without thinking about the
stinking peas. Think about how free you will feel when you get the
hard jobs done! The not-so-hard jobs will be a piece of cake, and
you’ll wonder why you put them off for so long.
- Eat the elephant one bite at a time. Some larger tasks can seem

overwhelming if they are looked at from start to finish and as one big
task. But the same task seems much more manageable when broken
down into manageable portions. If you walk into the garage and see a
huge disorganized mess, you may be tempted to run back into the
house and put off cleaning the garage for another month or so. But if
you look at one section of the garage at a time and say, “I can organize
this section this Saturday, that section next Saturday…” your garage
will be completely cleaned and organized before you know it. When
you divide a task into sections, make sure you set a specific time for
each section so you don’t get one section done and procrastinate on
getting the other sections done.
- Face your fear. Sometimes people procrastinate because they fear

they can’t accomplish their goal or complete their task, or they can’t do
it right. Sometimes, all it takes to see that a task is doable is to create a
plan on paper for getting the job done. With a written plan, the
accomplishment is right there in black and white for you to see.
Talking to a friend about your plan can also make it seem more real
and doable.
- Get started. Sometimes people procrastinate because they don’t

know where to start, or where the beginning of the project is. If you
can’t figure out the best place to start or where the beginning is, just
start somewhere. It’s better to get started as soon as possible once you
commit to a project or task. In organizing, it is amazing how many
creative and great ideas come to life once the task is started. The
important thing is to get started!
- Follow through. Use momentum to your advantage. Once you get

started, follow through to completion. If you pack a bag of clothes that

you no longer wear, don’t drop the bag in the hall way and say you’ll
take it to the thrift store another day. Follow through and take the bag
to the thrift store right then, or at least set a firm date to take it. Don’t
leave tasks unfinished or open-ended. That is an invitation for the
procrastination game to begin.
TIP 2: Set Your Own Standards – Martha Stewart
May Not Be Your Standard
How many times have you and your friends referred to Martha Stewart as THE
STANDARD when it comes to all things home? Most of us would like to enjoy
and give our family and friends Martha Stewart’s picture-perfect rooms, décor,
organization, and gardens, not to mention the delectable meals she prepares.
But let’s face it, Martha Stewart is an exceptional professional, and she does not
accomplish all of that on her own. She has employees and seemingly endless
resources at her fingertips that most people do not have. Therefore, it’s really not
fair to compare the results. In fact, it’s not fair to compare your results to your
neighbors’, mothers or other relatives, friends, or anyone else.
You need to set your own standard for how organized and uncluttered you want
your home to be. If you are constantly judging your results by someone else’s
standards, you won’t ever be happy with the results.
You’ll feel your standards are too high or too low. Decide where you are most
comfortable on the spectrum from perfect to shabby, and shoot for that mark.
Base your mark on the realities of your life. If you spend many hours per week
at work or volunteering or in other activities away from home, you’ll need to
consider that in deciding your standard of organization. If you have young
children at home, your standard will be different from a family with teenagers or
two adults.
Consider your resources: What do you have available to work with? How much
help do you have? How easily can your declutter plan be implemented and
maintained? How resistant will other household members be, and what is their
level of comfort in the home?
TIP 3: Adopt the “Divide and Conquer” Attitude
If you look at any well-organized home, you will notice that they all have a few
things in common. One of the most prominent commonalities is that most things
that take up space are categorized and contained. Categorized and contained are
two words that you want to keep in mind at all times when decluttering every
area of your home. Those two words alone are key for any plan for conquering
clutter. Even if you did nothing else to declutter, categorizing and containing
would go a long ways toward an organized home.
How does the “categorize and contain” system work? Any time there is
multiples of an item, instead of lumping them all into a drawer, bin or box with
other things so you have to rummage through it all to find one thing, separate
items into like kinds, to a reasonable degree, so they are manageable.
Smaller numbers are more manageable than larger numbers. As an example, if
you have a huge stack of bill statements to clear off your desk, separate the bills
into appropriate categories such as electric bill, auto insurance bill, medical bills
for Johnny, medical bills for Jane, mortgage, and auto repair bills, etc. Then,
instead of putting the whole stack of papers into one folder marked “bills” put
each separated stack of papers into the appropriately marked file folder.
You are categorizing the papers into specific types of bills, and containing each
in their own container (folder). When you need to look at a specific auto repair
bill, you don’t have to sort through the entire stack of papers to find the one
paper that you want. You don’t have to risk that auto repair bill getting lost or
misplaced while sitting on your desk.
TIP 4: Envision the Room or Area as Organized
When you walk into a wild beast of a room or an area that needs to be tamed,
what do you see? Do you immediately see everything that’s out of place? Do you
see the clutter and chaos, and shake your head and leave the room or area as
quickly as you can? That reaction is understandable, but reacting to clutter in this
way is not pro-active for finding a solution to the clutter.
Usually, when you envision something, you feel it is attainable and your mind
will start to puzzle for solutions. With this in mind, before you physically start to
declutter an area, it can be helpful to visually declutter it. When you look at the
built-in bookcases on each side of your fireplace, don’t look at the disheveled
books and trinkets. Instead, see the bookcases as you want them to be and start
thinking about how you can make them look that way.
Set aside time to go to the library and look through stacks of home decorating
magazines. When you see something you really like, think about ways to create
the look in rooms or areas of your home. Make a copy of the pictures you like
and take them home so you can continue to study them. Paste the pictures on a
sheet of paper and put in a three-ring binder or notebook with paper so you can
make notes and create a plan.
TIP 5: Create a Plan
While you probably don’t need to have every single detail worked out before
you start to declutter, having a plan can get you started on the right track. In the
case of decluttering, the adage “Failing to plan is planning to fail,” can be true.
When decluttering, it’s best to start with one area or room at a time. If you try to
start with the whole house all at once, you’ll be overwhelmed and live in half-
done spaces. Not fun! We all know that when it comes to cleaning and
organizing, it gets ugly before it’s pretty! Don’t subject yourself to that.
Complete one room or area before moving on to the next.
- Make a list of all of the rooms that need to be organized.

Prioritize the list so that the most important rooms or areas are tackled
first. If applicable, divide each room into specific areas. Remember the
Divide and Conquer/Categorize and Contain rule! For instance, the
family room could be divided into areas such as the bookshelves,
entertainment center, or game/play area. If you divide a room into
areas, finish all areas in one room before moving on to the next room
or an area outside of that room. The exception would be if you have
multiple high-priority areas in different rooms.
- Choose one area, such as an office, closet, workstation, pantry,

or entryway, and decide what your goals are for that specific area,
and write down the goals. If you choose to declutter a closet, your
goal list might be something like this: 1). Get everything off closet
floor and in its own place; create space for purses where they can be
reached without step-stool; make it easier to find matching clothes
without looking through everything.
- Once you have decided what your goals are, write down steps

and methods for obtaining goal. Working from goal list for closet
above, your steps and methods might look like this:
- To get everything off floor bring in wall shoe holder; take stack of
clothes that don’t fit to thrift store; fold stack of sweaters and put in
portable stacking unit in closet.
- To place purses where I can reach them, donate purses I no longer
want/need to charity, put purses I want to keep in portable stacking
unit with sweaters.
- To organize hanging clothes so I can better find matches, go through
all hanging clothes and get rid of the ones I don’t want/need, don’t fit.
 (No, don’t stack them on floor of closet! Immediately put them in car
and drop them off at thrift store or other charitable organization.)
Divide hanging clothes into categories: pants, skirts, dressy blouses,
casual tops, dresses, sweaters, jackets, etc.
Once the clothes are divided into categories, you can color-coordinate them. In
the pants section hang all black pants together, all brown pants together, all jeans
together, and so forth. Do the same with each section of hanging clothes. When
you’re done, you are set for quickly identifying what top would look great with
the pants you’ve chosen. This will give you more flexibility with changing up
your outfits instead of always wearing the same top with the same pants. And
since your shoes and purses are neatly organized in the wall hanger, it’s a snap to
choose the right shoes and purse! Your reward for your decluttering is that you
get to dress quickly and leave the house looking great!
TIP 6: Gather the Right Tools, Supplies, and Storage
for the Job
Another good reason to create a plan before you start decluttering an area or
room is so you can gather or shop for the tools and supplies for the job. As you
write down your goals and methods for decluttering, also make a list of
everything you will need to reach your goal for that area. Your list might include
things such as wall hooks, plant hangers, containers for small items, shelving,
portable drawers, magazine holders, and tools for putting up shelving and such.
Before you go shopping, look around the house and see what you already have
on hand that can serve your purpose. Be creative and think outside the box.
Repurposed items can serve as charming containers and other organizing aids.
Browsing home décor books and magazines can give you some great ideas and a
sense of the style you are working toward as you declutter. While decluttering
doesn’t necessarily mean re-decorating, the two can go hand-in-hand. You can
choose containers and organizing aids that add eye appeal to an organized area
or room.
Thanks to all of those Type A’s that are highly organized and just keep on
designing better and better organizational containers, there are many choices on
the market. Containers can be found in every size, color, style and price range. In
fact, you don’t even have to leave your home to browse and select storage
containers. Just type “storage containers” in your internet browser window and
you’ll find lots of fun and interesting possibilities.
TIP 7: Designate a Spot for Everything
Don’t allow floaters—you know, those items that seem to float from spot to spot
in the house, and therefore, can never be found in any particular spot. When
deciding on a spot for items, use logic that will help you remember where things
are kept. It’s a wonderful feeling to know where something is, and find it in its
spot when you need it!
Again, apply the categorize rule. It’s logical that when you want to send a
birthday card to a friend who lives in another state, you should be able to find
the cards, envelopes, stamps, address book, and pens all in the same area, if not
in the same drawer, bin, basket, box, or container.
One of the reasons for decluttering your home is to save money by not having to
re-buy things that you can’t find when you need them. So, it may seem sort of
redundant to say that it can sometimes be helpful to buy multiples of some items
so you can have various appropriate spots for them. Scissors are a good example
of a useful tool that you may want to have multiples of. You may want to put
scissors in your desk drawer, sewing kit, gardening supplies, emergency kit,
bathroom, and kitchen.
These are all logical places to keep scissors where they will be used. And you
are not wasting money by buying multiples that will all disappear and not be
used, but you are saving time and creating convenience by having multiple
scissors in appropriate places.
TIP 8: Create and Commit to a Maintenance Plan
Phew! You’ve worked hard to evict clutter from your home, but how do you
keep it from moving right back in and taking over again as soon as you’re done,
or even before you’re done decluttering? Everyone knows it takes time to
declutter but not much time to re-clutter!
Here are a few things you can do to maintain a clutter-free home:
- Less is more. Even if you’re the Queen or King of Shopping, even

if you find the greatest bargain ever when you’re shopping, remember
that whatever you bring home has to have a spot. Don’t kid yourself
into thinking that you’ll find somewhere to put it. Either you have a
spot for it, or you don’t. If you don’t, it will be out of place and create
a cluttered look. To help keep down clutter, some people follow the
rule that for every one new thing that comes in the door, one old thing
has to go out. This rule works particularly well for keeping clothes
closets manageable.
- Make it a habit to get rid of what you don’t really want or need.

Think about what you really need and really want—not everything that
you kind of want, but what you truly want, and stick with having those
things in your home. When you declutter your home, if you’re like
most people you’ll find lots of stuff that you don’t ever really use and
that doesn’t mean anything to you on a personal level. Once you get
rid of those things, don’t start bringing things back into the house that
doesn’t meet your criteria for really needing it or really liking it. And
don’t let others fill your house with unwanted and unneeded things. If
you’re given gifts that you don’t like, won’t use, don’t fit, or serve no
meaningful purpose in your life, take immediate action to get rid of the
gift. If you’re not opposed to re-gifting, you can store it in an
appointed place for re-gifting during the holidays or for a birthday.
You can give it as a surprise gift to a friend or co-worker that you
know would like or use the item, or you can donate the gift to a charity
organization. If there is a gift receipt, you can take the gift back for
cash or a gift card, or exchange it for something that you do like or
will use or wear. If you feel you should provide an explanation to the
gift giver, explain your new approach for simplifying and organizing
your home.
- When you get something out, put it back in its proper place as

soon as you are finished using it. When you work all week, it’s easy
 to think that you’ll just wait and put everything away on the weekend.
Ah, those magical two days at the end of every workweek that are
unrealistically envisioned to be many more hours than the 48 hours
that they really are! Face the fact that the weekend always has plenty
of work and activity of its own. Besides, if you get up Saturday
morning and you don’t see clutter throughout the house, you can do
something fun instead of picking up and putting away things that
could’ve easily been put away when used.
It is definitely easier said than done to follow and enforce this maintenance rule,
especially when children, roommates, and spouses may not be too enthusiastic
about your decluttering plan. Old habits can be hard to break, but if you can get
everyone in the house on board, half the battle is won. Teach children to hang up
their coats, put their shoes in their closet, pick up toys, hang up bath towels, and
clean out their backpacks daily. Let them know that when they pick up and put
away as they go, the clutter monster stays away, and then everyone has more
time to play!
TIP 9: Create Kits
Creating kits is one of the niftiest keys to decluttering your home, because
creating kits involves a few of the most important declutter rules. When you
create kits for certain activities or events, you divide and contain, as well as find
a spot for everything. Think about how much better a shelf looks lined with
matching tins or fabric-covered boxes, or pretty baskets, rather than with random
items strewn about.
Think about how much more convenient it is to pull one container off a shelf or
out of a drawer, and have all the tools, supplies and items available for a project
or task, instead of running all about the house trying to find everything you need.
When you’re done with the task, you simply put all items right back in the
container and place the container back in its spot. How simple is that!
You can create and benefit from a kit for just about any task or activity that you
do consistently. Of course, some kits can be used for more than one purpose, so
don’t get into the habit of limiting each kit for only one activity or purpose.
- Sewing kit--Put together a sewing kit for quick mends or alterations

without having to bring out all of your sewing equipment. Your sewing
kit could include scissors, small spools of thread in basic colors, a
small tape measure or ruler, a seam ripper, needles, thimble, stick pins
and safety pins,
- Bag lunch kit-- Create a bag lunch kit in one box, basket or bin that

contains all of the staples for making school and work bag lunches in
the mornings. The kit might contain sandwich bags or containers,
plastic ware, napkins, and insulated hot and cold containers. If
sandwiches are a lunch bag staple, put condiments for sandwiches in
one easy-to-grab basket in the refrigerator.
- Car cleaning kit—Combine window cleaner, leather or fabric

cleaner, whisk broom, litter bags, all-purpose cleaner, cleaning rags

and drying towels, and car wash products in a sealed container and
keep in the trunk of your car. When it’s time to wash and clean the car,
everything is accessible, all in one place.
- Photo shoot kit—Are you famous for missing all of the great shots

because you have to run all over the house looking for camera, camera
batteries, flash, lens, etc. when you want to get a candid shot? Do you
go to important events without your camera because you couldn’t find
it when you were ready to leave the house? Your solution is to put
everything you need for taking pictures into a moisture proof bag, and
put the bag in your entry closet or other easily accessible place in your
house. Pack camera, lens, filters, lens cleanser and cloth, film (if
camera isn’t digital), power supply, remote, USB cord if camera is
digital, extra batteries, and anything else you may need. If you do this,
you’ll never miss a great shot again! (Well, probably not, anyway!)
- Home emergency kit: Home emergency supplies are a necessity

for every home, but would not be useful if the items were scattered all
over the house and couldn’t be found quickly in the event of an
emergency. In a water-proof, fire-resistant metal container with a lid,
put items such as emergency candles, flashlights and batteries, first-aid
kit, water bottles, matches, battery-powered or hand-cranked radio,
emergency blankets, portable heating device such as hand warmers,
protein bars, medication, etc.
- First-aid kits: In addition to the smaller first-aid kit in your home

emergency kit, prepare a larger first-aid kit that is sufficient to cover

all safety and first-aid needs. Keep the first-aid kit in a place where
every adult and older child in the house knows where it is and can
reach it if necessary.
- Bedtime kit for babies, toddlers, young children: Save time every

night by organizing all of your babies, toddlers and young children’s

bath supplies into one basket or bin.
- Gift wrapping kit: How many times have you handed over a gift

that was poorly wrapped or not wrapped at all because you didn’t have
gift wrap or the supplies you needed on hand for wrapping? Choose a
variety of gift-wrap papers and gift bags for several different
occasions, tissue paper, as well as matching ribbon, bows, gift tags,
and accessories. Include scissors, tape, ruler, a few writing markers,
and pens. For shipping gifts, include parcel wrap, shipping envelopes,
strapping tape approved by the post office and parcel shipping
companies, shipping labels, and a heavy black marker for addressing
packages. Store gift boxes of various shapes and sizes close to your
gift wrapping kit.
 Hobby kits: Whether your hobby is scrapbooking, building

model cars, rock climbing, stamp collecting, or knitting, put all of the
tools and supplies for the hobby together in one container. You’ll enjoy
your hobby so much more if you have everything you need organized
and at your fingertips.
Okay, you get the idea. As you can see by all of the kits listed above, you can
create kits for many of the actions that you do on a regular basis, and save
yourself the time of looking for and gathering your tools and supplies each time.
PART 2: TACKLE THE BATHROOM
Bathrooms are some of the most trafficked rooms in the house. They are
activity-intensive rooms, and can be a haven for clutter. Empty hair and personal
hygiene product bottles strewn all over the tub/shower area; wet towels on the
floor; magazines stacked around the toilet; cabinet drawers open with stuff
hanging out of them; dry towels stacked on the counter; drip-drying delicate
items hanging over the shower door; and curling iron and hair dryer cords lying
dangerously close to the sink, turn the bathroom into an eyesore. But most
importantly, the disorganization and clutter creates danger and loss of time and
money.
If the above description fits your bathroom, don’t despair! Just like any other
room in your house, there are smart ways to declutter and organize the
bathrooms.
TIP 10: Boxing It Up!
Children often take toys into the bathroom and toss them on the floor or the
counter top as they rush to the toilet at the last minute. By the time they are done
with their business on the toilet, they forget all about the toys. It doesn’t take
long for a lot of toys to accumulate in the bathroom! Teens and adults tend to
take off jewelry, watches, and hair accessories and leave them on the bathroom
counter top. Cell phones, MP3 players, and other devices are commonly left in
the bathroom, as well as the contents of pant pockets.
Gather toys, personal items, and anything else that should not be collecting
germs in the bathroom and take it all out of the bathroom and into the
appropriate rooms. Wow, the bathroom is looking better already!
TIP 11: Trash the Trash!
It’s amazing how much trash can end up in a room as small as a bathroom, and a
good deal of it doesn’t even make it to the waste basket. Torn, outdated
magazines, gum wrappers from pockets, empty shampoo bottles, used cotton
swabs and make-up sponges, packages from personal hygiene products, empty
toothpaste tubes, worn-out toothbrushes, and disposable razors often litter the
bathroom. Toss it all in the big garbage bag and take it out of the house.
TIP 12: Is Your Trash Big Enough for the Room?
In most bathrooms, you’ll find a very small wastebasket that actually holds very
little trash. There is some common sense to this. The reasoning is that bathroom
garbage can be smelly and you don’t want a large container of smelly garbage in
the bathroom. But the problem with really small wastebaskets in the bathroom is
that they are not big enough to contain larger items such as shampoo bottles,
packaging from disposable razors, etc., so most of that garbage piles up in the
shower/tub stall or on the counter top, or ends up on the floor. An otherwise
clean bathroom can look cluttered. So get a medium sized wastebasket, line it
with an appropriate sized trash bag that can handle the larger trash items, and
make a point to empty it every couple of days.
TIP 13: Taking Inventory
Look through every drawer, around the shower/tub stall, and on the counter top.
Look in bathroom closets and portable cabinets, and under sinks. What do you
see? Do you see duplicates of items, when only one is needed? Do you see
products or items that have been in the bathroom forever, but don’t get used?
Maybe you purchased four bottles of hair conditioner because it was on sale, and
then realized you didn’t like that brand. What is the point in keeping the
conditioner if you’re not going to use it? Donate it to a homeless shelter for
women. And how many times have you bought eye shadow, lipstick, or other
makeup only to realize that it wasn’t the right shade for you?
Don’t leave it sitting in the shelf or bathroom drawer, get rid of it. If you’re not
going to use it, the amount of money you spent on it is irrelevant. Old makeup
can contain bacteria that are dangerous. If the makeup isn’t very old and is clean,
see if a girlfriend wants to use it. ( If you’re of a romantic bent, maybe save just
one tube of lipstick to write sweet notes on the mirror for your significant other.)
What do you not see? Is there something that you do need in the bathroom that
would be convenient and save time, but is not there? Do you constantly have to
re-dress or put on your robe and run into another room to grab something you
need before you can jump in the shower?
Remove bathroom items that are not being used, and make a list of items that
should be in the bathroom, but aren’t. Your list should include staple items that
you are running low on, such as toilet paper, bathing products, bathroom
cleansers, deodorizers, and soaps. When you buy to restock the bathroom, keep
in mind your allotted space for such products, and don’t over-buy.
After you take inventory, bring in the missing and staple items, and put them in
their dedicated spot.
TIP 14: Separate and Contain
Ah, there’s that phrase again! Yes, and the oft-repeated phrase can’t be more
important any time else than when decluttering the bathroom. The bathroom is
full of hair dryers, electric razors, curling irons, hair straightening tools, and such
that have cords that create a tangled mess. Who has time to untangle all of those
cords every time they want to style their hair!
The bathroom is also full of “little stuff.” Little stuff creates clutter and mess in
drawers, on shelves, and on counter tops. Little stuff, such as tweezers, fingernail
files, or eyelash curlers are easily misplaced or overlooked, unless…you have all
the little stuff separated and contained.
To separate items, take everything out of all of the drawers, cabinets, and storage
units in the bathroom. Once you have everything out in the open, put like-items
into groups. Common groups for the bathroom would be: makeup, hair
accessories, hair styling tools, hair styling products, soaps and body washes,
shampoos and conditioners, manicure and pedicure tools and products, first-aid
supplies, prescription meds and over-the-counter drugs, paper products, and
towels, washcloths, sponges.
Now that you have groups formed, read the tips below for ways to contain
specific bathroom items.
TIP 15: Tame the Tools That Tame Your Hair
You can purchase a hair tools rack or hangers and hooks at stores that carry
organizational systems for the bathroom, or at many hardware and do-it-yourself
stores. The racks or systems usually mount on the wall, on the side of a
bathroom cabinet, or inside the cabinet door. The best systems allow for easy
access of the tool, and also account for the appliance cord. Choose a system that
best fits your needs, but make sure it’s sturdy and does the job.
Alternatively, there are also more creative ways to store your hair dryer, curling
irons and other hair appliances. The alternatives may add more style and pizzazz
to your bathroom décor. Galvanized buckets are great storage for curling irons
and hair dryers if your bathroom décor lends toward industrial. Flower pots,
vases, bicycle baskets, or fishermen style baskets, mounted on the wall or set on
shelves can store hair appliances and add a personal touch to your bathroom.
TIP 16: Create a Daily Makeup Kit
There’s makeup that’s used just about every day, and there Select the makeup
that you use daily and put all of it in one container or makeup bag. Doing so will
keep you from rummaging through several different containers to find the basics.
The less you rummage, the neater your makeup area will stay! Your go-to
makeup kit will probably contain your everyday basics such as foundation,
under-eye concealer, eyebrow color, mascara, cheek color, small eye shadow
palette, and lip color. If you have teenagers in the house that share a bathroom
with you, or share makeup with you, ask them to create their own daily makeup
kit also.
TIP 17: Use Cosmetic Trays or Totes
Cosmetics are messy. It seems no matter how careful you are to put caps on
carefully, foundation leaks and smears, and eyebrow pencils and lipsticks mark
other things. Hard plastic trays with different size compartments seem to stay
the cleanest, keep everything in place, and last the longest. The trays come in
various sizes, shapes, and colors or clear. They can easily be washed with hot,
soapy water.
Don’t limit your search for the perfect cosmetic tray in the cosmetic department
of the store. Also, check out the drawer organizers in the kitchen department,
and the desk organizers in the office supply department. Keep in mind that it will
be easier to see items if the tray is clear. If you don’t have a lot of makeup, select
one tray that holds everything from lipsticks to eye shadows and eyeliner
pencils. But if you do have a lot of makeup, use a separate tray for each type of
makeup.
TIP 18: Easy-Access Bathroom Containers
Cosmetic brushes need to be stored so that the brush bristles don’t get bent, and
so they stay dry and bacteria-free. If brushes are lost in a messy drawer, they
collect all kinds of lint, dust, and germs—and then you brush them across your
face and close to your eyes. Brushes can be stored in makeup or toiletry bags,
cloth roll-up style bags, or other containers. If you want your brushes at your
fingertips, and have the counter or shelf space, you can display them in an
apothecary jar (about 8-10 inches tall) filled to about one-third full with small
filler beads (the kind used to fill flower vases). Stick the brush handles into the
beads and put the lid on the apothecary jar to keep the dust out.
You can also put floral clay in the bottom of an apothecary jar and stick a few
floral stems around outer edges of the clay. Stick the brush handles in the center
of the clay. Cylindrical stainless steel canisters or decorated tins also make great
storage containers for brushes. Craft stores sell heavy cardboard rectangular
boxes with lids that can be painted or decorated with fabric or stickers. If you
buy and decorate appropriate size boxes, you can put a little clay or florist
Styrofoam in the bottom to hold cosmetic brushes. Container stores sell plastic
containers with compartments for different size brushes.
TIP 19: Shower Caddies and Containers
If multiple people share a bathroom, the tub and shower area can quickly
become cluttered with everything from the toddler’s rubber ducky to the teens’
several bottles of aromatic shower gel, and Dad’s favorite soap-on-a-rope.
Rather than trying to find space along the edge of the tub or all in one shower
rack, give each person who shares the bathroom their own caddy or container to
hold their own objects.
TIP 20: Towel Racks and Pegs
Make it easy for everyone to hang up their towel after showering. Have at least
one towel rack or peg for each person who shares the bathroom. Mount racks or
pegs for children at their chest height so they can easily hang towels without
having to reach above their heads or stand on a step stool.
Also provide plenty of pegs or hooks for hanging bath robes and a change of
clothes.
TIP 21: Under-The-Sink Racks
Take advantage of the area under the sink for storage, but instead of just tossing
things under there, put in storage racks, shelves, baskets, or bins to better utilize
the space without everything being thrown in together.
TIP 22: Bathroom Reading Material
Nothing makes a bathroom look more cluttered than magazines and reading
material strewn about. Put a slender magazine rack or decorated magazine
storage file that can be found at stationery stores, close to the toilet area so that
magazines aren’t scattered around on the top of the toilet tank or on the floor.
The rack can be mounted to the wall or free-standing, but make sure it doesn’t
block access to the toilet or essentials of the toilet.
TIP 23: Utilize Your Wall Space
If there isn’t much floor space in your bathroom, you’re not alone. Average
bathrooms in average homes are only about 50-60 square feet, and much of that
floor space vanishes underneath the built-in vanity, tub/shower, and toilet. The
natural choice for more space in the bathroom is to use the wall space for over-
the-toilet cabinets and shelves. While it would look messy and inappropriate to
store personal hygiene items on shelves if they weren’t contained, the items can
be put in pretty tins, boxes, baskets, or other containers with lids, and look nice
and organized.
TIP 24: Decorative Storage
Pretty apothecary jars of various sizes and shapes or other jars with lids can store
bathroom items such as cotton balls, bath salts, cotton swabs, and hair
accessories, and also look pretty on the vanity counter or on shelves. Pretty
baskets with folded or rolled towels in them can add color to the bathroom while
also storing the towels. Even sturdy small cardboard boxes that are painted or
decorated with trims, beads, fabric-covered or tin boxes can hold small items and
look nice stacked on shelves.
To avoid the cluttered look even when items are contained, make sure the
containers have some sort of theme or commonality or contrast that ties them all
together, such as a common color, shape, or design.
PART 3: DECLUTTERING THE
KITCHEN IS A PIECE OF CAKE
Have you fallen prey to the late night TV commercials and bought magical
appliances, cooking utensils, and food prep tools that make life oh-so-
wonderful? Do you have stacks of coupons that expired years ago; do you own
enough half-used packages of birthday candles to light up Gotham City? It’s
probably time to declutter your kitchen!
Really, there are easy and simple ways to declutter the kitchen in very little time.
The great thing about decluttering the kitchen is that it is easily done in
segments. So instead of setting aside an entire weekend to do the job, you can
actually set aside maybe an hour a day for a week, and keep your weekend free.
Follow the general rules for decluttering (you have memorized them, right?), and
apply these tips as well.
TIP 25: Clean Before you Declutter
Naturally, you’ll probably do some deep cleaning as you declutter the kitchen,
but clean the kitchen in general before you start decluttering. Working around
dirty dishes in the sink or on the counters can be difficult. Temporarily put mail
and other things that have accumulated on the counters in a basket so you have
counter space to work on. Put away the clean dishes in the dishwasher and
counter top drain board so you have a place to put the dusty flower vases, dishes,
and trinkets that you run across that need to be washed and dried. Empty the
garbage can so you can refill it, and leave out those sponges and rubber gloves!
TIP 26: Focus on One Task at a Time
You may feel like Wonder Woman and want to tackle your entire kitchen all at
once, but unless you have enough time to start and finish it all in the same day,
that may not be the best idea. If you take that approach, you may find yourself
moving the same item(s) from one spot to another so you have use of the kitchen
for meal prep throughout the decluttering process. If you must, put on your
blinders to avoid other distracting areas, and focus on decluttering one set of
drawers, the pantry, under the sink, counter tops, or any other single area of the
kitchen at a time.
TIP 27: The Fridge
In all of America, is there one refrigerator top that isn’t the perfect spot for
clutter with everything from small toys picked up off the floor, to buttons that
popped off pants, to mostly- empty cereal boxes, and school permission slips?
Clearly, if your kitchen is going to look organized, the clutter on top of the
refrigerator has to go and never, ever return.
While you are putting away all the things that have landed on the refrigerator
top, declare that spot a no-clutter zone. If your kitchen is very small and you
must utilize the space on top of the refrigerator, put some sort of tidy storage
container or rack on top of the refrigerator and store only specific, appointed
items in it, don’t use it as a catch-all. As an example, put pretty canisters or tins
on top of the fridge and store snacks or cereal in them, or put a
TIP 28: Using Counter Space
Counter space is premium real estate when you are trying to prepare a meal,
bake, entertain a crowd, or preserve food in your kitchen. (That is what kitchens
are for—right?) For an uncluttered look that allows counters to serve their true
purpose, keep them as clean and clear as possible.
Clear all counter space. Put all of the items from the counters on the dining room
table or somewhere so you can see everything that has been on your counter
tops. Go through the items and remove the things that you don’t use at least
weekly, and have no reason to be out on the counter. These items are easily
identified; they are the dusty things that are always in your way when you are
trying to chop vegetables or roll out a piecrust on the counter top. Find another
storage spot or better yet, another home for these items.
If there are several decorative items and knick-knacks on your counter tops,
choose only one or two items that you truly enjoy seeing every day, and store the
rest. If you’re truly fond of them all, you can rotate them every couple of
months. Perfectly appointed decorative items help a kitchen look warm and
lived-in, but too many create clutter. Besides, they collect dust and make your
kitchen look dirty, as well as present the risk of dust getting into your food.
Appliances, no matter how pretty the color, are better off stored somewhere
besides the counter top when possible. (See tip 29.) It’s really difficult to keep
appliances that aren’t used daily from becoming dusty, and the cords are
constantly tangled and in the way. When storing appliances on the counter, they
are usually separated from their accessories and parts, which is never good when
you only have so much time to prepare a meal!
Before putting anything back on the counter, wash it in hot, soapy water so it
sparkles!
TIP 29: Small Appliance Clutter
It might be good fortune to have so many wonderful, timesaving appliances on
the market today, but it creates a problem in the kitchen—where do you store it
all? There’s the electric waffle maker, free-standing mixer, coffee maker, fryer,
blender, toaster, electric tea kettle, grill, toaster oven, juicer, crock pot, griddle,
food processor, popcorn maker, and… Unless you’re going for the cluttered or
frumpy kitchen look, it’s best to find a way to keep appliances out of sight.
Pare down the appliances as much as you can. Keep only a few multi-purpose
appliances that you actually use. Do you really need a toaster oven and a bagel
toaster? No. You can toast bagels in the toaster oven, as well as frozen waffles,
breakfast strudels and tarts, and sandwiches.
When the space is available, an industrial metal, freestanding shelf unit with
rollers is an excellent way to store appliances. Put the appliance and all of its
parts and accessories in a square or rectangular basket or other container, and put
the container on the shelf. The appliance and its unwieldy cord and parts are all
out of sight. If the container has a lid, it’s all the better to keep the appliance
from getting dusty.
Consider using appliance dust covers, too. The same storage results can be had
with built-in shelving in the kitchen or pantry or in a free-standing tall cabinet. If
you don’t have shelf space, but have a deep cabinet to store appliances, installing
pull-out shelves will allow for easy access to the appliances in the back of the
cabinet. Again, even when using pull-out shelves, contain the appliance with its
parts before storing.
TIP 30: Installing Pot Racks
Most people are habitual when in the kitchen, and tend to use the same pots and
pans repeatedly. When you declutter the kitchen, take out all of your pots and
pans and separate them into groups of pans that you use frequently, ones that you
rarely use, and ones that you never use. Get rid of the ones that you never use. If
possible, install a pot rack on the wall or hanging over the bar or stove, and hang
the pots and pans that you frequently use. No more sorting through pans to find
the one you need, and no more clanging noises to wake up your partner or family
when you’re cooking early-morning breakfast!
With a little creativity, you can make your own pot rack that compliments your
kitchen décor. Attach chain to hang from ceiling, and use S-hooks hanging from
a small wooden ladder, a decorative metal garden gate, or an old window frame.
(Be sure there is not lead paint on the old window frame.) No over-head space
for a pot rack? No worries! A decorative heavy-duty towel rack or curtain rod
can be securely attached to the wall, and pots hung from S-hooks on the rod or
rack.
Store the pans that you use only a few times a year, maybe for holiday baking or
cooking, in an out-of-the-way cabinet, neatly arranged in a container on your
appliance shelving, or even in a labeled storage container in the garage or
pantry.
Baking sheets stay neat and accessible, and aren’t as easily scratched or dented,
when stored in a file-type storage unit in a cabinet or pantry.
TIP 31: Cooking Utensils and Knifes
It is true that the more utensils you have at your disposal, the more you will use
while cooking. If you have a limited number of accessible utensils, you will
wash and re-use instead of continuing to grab a clean one. You know the drill…
separate and contain! Pull your utensils from all the drawers and utensil holders
and put them on the counter or tabletop.
Give away or toss all of the utensils that you never use. Group the rest into
things that cut, which would include knives, scissors, pizza cutters, and such;
stirrers, which would include spoons, whisks, scraping spatulas; servers, which
would include large meat forks, soup ladles, tongs, pie servers, salad servers,
etc.; miscellaneous, which would include all the utensils that don’t fit into any
other category.
When young children live in the house or frequently visit, safety is the first
concern with storing knives and cutting instruments. Knives can be stored on a
magnetic bar or in a knife block near the cutting board, and out of reach of
young hands.
To help keep counters clear, go vertical. Hang a three-quarter inch dowel rod
between two cabinets or in another space where the rod can be mounted, and
hang S-hooks on the dowel rod. Hang utensils on the S-hooks. Or hang a sturdy
round or square metal cooling rack from the ceiling with light-weight chain, put
S-hooks on the rack, and hang utensils from the S-hooks. A simple wall rack can
be made by nailing a painted/decorated board to the wall and inserting cup hooks
into the board.
If ample counter space is available and you must have your cooking utensils next
to the cook top, contain them in something that won’t easily tip and is large
enough to hold frequently used utensils without them all getting tangled into a
big mess. Ten to twelve inch, taller flower pots, a cylindrical tin with a few rocks
in the bottom for weight, a pretty glass pitcher, a wide-mouth canning jar, a taller
galvanized pail, or a heavy crock. Because mixing whisks are so easily tangled
with other utensils, give them their own smaller container.
TIP 32: Miscellaneous Tools and Supplies
Is sushi an every Friday evening affair at your house? Put your sushi mat, rice
paddle, etc., in a plastic bag or container for easy access without trying to
remember where you put that rice paddle. Do girlfriends and neighborhood kids
seem to gather in your kitchen for steaming cups of herbal tea or hot chocolate
on cold winter afternoons? Fill a basket with tea bags, tins of flavored drinking
cocoa, mugs, sweeteners, marshmallows, etc.
TIP 33: Uniquely Store Potholders
Instead of having potholders strewn about the kitchen where you can never find
one when you really need it, put all of them together so there is always one
available, and you’ll never have to watch a pot of pasta boil over while you’re
frantically searching for a pot holder to remove the pot lid. If your stove is next
to your refrigerator, put magnetic hooks on the side of the refrigerator and hang
the potholders. Small cup hooks on a small board or in the wall near the stove
are also a great way to hang potholders. A square wood napkin holder on the
counter keeps hot pads and potholders at your fingertips.
TIP 34: Recipe Round Up!
Everyone loves receiving a treasured recipe from a friend, co-worker, or passed
down from a family member. Tattered favorite recipes hanging out of kitchen
drawers or sliding around on the refrigerator door every time the door is opened
looks messy, and is an easy way for a treasured recipe to get lost. Round up the
recipes you’ve tucked in drawers, between pages of cookbooks, and stuck on the
refrigerator door, and store all of them together in a safe place where you can
find them.
Here are a few ways to store loose recipes:
- Copy recipes onto 8.5x11 in. sheets of paper and slip into sheet

protectors. Keep the sheet protectors in a three-ring binder or file case

that has dividers for types of food. The sheet protectors do a great job
of keeping the recipe from getting wet, soiled, or torn while cooking.
- Copy or tape the recipe onto a 4x6 index card and store in an

index card file box.

- Type the recipe and keep stored online, if you keep a tablet or

computer handy in the kitchen.

- Buy a journal with empty pages and write or tape recipes on the

pages.
- Buy an accordion style file with pockets. Label the pockets and

place lose recipes in appropriate pockets.

TIP 35: Organizing Important Papers and
Information
Since the kitchen is often the hub of the family, it’s also the place that important
phone numbers, calendars, invitations, and family messages are posted. Maybe
this system started back in the day when there was one wall phone in the house,
and it was in the kitchen. And let’s face it, everyone in the house does see the
refrigerator on a daily basis. No matter how it all started, rather than have papers
and notes in different places, or dangling on the refrigerator, create one central
information center in the kitchen.
The info center should provide:
- A calendar that marks dentist, doctor and other appointments for

each family member, activities for each family member, school days
off, and family/friend birthdays. Assign a different color of marker/pen
ink for each family member. Use the appropriate assigned pen/marker
ink for all future notes, instructions, writing on calendar, etc.
- A list of phone numbers including emergency numbers, medical

professionals/pharmacist, kids’ friends, kids’ school, mom and dad’s

work numbers, neighbors that can be reached in emergency, and so on.
- Chore lists

- Schedules

- Special instruction notes, such as for babysitters or when teens are

in charge for the weekend

- Checklists for school days

- Permission slips and other signed school papers

- Keys for shared cars when applicable

- Emergency cash

One way to create an info center is to utilize a large cork bulletin board in a
convenient, central place. If one isn’t available or there isn’t space for one, cover
the inside or outside of a kitchen, office, or pantry door with thin cork. In a
designated area on the cork, pin the calendar, phone number list (even if the
children all have cell phones with the numbers in the phone, because cell phones
can be lost or left other places), and other important papers that pertain to all
family members or to all children. Designate an area for pinning up family
invitations and cards that come in the mail. If applicable, pin up a plastic
envelope with emergency only cash and car keys for shared cars.
Pin up a pocket file folder or 8x10 plastic document holder for each family
member. Ask the children to put all school info in Mom’s or Dad’s pocket file
when they get home from school each day. Mom and/or Dad will check their
folders each night and take care of the paperwork.
Permission slips, fund requests, lunch money, etc. will be placed in the child’s
pocket folder. It is the responsibility of the child to check the info center and
their file every morning before school to make sure they have everything they
need for school and to transfer papers from their file to backpack. Make sure
younger children can reach their folders.
Pin a file pocket for the day’s mail to be tossed into, specifically if different
family members bring in the mail. No more misplaced mail strewn about the
house!
Family members can also write notes and put in each other’s’ files, or put sticky
notes on the outside of the file pocket. Special photos and messages can be
clipped to the edge of the pocket file.
To keep the info center tidy, set a rule that each family member must clean out
their file pocket every Saturday; and Mom or Dad should take a few minutes
every weekend to update, clear out old info, and organize the board.
Obviously, there are various versions of the info center that can be created to
meet your family’s specific needs. Small file boxes, desktop trays, white marker
boards, and other containers can be set on a shelf or table below the bulletin
board. Office supply stores sell wall-mounted files that have several file
compartments (one for each family member).
Wall organizers with various pockets (the types used for packing hygiene
products) can be hung for each family member, with one long bulletin board that
contains calendar and info hung over the top of the rows of hanging organizers.
Individualized magazine holders or small baskets placed on the floor beneath the
info center can hold daily-used school supplies, hats and gloves, cell phones,
sunglasses, and keys.
PART 4: CHILDRENS ROOMS
For the most part, children live in the moment. They aren’t really that concerned
about what they need… until they need it. Then they can quickly become
frustrated and lack the maturity to deal with their frustration over a lost shoe, a
favorite t-shirt, or paper they need to return to their teacher. One of the best
organizational rules that children can be taught is that when things are returned
to their assigned place, they can be found when needed. Along with this rule
comes the adult responsibility to set up, or help set up, organized spots for the
child’s belongings.
TIP 36: Use the Info Center
(See tip #35) Don’t let the info center fall to the wayside. Keep it interesting by
changing things on it. To encourage family members to use the center,
occasionally leaving a surprise such as special event or movie tickets there for
family members. Put seasonal borders or photos around the edges. As an
example, for fall, staple leaves all around the border and pin on copies of fun
family photos taken in the fall. Pin on a happy birthday banner when a birthday
is coming up Cheer on the family athlete with encouraging notes before a game.
TIP 37: Avoiding Closet Clutter
One of the best ways to curtail morning drama over what clothes will be worn to
school, and to avoid clothes being thrown on the closet floor is to tag the clothes
ahead of time. On Saturday or Sunday afternoon, have your child choose an
outfit for each day of the school week, including socks and accessories. Hang the
outfit on a hanger, and put the socks and accessories in a plastic bag and hang
the bag on the hanger. Make tags by cutting four or five inch circles or squares
out of poster board, and making a slit in the center of each to fit over the hanger.
Write a day of the school week on each piece of cardboard, and slide it over the
top of the hanger of the outfit to be worn on that day.
TIP 38: Preparing for Toys
Perhaps it’s because it brings out the kid in them, but people love buying toys for
children for birthdays and holidays. This can leave the child’s parents feeling
like they need to build on to the house just to have a place for all of the toys! As
one mom put it, “Toys are taking over the house!”
Before a visit from out-of-state grandparents, a birthday party, or holiday when
the child usually receives several new toys, go through all of the toys. (This is a
good opportunity to separate and contain!) Don’t forget the riding toys stored in
the garage and backyard! Toss all broken or worn-out toys, games with missing
pieces, and coloring and sticker books that are mostly used. Give away or donate
toys that the child has outgrown or never plays with.
Yes, it can be difficult to give away a favorite toy that your child has outgrown,
when it conjures up memories of your child playing with it. Enjoy choosing only
one or two very special toys as keepsakes to be stored, and be ruthless with
getting rid of all of the rest. From all of the toys that have made the cut, ask
your child to choose two or three (or more) to donate to an organization for
children.
Now you have space for new toys.
TIP 39: Put it Out-of-Reach
You can’t expect children to feel the thrill of a well-organized room, so
sometimes it’s best to work with that, instead of against it! If your child has toys
with many small pieces that seem to be scattered over the room every time you
dare walk through it, dub that toy a “special” toy that lives in a decorative
container on a shelf that is too high on the wall for the child to reach.
PART 5: LOVE YOUR LAUNDRY
ROOM
Since no one lives in the laundry room (though Mom may sometimes feel like
she does), it takes a lot of abuse. It can become a catchall room for forgotten
stinky socks, unraveling sweaters, wet mops, and shedding feather dusters. But it
doesn’t have to be that way!
Tip 40: Laundry Room Evaluations
Laundry rooms are typically small rooms, almost an afterthought, so space is
usually limited. Think about everything that you really need to have in the room.
A basic list might look like this: clothes hampers/bins/baskets, laundry detergent,
water softener, dryer sheets, stain removers, spray starch, iron and ironing board,
clothes hangers, hanging rack, small wastebasket, scissors for removing
purchase tags, lint roller, and drying rack. To help make space for these
necessities, clear out everything that doesn’t belong in the room.
Do some pre-shopping research online or with catalogs to find out what is out
there that matches your needs and space. The classic three-bin laundry sorter
works great for a laundry room with floor space, but if you have very little floor
space, you may need to go with a vertical system for sorting laundry. There are
great, inexpensive, space-saving laundry room aids on the market, including
slender hampers and wire racks that slide into that small space between the
washer and dryer. And don’t forget that necessity is the mother of invention.
Be creative and don’t hesitate to invent your own storage systems for the laundry
room. As an example, if you need to go vertical, hang a file-style sweater holder
with three to four sections on the wall for sorting laundry.
TIP 41: Pocket Clutter
Near the laundry baskets, keep a small plastic bin or basket that contains a quart-
size plastic zipper bag for each family member. (Use a permanent marker to
write name on each bag.) Before loading clothes into the washer, check pockets.
When you find coins, notes, pens, or other “keepers” in a pocket, put it in the
owner’s plastic bag for them to retrieve when they realize they are missing
something. A hanging sewing or jewelry holder with pockets also works great
for the “keepers”.
TIP 42: Little Things that Make a Big Difference
Use all of one laundry product before buying another. Partially-used products
take up a lot of room and can create unnecessary clutter.
Instead of tossing cleaning brushes in a cabinet or under the sink in the laundry
room, put up a decorated board and insert small cup hooks. Hang brushes from
the cup hooks.
Put a small basket or bin for each family member on a wall shelf for holding
family members’ clothes, which they are responsible for putting away. In doing
this, you can avoid stacks of clothes on the dryer, and having someone unfold
others’ stack as they rummage through their own.
Put a little effort into decorating your laundry room. Do something cheery to
chase away the laundry day blues!
PART 6: HOME OFFICE MAKEOVER
When asked the purpose of her home office, one woman replied, “You know, it’s
that place where all the papers and stuff goes.” That works for a disorganized,
cluttered home office, but if you’re looking for uncluttered, you have to ask
“What papers and stuff?” In other words, you have to decide what you really
want the home office to be used for. And, yes, it can serve multiple purposes if it
is decluttered and organized. Otherwise, it becomes another stash-all room for all
things paper.
TIP 43: Create a Work Station
Before you start decluttering, decide the purpose of your office so you can create
workstations that serve the multiple purposes. Common workstations might
include a gift-wrapping area, a craft station for sewing, photography,
scrapbooking, etc., a desktop from which to pay bills, use the computer, write
notes, clip coupons, or do homework.
Decide the best space for each station, and then move all supplies for that station
into that area. Follow the separate and contain rule!
TIP 44: Take it Out!
Go through each workstation and remove all unnecessary equipment, supplies,
and paper. If the room has collected furniture that doesn’t have a purpose in the
room, take it out of the room, also. When digging through desk drawers, if you
find mementos that you want to keep, such as pictures a child has drawn, special
cards, movie ticket stubs from a special date, put all of the mementos in one box
or bin and store them for another day’s project.
Don’t hang on to things just because you may someday need them. If you
haven’t used it in the past year, you probably will not use it any time soon. There
are many charitable organizations that accept donations of office supplies and
equipment. Don’t procrastinate with dropping off the donations!
Clean out all files and discard old papers that you no longer need. Get rid of the
inserts that come in utility bills and make it a point to remember to do this as
soon as you open the bill.
File or toss out all of the stacks of papers on the desk.
TIP45: Selective Furniture and Storage
Think of each workstation as its own separate cubicle. Within each workstation,
set up the furniture and equipment as efficiently as possible for that station. It
may help to draw the workstation on graph paper and play around with furniture
arrangement. To expand your work space, don’t forget to map out how you will
utilize the wall space for bulletin boards, shelves, pegboard to hold supplies, etc.
A small, freestanding shelf works great for easy-access storage space for
workstation supplies and equipment. If you don’t have enough space for a small
unit in each work station, dedicate some wall space to a larger shelving unit for
common storage for all stations. Another alternative is to hang a small cabinet or
a couple of shelves on the wall in each station.
TIP 46: Separate and Contain, of Course!
Use desk drawer separators, desktop step files, pencil/pen holders to separate
and contain basic office supplies at the desk. Three-ring binders with pocket
dividers are great for separating dated papers, leaflets, weekly sales ads,
coupons, and other papers that do not need to be permanently filed. Wall files
can also work great for dated papers and current project papers.
TIP 47: Go Paperless!
Do yourself and the planet a favor and go paperless as much as possible. It is
amazing how much clutter is avoided in the office when your papers are received
and stored electronically. Send and receive electronic invoices, bills, letters, and
documents such as insurance policies. In addition to being at your fingertips on
your smart phone or laptop when you are away from home, the online papers are
safe from fire and flooding.
TIP 48: Using Labels
Use standard file labels or find creative ways to label boxes, bins, binders, and
portable drawers and files. This will save a lot of time looking through storage
containers for what you need. If you are able to file something in the right place
easily, it will encourage you to promptly file instead of stacking papers on the
desk.
TIP 49: Think Portable and Multi-Purpose
Unless you run a home business from your home office
and really need commercial furniture and equipment,
think portable when it comes to furniture, supplies, and
equipment for the home office. Think outside the box.
You may only need a small desk to meet your needs, but
need a long narrow table for a hobby. Choose a desk that
takes up little space and has pull-outs, and choose a table
that can be folded when not in use. Also choose furniture
and equipment that can serve multiple purposes.
TIP 50: Set a Weekly Date with the Office
Doesn’t sound terribly exciting to set a date with your office, but weekly time in
the office is about the only way to truly keep it, and your home, decluttered. Set
aside a couple of hours each week to file papers that came into your “in basket”
during the week, pay bills online, organize for the following week, review
information, send out paper or e-cards for birthdays/holidays, make family
schedules, set appointments, review children’s school papers, and mark up your
calendar.
Decluttering your home doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Follow the simple
principles at the beginning of this guide for an initial decluttering, as well as to
maintain a decluttered home. You’ll enjoy your home, save money, and save
time—all because you decluttered!
50 Tips for an Uncluttered and
Simplified Personal Life
INTRODUCTION
Robert Louis Stevenson once said, “Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or
frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a
clock during a thunderstorm.” How peaceful would it be to retain our minds in a
rhythmic, calm state no matter what is going on around us! As lovely as it
sounds, most of us can’t easily ignore what surrounds and invades us, and our
minds stay very busy with it all.
Our minds and emotions are like runaway roller coasters, swinging high with the
thoughts and drama of busy lives. We feel pressure to perform our best at work
during a time of high unemployment. We must provide for our family when the
economy creates challenges; We try to fit more into a 24-hour day than is
realistic, causing our mind to constantly search for solutions. There is definitely
a downside to a busy mind, including lack of focus on important things; inability
to sleep well; worrying about things that we have no control over, and built-up
stress. All of these things take a toll on our health and well-being, and put a
damper on our spirits.
While the body and mind can deal with some stress, most people find their lives
cluttered with more constant stress than the body can easily handle. According to
“How Does Stress Affect Health? (WebbMD 2012), constant stress can lead to a
disease called distress, which can lead to headaches, high blood pressure, sleep
issues, upset stomach, and chest pain. The same articles states, that forty-three
percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress, and that seventy-
five percent to ninety percent of all doctor’s visits are for stress-related ailments
and complaints.
We are bombarded with constant messages from mainstream media and social
media about how we are supposed to act, look, feel, and behave. With all the
conflicting messages running through our minds, do we even know who we are
anymore? Many traditional rules and roles for relationships have changed,
leading to confusion and complications. We try to wrap our minds around things
that we are unsure of or don’t understand. Uncertainty dances in our mind.
Workplace politics and co-worker behavior create challenges in the work place,
even if we enjoy our job. Professionalism in the office seems to be at an all-time
low due to the advent casual business protocol. And let’s not get into the fact that
workplace shootings are often in the news headlines.
Sometimes, we may find ourselves longing for a simpler time, a simpler life—
one that gives us a break from the constant clutter that fills our mind. I suspect
that our grandparents and great-grandparents felt the same way as they charted
and navigated unfamiliar territory and times, even though we view their times as
being much simpler. Since we can’t go back to a seemingly simpler time, we
must learn to do the best we can to keep our mind uncluttered. Does that sound
like an impossible task?
This guide explores 50 tips for decluttering the mind and simplifying one’s
mental space. Each tip is practical and applicable for just about anyone who
wants to live a simplified personal life and clear mind. After all, a complicated
“program” to follow is part of the problem, not the solution!
PART 7: CLEAR YOUR MIND AND
EMOTIONS
TIP 1: Don’t Dwell on the Past
By the time we are an adult, we have usually experienced some wonderful and
great things, as well as some really sad, traumatic, or difficult things that are not
easily forgotten. Sometimes we learn important life lessons from these events,
and as the saying goes, they help build “character” and help us mature. So, the
goal isn’t necessarily to forget everything in our past, but to put the past in its
proper place so we don’t give an inordinate amount of time, thought and action
to one (or more) negative events or times of the past.
One of the fastest and easiest paths to a cluttered mind is to hang onto thoughts
pertaining to the past. Audio or visual tapes of the past play in our ears and
before our eyes and distract us from our current lives, jobs, family, and goals.
While we can’t pretend the past didn’t exist, and it’s not wise to ignore what can
be learned from the past to avoid making the same mistakes, dwelling in the past
can prevent us from living our current life. It can clutter the mind and clog the
thought process that is necessary for participating in today’s happenings and
solving today’s problems.
Dwelling in the past can keep us from moving forward. If we dwell on past
mistakes, we may live in constant fear of making the same mistakes again, and
be terrified of trying anything that we might possibly fail at. We might stop
taking risks or pursuing new opportunities. Sherry, a very brilliant, talented
artist who decided to quit her day job and devote her time to creating beautiful
paintings to sell to support herself and her young son is a good example. At first,
everything went according to plan, but the time came when, due to
circumstances beyond her control, Sherry wasn’t able to sell enough paintings to
pay her bills and provide for her son. Sherry couldn’t find another job, and
before much time passed, she depleted her modest savings to pay her rent and
living expenses. After she could no longer pay her mortgage and car payment,
and without any family to help out, Sherry had to resort to living in a homeless
shelter while on a waiting list for a government subsidized apartment. The
experience was frightening to Sherry, and she felt like a failure as a mother. She
vowed to never take another financial risk that could prevent her from providing
for her son.
As it so often does, time had a way of bringing a solution for Sherry. An
apartment became available for her and her son, and she landed a job as a
receptionist for a large corporation. Company superiors noted Sherry’s diligence
and creative approach, and she soon received a promotion that utilized her skills
and significantly increased her pay. Within a few years, she held a lucrative
position in the company. In fairy-tale fashion, Sherry fell in love with and
married a very wealthy man who realized her insecurities surrounding finances.
To provide her with more security, her husband set up an account exclusively for
Sherry and her son (who was in high school by then), so she would never again
have to be concerned about money.
Sherry’s job became less of a challenge as she worked her way up the corporate
ladder, and she became bored and frustrated. Her thoughts turned back to
painting, which she had always found stimulating and satisfying. She thought of
resigning from her job and painting. But every time she tried to paint, all she
could remember was that the last time she painted, it created a hardship for her
son. She would pick up a brush and stare at the blank canvas, her mind cluttered
with thoughts of the past that blocked creativity.
Every time she tried to muster the courage to resign, she lay awake at night
replaying the past in her head. In every episode of the drama she played out in
her head, she could not see past the time she and her son had lived in the
homeless shelter and how they struggled. She kept asking herself, What if
something happens and I can’t provide for my son, the same as ten years ago?
Unhappiness, boredom, and the burden of a time from her past weighed heavily
on Sherry’s mind. She was miserable, irritable, suffered from severe headaches,
and had no motivation or energy to do the things she enjoyed. Daily, she went to
her job and performed her duties on autopilot. A traumatic past event was
stealing Sherry’s present life and her future.
Fortunately, Sherry’s husband and son paid attention and encouraged her to talk
with a professional counselor. In time, Sherry was able to stop dwelling on her
past and move forward. But too many people don’t get the help they need and
are robbed of their lives. It’s common for people to have a hard time moving
forward after a breakup or divorce, the death of a loved one, an incident that they
perceive as a failure, or a traumatic happening.
Ways to stop dwelling on the past:
- Distract yourself. Every time you start to think of a past time or

happening, purposely put an end to that thought session and start to

think of something positive and current.
- Set goals that will cause you to focus on the future and require you

to move forward.
- Ask yourself what the worst-case scenario is and write down a

solution. When you start to dwell on thoughts of the past, read the
solution so you know you can handle the worst-case scenario and put
the fear to rest.
- If the past is causing depression, anxiety, fear, frustration, or

creating other problems in your current life, it might be time to talk

with a counselor, clergy, or someone who can offer professional
guidance.
- Believe that time will help you get over the past if you’re not

determined to live in the past.

- Forgive anyone who has hurt you, violated you, ripped you off,

offended you, or otherwise negatively impacted your life.

TIP 2: Declutter and Brighten Your Environment
What you see influences your thinking. If you create a clean, uncluttered home
and workplace, it will be easier to calm your mind. Chaos seems to follow chaos,
and that includes chaos in your mind. If you have clutter in your living or work
space, create a plan to declutter. The time investment for decluttering your home,
desk, workspace, and play areas will pay off. Most likely, you will be amazed at
the positive impact it has on your mind! Instead of that nagging feeling of
chaos, you can enjoy a sense of order.
Tossing or storing away objects that subconsciously evoke negative emotions
can also help clear your mind and balance your emotions. On the other hand,
setting out objects that stir up positive feelings can be beneficial. Happy feelings
can stimulate creative thoughts, rather than cluttering your mind with fear, doubt,
anger, and other negative emotions. Set out pictures of loved ones, art that you
enjoy, cheerful flowers, or whatever makes you feel peaceful and conjures up
good thoughts.
If your living and/or work space is drab and dark, consider your lighting and
décor. Let in natural light with sheer or lightweight fabric curtains or blinds that
can be opened or pulled up. If the walls are painted a dark color, consider a
lighter cheerful color or light neutral color.
TIP 3: Unplug and Stop the Information Overload
Information overload may be difficult to escape. Some people wonder why
anyone would want to escape it. After all, haven’t the techies worked for years to
develop technology to keep information at our fingertips? No doubt, it’s good to
use the brain consistently. Use it or lose it, as they say. But, the mind needs rest
and quiet time, too. When it is constantly gathering, filtering, filing, and
memorizing information, it does not rest. Information overload reduces
creativity and productivity. When a person suffers from information overload,
they are prone to making more mistakes, making bad decisions, poor job
performance, and being temperamental and uncooperative with co-workers,
partners, and family. Sleep can be disturbed by a mind that regurgitates all of the
information it has been fed throughout the day, leading to a vicious cycle of
sleep deprivation and fatigue.
Break the habit of constantly surfing the Internet. Set a computer time limit and
use the allotted time to look up and read information that you need rather than
aimlessly surfing and reading whatever you come upon. It’s so easy to simply
click on links within an article and before you know it, you’ve spent a couple of
hours filling your brain with extraneous information.
Avoid always being around people who insist on giving you information dumps.
While quality conversations are essential to a healthy mind, listening to someone
ramble on with information that you don’t want or need, can put you in overload
mode.
Instead of checking email constantly, set certain times of the day to check it. Use
your time for recreation to do something besides watch TV, listen to music or
talk radio, or read blogs, white papers, newsletters, and magazines. In other
words, unplug and take a break from information input!
TIP 4: Create a Quiet Zone
In addition to unplugging, create a quiet zone in your home. The space doesn’t
necessarily have to be a large space, and you don’t have to set up the space in
any particular way, but just a space where you can go to unwind and clear your
mind without interruption and distraction. While many people take a walk to
clear their mind, taking a walk is not always feasible. If you need to clear your
mind, and it’s cold and rainy outside, you need an alternative spot that is
comfortable and pleasant where you can be alone with yourself. Stay in your
quiet zone long enough to truly quiet your mind. Prayer or meditation, or gentle
stretching exercise is a good way to help quiet the mind.
If your job or workplace is stressful, have a go-to spot where you can sit and
relax for a few minutes to clear your mind when you know you are reaching the
overload point. When you feel you don’t have the time to get away from the
desk for a few minutes is probably the time when you need a break the most.
Clearing your mind will increase productivity, help you problem solve, and
possibly keep you from snarling at annoying co-workers and superiors!
TIP 5: Find a Solution ASAP
When there is something amiss in our lives, our mind has a tendency to turn on
the sensor and constantly search for a solution, kind of in the same way a cell
phone constantly searches for a signal until it finds one. When our mind embarks
on the search, we may feel confused, fatigued and drained by puzzling all
possibilities day and night. We may feel frustrated that our mind will not let us
focus on what we really need to be focusing on at the moment. Our heart may
ache, and we may feel uncharacteristically subdued.
The best answer to this dilemma is to set aside the time to find out what is amiss.
When we’re busy, issues can crop up without our realizing it. We get that
nagging feeling, but may not know what is wrong. Even if we do know what the
problem is, we may not have answers. It may be necessary for us to talk with a
counselor, trusted friend, clergy, or other professional to clearly see the problem
and explore possible solutions.
Once we realize there is a problem, we need to focus on “fixing” the problem, or
at least doing as much as possible to fix it, or accept the fact that we have no
control or power over the situation and need to put it aside in our mind while
time or the responsible party works it out. The longer we allow whatever isn’t
right in our life to go on without our attention, the heavier the issue will weigh
on our mind, and the more we will feel the effect.
TIP 6: Delete the Negative
Negative Nellie and Debbie Downer seem to be everywhere these days! We hear
their stories while standing in line at the supermarket or post office, in the break
room at the office, on the plane when we travel. Our friends call us after work
and unload their stories of their horrible day, family problems, and the latest
crisis in their marriage. News broadcasters fill our minds with reports of nation-
wide financial woes, unrest and fighting around the globe, murders, and
corruption in politics. Is it no wonder our minds are cluttered! Is it no wonder
that people are anxious, worried, fearful, and depressed!
Negativity takes a toll on our health and well-being, and on our attitude and
outlook on life. If bad news is all we take in, we will start to look at everything
through a negative filter, and before we know it, we’ll join the crowd of
Negative Nellies. When we’re constantly being negative, we are not grateful for
anything, we don’t see the good in anything, and we have no hope of good things
happening in our lives or in the lives of loved ones and those around us. Instead
of being an encouragement and inspiration to others, we bring them down with
our own negative words and actions.
During the 2012 election season, my email inbox was filled daily with negative
ads and facts about the “other” candidate. Colleagues and clients argued for their
candidate. I even heard young children on the playground arguing about what
their teachers said about the candidates, and fighting over who should win the
election! As Election Day got closer, I noticed the tension in my neck and
shoulders, which I had been feeling for several weeks, increased greatly, and I
got headaches almost daily. When I realized that my body was responding to all
of the negative political talk, I started avoiding it as much as possible. I turned
off the news channel on TV and muted all political commercials if I had TV on
otherwise. I refused to engage in political talk with colleagues and clients, and
ignored political talk when out in public. To end the political email barrage, I
sent a note to everyone in my address book and asked them to please continue to
send me personal emails, but to take me off their forwarding list for political
emails. (Yes, some of them were offended, but they will eventually get over it.
My request was not unkind or unreasonable.)
Sometimes we have to take purposeful action to avoid the negative that swirls
around our head. We don’t have any control over how negative others can be, but
we have some control over how much of it we take in or allow in our own home
or workplace. Here are some tips for deleting the negative from your life:
- Hang out with positive people.

- When people are talking negative in your presence, try to change

the subject or put a positive spin on the conversation. For example, if

someone is complaining about the rain, say something to the effect of,
“This rain ensures lovely flowers and green foliage this spring. I don’t
mind getting a bit wet. It’s a good trade off.”
- Make a conscious choice and effort to be positive.

- Look for the good in all people.

- Look for the good in every circumstance and situation.

- Unless you need to share negative baggage with a few selected

people, keep it to yourself.

- Unsubscribe from newsletters and other emails that often carry a

negative tone.
- Turn off negative TV programming.

- Eat a healthy diet that helps you avoid mood swings. Even a

positive person seems to be negative when going through mood

swings.
- Limit your time with negative friends and family members. Be

honest with them and kindly let them know that negativity clutters
your mind and you are choosing to live with an uncluttered mind. If
they want to spend more time with you, they will adjust their behavior
when with you.
- Resign from groups that engage in and promote negative behavior.

- Sing, listen to uplifting music, and read uplifting stories.

TIP 7: Give Up Hope and Feel a Lot Better
What? Give up hope? Well, not in general and not all hope in all things. But
there are times when we hold on to hope for that which we should not.
Sometimes, it is best to evict from your mind hope for something that is highly
unlikely. We’re not talking about continuing to have hope that things will
improve or appropriately placed hope. That is a reasonable expectation, and is
unlikely to take over your mind. Let’s take a look at an example of an
unreasonable expectation.
Beverly had been married for 36 years when she came home from a meeting one
afternoon and saw her husband’s travel bags in the hallway. Puzzled, because she
didn’t know of any travel plans, she called out to her husband, “Ken, are you
taking me on a trip to Paris?”
When she entered the bedroom, Beverly saw packed boxes on the bed and that
her husband’s closet was empty. When she looked into his face, she knew that
Ken was leaving her.
Out of consideration for Beverly, because she believed reconciliation was
possible, Ken postponed the divorce until Beverly was able to cope with it
emotionally and get her finances in order. This gave Beverly hope that she would
have time to talk Ken out of filing for the divorce. Without wavering, Ken told
Beverly that he would file for divorce in six months, but Beverly continued to
hope and believe that Ken would change his mind. She did everything she could
to persuade him that they should remain married.
She continued to hope, and lived as though she was still a married woman. She
wore her wedding band and told people that she was still technically married.
She refused to put anything in Ken’s closet or the empty drawers in the dresser.
Even though Ken never visited and only called to discuss important financial
information, Beverly refused all social invitations because she hoped that Ken
might come by for a visit or invite her out. She refused to look for a job because
she hoped that she would not need to support herself alone. She lived off her
meager savings that were sourced by a small inheritance from her parents. Ken
had always been the breadwinner in the family, while she had stayed home and
raised their two daughters.
On about the six-month date, Ken filed divorce papers, and yet, Beverly
continued to spend every waking moment puzzling in her mind how she could
convince Ken to come back to her, and how wonderful their lives would be when
he did.
Beverly’s two best friends warned her of the danger of her unrealistic hope. They
explained to Beverly that she had no control over what Ken did and it was not
wise to put her life on hold based on hope of what Ken would do. Ken and
Beverly’s adult daughters tried to convince their mother to move forward in her
life and stop basing her life on false hope.
It was easy for outsiders to see that Beverly needed to give up hope of
reconciliation with her husband, but Beverly held onto hope when it was not
reasonable to do so, and when she had no control over the matter. She held onto
unrealistic expectations, and in doing so, she cheated herself out of several years
of productive, happy living. Sometimes, when we give up hope, we feel a lot
better!
TIP 8: Avoid Inner Conflict
If we have a lot of turmoil in our life, it is important to stop and ask why. We
don’t have full control over the external conflict that we must deal with, but we
do have control over the inner conflict that plagues our mind and emotions.
Where does inner conflict come from?
Inner conflict can occur when we don’t line up our actions with our core value
and belief system. Another way to put it is when our actions don’t line up with
our heart, our head doesn’t know what to think. When our actions and lifestyle
are in line with our convictions, beliefs, values, and philosophy, we have inner
peace. As an example, during a busy tourist season for our town, I ran to the
store to pick up some last-minute produce for our Fourth of July barbecue. The
store was packed. People were rude, pushing their carts into other carts, making
snippy remarks when someone would stop in front of them, and so on. Even
though I was exhausted from lack of sleep the previous night, and on a tight
schedule for finishing the cooking for the barbecue, I stuck with my philosophy
that being kind and treating people with respect is more important than getting
what I need and getting out of the store a few minutes sooner. I managed to be
polite and smile as I gathered the items I needed. I ignored the glares when I
stopped in the aisle and someone grumbled and walked past me. I smiled when
people ran into me with their cart because they refused to be patient with another
human being.
However, when I got to the front of the store to check out, the lines were long,
and I knew I would wait another 20 minutes in the over-heated, over-crowded
store. Just as I braced myself for the long wait in line, I spotted a cashier
approaching the closed checkout stand next to the line I was in, and I
immediately darted to that spot. Just as I swerved my basket into the lane, a
woman behind me yanked on my jacket and shouted, “I’ve been waiting longer
than you, and I went to ask the manager to open another checkout lane, so I’m
going first.”
Taken aback by her abrupt grabbing of my jacket, I scowled at the elderly
woman and said, “Stop being so rude! Wait your turn! I’m here first,” and I
proceeded to put my items on the conveyor belt.
On the drive home, the inner conflict arose. In my mind, I kept hearing: Why did
you need to be so rude to that woman? Why couldn’t you smile and graciously
allow her to step in front of you? You never know what she may have
encountered in her life today. When did saving a few minutes of time become
more important than being kind to strangers? I went on with my day and hosted
a fine barbecue, but even when I laughed with my friends and family, I felt
sadness that I’d abandoned my philosophy. When it came time for my actions to
line up with my beliefs, I had failed in that instance.
No one else can decide our belief system and values for us, but once we decide,
it’s important to live it out in our daily lives. When we don’t live out our belief
system, we may label ourselves as hypocrites, and may create conflict in the
form of guilt, shame, and other emotions. If we choose to be a champion for
minorities, the underprivileged, or the sick, our actions should show that. If we
feel a responsibility to rescue pets, then we should be volunteering our time
and/or giving our money to help rescue pets. If we feel strongly about making
sure that children in third-world countries have an education, we should take
appropriate action.
We can also help avoid inner conflict when we do our honest best every time, in
every circumstance, and with every relationship. When we know we’ve done our
best, we can live peacefully with the fact that we could not have done more to
improve the situation. Our best is all we can ask of ourselves. When we give
that, we’ve done all we can do.
PART 8: REVIEW AND RENOVATE
RELATIONSHIPS
TIP 9: Evaluate Your Relationships
Weeks turn into months, and months into years, and we find ourselves in the
same relationships or types of relationships. It can be a wonderful thing to stay
close to your spouse, family members, friends, long-term co-workers, and others
with which you have a meaningful relationship. But, all too often, people find
they are in a relationship that no longer works for them, is no longer healthy, or
is just plain toxic. This can happen for many reasons. The important thing is to
periodically pay attention to the status of your relationship, and ask yourself a
few questions:
Do I enjoy spending time with this person? Do we have interesting conversations
or enjoy doing things together? On the other hand, do I spend time with them
simply because they expect me to or I feel obligated to? (We’re not talking about
visiting lonely, elderly Aunt Beatrice in the nursing home. You may not enjoy
that visit, but it’s okay to do it simply because it’s the right thing to do and she
needs you to do it.)
Does this person value our relationship enough to cheerfully work on it together,
and do their part? Do they nurture the relationship or put it in jeopardy?
How do I feel when I spend time with this person? Do they inspire me,
encourage me, and stimulate good thought processes? Or do I feel frustrated,
angry, and drained after a visit?
Does this person support me in my goals and daily life and build up my self-
worth? Or, do they continually drag me down by telling me that I can’t
accomplish what I want to accomplish?
Is this person a positive influence in my life, and I in theirs? Is my life and their
life better because of our relationship?
Have I changed or the other person changed in significant ways that affect our
relationship?
Does this person control the relationship? Do they try to tell you what to do,
what to wear, where to go? Do they try to choose your friends? Do they try to
make important decisions for you, instead of trusting you to make the decision
that is best for you?
Can I trust this person on whatever level I need to trust them in our relationship?
Does this person exert unreasonable demands or expectations?
Can you be yourself when around this person, or do you need to put on an act
that meets their expectations of who you should be and how you should act?
Does this person give me the space that I need to be an individual and grow in
every area of my life?
Is the relationship one-sided, with one party making all of the effort to make the
relationship work?
Do I feel safe in this relationship or do I fear or accept any form of abuse?
Is this person honest with you and are you honest with them? If either of you feel
the need to lie, there is probably a deeper issue that needs to be explored.
There will be times of struggle in all relationships, but if a relationship is a
constant struggle, you may need to decide if you should seek counsel and try to
remain in the relationship, or if it is time for you to leave the relationship.
TIP 10: Develop Tools and Traits for Maintaining
Healthy, Meaningful Relationships
The saying goes that if you want to have friends, you must show yourself
friendly. So it goes with all healthy relationships. If you want a good
relationship, you must have the tools to maintain the relationship. You have to be
relationship-worthy! Don’t think that you are the one person who can get by
without putting in the work to be worthy of a healthy relationship. Determine to
do the work!
Make a commitment to be the best person you can be in the relationship. If you
can see that the same issue comes up repeatedly, you can probably assume that
you need some work in that particular area. If you know you are not being
mature in a particular area, find a way to mature so that you don’t damage or end
relationships because of your immaturity.
Break habits that seem to affect your relationships. Anita was a warm and caring
person, which caused people to flock to her. She instantly made friends no
matter where she went. However, Anita noticed that after she went out a few
times with a friend, they stopped calling her. After careful consideration of this
fact, Anita asked one of her long-time friends about this. Her friend was honest
with her, and told Anita that she had some inappropriate social habits that caused
her new friends to stop hanging out with her. In short, Anita was told that she
never picked up the tab or even paid for her own meal and drinks, and that she
became very loud after only one or two glasses of wine. Anita had no idea that
she got loud after a glass of wine, and she hadn’t realized that she almost never
paid her way when out with friends. Once she became aware of and broke these
habits, Anita was able to keep new friends around long enough to develop good
relationships with them.
TIP 11: Learn to Communicate Honestly and Openly
Ask any relationship therapist or counselor what the number one general
problem is in relationships, and they will say communication. Wars have been
started because of poor communication or lack of communication. Elections are
often won based on the communication of the candidate. Divorces happen
because couples can’t or don’t communicate. Families are torn apart because of
lack of communication or inappropriate communication. There is strife and
chaos in the workplace because staff, managers, and company owners do not
communicate in an efficient manner. Lack of communication or poor
communication can create major relationship problems!
Follow these tips to improve your communication in relationships:
- Think before you speak! This may be the Golden Rule of

communication. When we don’t think before speaking, we say

inappropriate things; things that should be said in private rather than in
public; things that make no sense; and offensive things. In our society
where the art of polite conversation seems to be lost, and people seem
to talk right over one another, it may feel a bit awkward to pause and
think before speaking, but when we do, the payoff is worth it. Train
yourself not to open your mouth until you have thought about what
you are going to say. Before speaking, ask: Could what I am going to
say be taken wrong? Could it offend the people who will hear it? Does
it make sense? Is this the appropriate place and time to say it?
- Stay focused on the topic at hand. When you have something that

you feel needs to be said, stick to what you are saying. Unless
providing other information is essential to the issue at hand, don’t go
all over the map. Stay in the present moment and don’t bring up past
scenarios unless they are relevant and it is appropriate to do so.
- Don’t assume your point of view is the only one or will be

accepted. If you communicate with the expectation that your point of

view is the only point of view or that others will automatically accept
it, you’ll be disappointed most of the time. Communicate with the
realization that your point of view is probably one of many.
Remember, the goal is to communicate, not to win.
- Listen. In order to communicate with intelligence and fairness, you

must also listen to others who are part of the conversation. Give them
your undivided attention, and when they talk, listen instead of planning
your next sentence. Practice the art of conversation and give them
plenty of time to speak without interrupting them.
- Be honest in your communication. Make it a habit to speak the

truth, even when it’s not easy to do so. Don’t say what you wish to be
true or what will keep you out of trouble, but what is true.
- Keep your communication as positive as possible. You will

instantly lose your listener, or make them angry, if you start with
negative communication. Try to speak in a manner that you would like
to be spoken to.
- Speak clearly and concisely. Nobody wants to listen to somebody

talk for very long if they can’t understand what the speaker means.
Clearly make your points rather than beat around the bush. When you
beat around the bush, you’re risking misunderstanding. Use effective,
appropriate words to express exactly what you mean in the most direct
way. When appropriate, ask if the person you are speaking to
understands what you mean.
- Communicate without blaming. Blaming another person is never

a good way to start a conversation. People instantly go into defense

mode when blame is thrown on them. Rather than blame, tell the other
person that you would like to explore an issue and see how it can be
worked out to benefit all parties involved.
- In communicating with your intimate partner, set ground rules

ahead of time and stick to them. Whether arguing a point, trying to

communicate about finances or household chores, or planning a
vacation together, couples need to set ground rules for communication
ahead of time. Perhaps it makes you feel belittled when your partner
says something such as, “I know you don’t understand, but…” You
can avoid the hurt feelings, and a possible argument because of your
hurt feelings, if you have a ground rule that they won’t use that
expression when communicating with you. Maybe you have a bad
habit of, instead of focusing on the issue at hand, bringing up every
mistake your partner ever made to prove your point. If you have a set
ground rule that you will stick to only the issue at hand and not bring
up their past mistakes, you can make progress on the current issue,
instead of fighting about past issues. Most couples could benefit from
setting a rule that neither party walks out of the room until the issue at
hand is resolved. Another great ground rule is that there will be no
yelling, and no name-calling or other hurtful words spoken. Set the
rules to serve both parties, but do set the rules ahead of time.
TIP 12: Have the Courage to Let Go of Toxic
Relationships
We all want to be loved and appreciated, and treated with respect, dignity, and
kindness. In our quest for such love, we may end up in toxic relationships.
Whether we entered into a toxic relationship or the relationship became toxic
after it was developed, we must have the courage to get out of toxic
relationships. Toxic relationships can clutter our mind and personal lives to the
extent that we become truly unhappy, and sometimes even unsafe.
Of course, prevention is always best. If you know the warning signs of a toxic
relationship, you can nip it in the bud. In a toxic relationship, one person tries to
control the other person. They gain control through isolating the other person,
creating scenarios where only they have access to the person they are
controlling, and causing the controlled person to be dependent on them in some
way, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or financially.
In toxic relationships, there is usually abuse of some sort: verbal, sexual, mental,
or emotional. Even though the offender apologizes after the abuse, they continue
the abusive behavior.
Neglect is also a common factor in a toxic relationship. The offender neglects
the other person, as well as the relationship, and takes no responsibility for the
relationship. The relationship becomes very one-sided, with only one person
giving and making an effort.
TIP 13: Save Yourself the Headache – Say No To
Drama
Everyone has a drama queen or king in their lives, and while drama queens and
kings can be amusing at times, for the most part their drama can create unwanted
clutter in your life. You know the sort—there is always some big thing going on
in their life, even when it’s truly not a big thing! Somehow, the drama queen or
king has a way of sharing with you everything they perceive as important and
traumatic in their own life. This can be anything from a broken fingernail to a
breakup with their significant other, but the result is the same—you have taken
in clutter that you don’t need. Your life has enough real drama of its own, right?
How can you have room in your mind for your friend’s broken fingernail when
you are trying to figure out how to be in two of your children’s classrooms at the
same time next week, or how you’re going to finish the presentation to help you
get the promotion that you’ve been working toward for the past year?
Sometimes we have to take our drama queens or kings out to lunch and simply
be honest with them, and let them know we love them and care about what is
happening in their lives, but we can’t be exposed to everything that is happening
in their lives because we have our own to live.
TIP 14: Don’t be a Superhero
Different from the drama kings and queens in our lives that want us to listen to
every detail of their life, are the people who want us to put on our superhero suit
and rescue them from everything that they don’t want or need in their lives.
Those with a constant need to be rescued are not the friends who occasionally
call on you for help when they really need it because something has gone wrong.
They are the ones who, when you hear their special ringtone, you automatically
know they are going to ask you to drop what you are doing and do something for
them because they are in some kind of bind. It may be that they need a last
minute sitter because they failed to arrange for a backup sitter just in case their
usual sitter didn’t show up. They may need a ride to the airport because they
failed to arrange it for the trip that has been on their calendar for two months.
They may need to borrow money until payday because they splurged on a new
jacket instead of staying on budget. Do you see the pattern? It’s not that these
people occasionally have unfortunate things happen to them that cause them to
need help. They actually create their own emergencies by not being responsible,
careful, and mindful of their needs.
These people fail to realize or care about the fact that when they constantly ask
you to rescue them, they are creating chaos in your life. With their need for
being rescued, they create mind clutter and schedule changes that can lead to
missed opportunities and lower productivity, not to mention the fact that you
start to look like an irresponsible flake for constantly changing your schedule,
cancelling appointments, not doing anything well because of lack of time, and
running late everywhere you go.
It’s important that this type of person in your life realizes that they are creating
problems for you, and that no matter how much you care for them, you can’t be
their superhero. You are their friend, but not their Superman or Superwoman.
You can help them plan better so they don’t get into so many binds, but they
must understand that your life is busy enough and part of your decluttering
process is to take off your superhero suit!
PART 9: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR
TIME
Given the same twenty-four hours in each day, it can be amazing how much
some people get done within that time period and how much others don’t get
done in the same time. People who get things done are people who value their
time, and take charge of their time. They hold themselves accountable for how
their time is spent.
TIP 15: Know That Your Time is Valuable
Jim Rohn made a very good point when he stated, “Time is more valuable than
money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.” No one has all
of the time in the world, and no one can get more time after the time is spent. We
must treat the time we have, every twenty-four hours, as a valuable, limited
commodity that we can’t afford to use carelessly.
TIP 16: Decide What’s Worthy of Your Time
It is said that you can tell what’s important to a person by what they spend their
time and money on. Some people foolishly squander their time on doing mostly
nothing, while others make great use of their time to do wonderful things for
themselves and for others. It’s our choice! But it’s worth noting that the ones
who seem to whittle away their time without seeing much in return for it, are the
ones who live cluttered lives. They constantly complain that they don’t have
enough time. It becomes a vicious cycle of wasting time that leads to a cluttered
life that leads to more wasted time.
How do you spend your time? You might be surprised how much time you spend
on some things and how little time is spent on other things. To determine how
you’re spending your time, keep a time log for a week or two. Write down
everything you do and how much time you spend doing it. Be honest! If you
spend five hours watching TV on Saturday, write it down as five hours.
At the end of your time log period, make a list of all the things that are important
to you that take up time. Compare the list to your actual time log. Are you
spending time on what is important to you? Do you need to adjust the way your
time is spent?
TIP 17: What are Your Time Robbers?
Time robbers don’t necessarily steal large chunks of time all at once. Sometimes
time robbers are five-minute things that you do twenty times per day. Something
that immediately comes to mind is checking email, texts or social media sites.
Sure, you may be able to skim over your inbox or Facebook page in just a few
minutes, but if you do it just ten times per day, you’ve probably spent an hour
per day on it.
Email and social media can be a huge distraction from the task and thoughts at
hand, causing lack of focus, attention to details, and ability to remember or
memorize information. How many times have you been to work-related
meetings and noted that many of the people in the room could not focus on the
speaker or presentation because they were constantly glancing at their cell
phones for email or text messages? How many times have you said something
to someone when they were pretending to listen but were actually glancing at
their cell phone, and when later questioned about what you had said, they didn’t
have a clue? That is the sign of a cluttered mind sourced by a time robber!
Email, texting, and social media are good targets for the topic of time robbers,
but there are many more. Each person has their favorites. The point isn’t to pick
on these things, but to become aware of what the time robbers are in our lives
and take action to stop allowing them to rob us of valuable time.
TIP 18: Don’t Over Commit
We all know how many hours are in a day. We all know what is required of us
for most days. We have families, jobs, health, and relationships to maintain. We
have varied personal commitments. So why do we complicate things by
committing to do more than we know we can feasibly do? Sometimes, it’s
because our mind is so jumbled that we don’t realize how much we have actually
committed to doing. Sometimes, it’s because we don’t want to disappoint or let
others down by saying no when we are asked to take on additional projects, tasks
or responsibilities. And sometimes we are just plain unrealistic about how much
we can do in a given period of time.
To avoid chaos in your mind and life due to over committing, make a list of
everything that you must do each day and each week. Include sleeping time,
personal grooming, family time, cooking and eating, travel time, job, errands,
housework, social time, meetings/organizations, pet care—everything that you
must do. Then beside each item, write how much time it takes. Add up the time
for your necessary commitments, and subtract it from the number of hours
during the week. There, in black and white on paper, is the amount of time you
have left for committing to other things! Shocking, isn’t it!
TIP 19: Always Make Time for Restoration and Renewal
An empty gas tank doesn’t get us anywhere in our car. If your mind and body are
running on empty, you won’t get very far in your life either. Make sure you set
aside time to restore and renew your mind and body before you become frazzled
and sick. Take the time to exercise, meditate/pray, quiet your mind, and rest your
body.
- Get enough sleep every night.

- Go out in the sunshine for at least fifteen minutes every day.

- Exercise consistently, even if it’s just a few stretches and walking a

few blocks. Your mind can’t think clearly when you suffer from poor
circulation. If you don’t move and exercise, you will most likely suffer
from poor circulation.
- Eat foods that replenish the nutrients your mind and body needs.

- Drink plenty of water every day.

- Get away from work and responsibilities periodically for rest.

- Create a peaceful environment in your home and maintain it.

TIP 20: Get and Stay Organized
Disorganization is the mother of all wasted time. Getting and staying organized
will cause you to use your time more wisely, and for the intended purpose. Yes,
it takes a little time to get organized, and a little time to remain organized, but
you will still come out way ahead in the end. You will enjoy life more without
the constant chaos that happens when you and your household are unorganized.
Think of being organized as a free vacation for your overloaded mind!
Some fundamentals of organization include:
- writing out a schedule and sticking to it

- decluttering your home, office, and workplace

- knowing how you use your time and using it for the most important

things
- using your time efficiently, without dawdling

- tossing out the time robbers

- taking control of your time

TIP 21: It’s Okay to Turn Off Your Phone
Phone chatter can really clutter the mind. So often we find ourselves wanting to
set the phone on the desk or counter and just ignore the person on the other end,
but we don’t. While ignoring someone after you have already answered the
phone would be considered rude, it’s not rude to not answer your phone. Yes,
people know that you have your cell phone on you 24/7, but that doesn’t mean
that you have to answer the phone. When someone calls you, they are entering
your space. You have every right to refuse entry! It’s the same as if someone
knocked on the door of your home, uninvited, and you were busy or otherwise
engaged and decided not to answer it. Someone’s expectation that you are going
to answer the phone doesn’t mean that you have to obey that expectation.
When you do answer your phone, or when call someone, set a phone time limit.
If you’re calling someone who is hard to get off the phone when it’s time to go,
mention at the beginning of the call that you only have a couple of minutes until
you have to… When it’s time for you to go, say one time that you need to go.
Don’t say it and then talk about something else again.
Before you call someone, make a list of your talking points and stick to those
points, and then say goodbye. Don’t be rude, let the other person talk, but keep
them on topic also. If they get off topic, bring them back around to the topic.
If you work from home, let business associates, employers, and clients know
what your business phone hours are. Don’t answer your phone after or before
those hours. You need your peaceful time, and you can’t have that if you don’t
maintain a separation between work hours and personal hours.
TIP 22: Train Others to Respect Your Time
It is true that people will treat you the way you train them to treat you. When you
treat your time as a valuable commodity, you train others to do the same. If you
treat your time like it holds no value and is something to be freely given away,
others will treat your time that way also. When people waste your time, let them
know that they are wasting your time and you would prefer to adjust the
situation so your time isn’t being wasted. If people insist on wasting your time, it
may be time to re-think the situation and relationship.
Pam was a stay-at-home mom who took excellent care of her home and family.
She set a schedule to get up early, get her three children off to school, spend her
day doing laundry, housework, errands, food preparation, and all the tasks that
moms do to keep their homes and families organized and functioning smoothly.
She allowed one hour to relax with a cup of coffee and a good novel right before
her children arrived home from school. By the time the children got off the
school bus, she was well-rested, relaxed, and ready to spend time with them and
then go into a busy evening of cooking dinner, homework, and bath time.
Pam’s schedule worked beautifully for a few years, and then she got a new
neighbor. The new neighbor was a very friendly, older single woman. When she
came to Pam’s door one afternoon to introduce herself, Pam was having her
coffee and reading time. The woman prefaced her visit with, “I hope I’m not
interrupting your day.” Pam responded with, “Oh, not at all. I’m just having my
afternoon relaxing time before the kids get home from school.”
The next day, the neighbor showed up at Pam’s door at the same time of day, and
continued to do so for the next few weeks. The neighbor stayed for an hour or
so, robbing Pam of some of her work time, as well as her entire hour of personal
relaxing time. Pam realized, too late, that she had made a mistake in telling the
woman that it was okay for her to interrupt her relaxing time, and treating her
relaxing time as though it wasn’t valuable to her. Now, instead of greeting her
children at the door with a smile, Pam was tired and frustrated when the children
got home. Throughout her busy day, she had no personal time to rest, relax, and
refresh her mind. This affected the children and they started complaining and
acting out. Before she knew it, most evenings ended with at least one child in
tears and Pam falling into bed tired and irritable. Of course this affected her
marriage.
Pam decided she would rather possibly offend her neighbor than let her
neighbor’s visits create chaos in her mind and home. She knew she needed to
fight for her afternoon rest time. The next afternoon when the neighbor came
over, Pam explained that she would no longer be available to visit every
afternoon because she needed that time to relax so she could take better care of
her family. She offered to go visit with the woman when she had the opportunity
to do so, as well as get together for lunch once a week. The neighbor cheerfully
accepted the new plan and it worked out beautifully.
PART 10: DECLUTTER THE MONEY
STUFF
A messy financial house can create worry, fear, over-spending, and waste of
money. If the financial house isn’t decluttered, the consequences can be severe
and long lasting, possibly affecting generations to come. Both those who have
money and those who do not have money spend sleepless nights, tossing and
turning, and worrying, and thinking about money. People fight over money; kill
for money; and arrange their lives according to how much money they have or
don’t have. Thinking about money, either directly or indirectly, consciously or
subconsciously, consumes a good deal of most people’s time. We exchange a
significant amount of our time working to obtain money, and we spend plenty of
time disbursing the money we earn. Money is an important part of our lives,
even if we are not a materialistic person. The sooner we learn to manage money
in a way that works for us, the less clutter we will have in our heads concerning
money.
TIP 23: Line up Your Spending with Core Beliefs and
Values
Most of us have a limited amount of money, and therefore, must make conscious
choices about how we will spend the money we have. As previously mentioned,
it’s important to line our spending up with our beliefs, values, and philosophy of
life. Obviously, if we want to eat, we must spend money on food. But what does
our core belief system say about food? Because there are starving children in
third-world countries, should we live on only the simplest, cheap foods so we
can help provide food for others? Or, is food a gift from the earth or a Higher
Power; something to be used for celebration and to make our days pleasant?
Everyone must decide their own philosophy, and line up their finances
accordingly.
It’s our personal and social responsibility to spend our money for causes and
with businesses that support our value system. This is possible only when we do
our due diligence in knowing about the businesses where we spend our money. If
we do our research, we can rest easy knowing that our money isn’t funding
organizations or companies that do not line up with our beliefs.
TIP 24: Create a Budget
Whether rich or poor or somewhere in between, and no matter the philosophy or
belief system we hold, once we have decided how we feel about necessary
expenses, we will need to create a budget to ensure that our money goes where
we want it to go, and to clear our mind of constantly puzzling where our money
goes. A budget truly takes the guesswork out of managing our household and
personal finances.
There are many ways to create a budget, but they all start with a list of set
expenses and necessary purchases, and how much money will be expended on
each within a given time period such as a week or a month. Your expenses might
include rent or mortgage payment; utility bills; car payment; car/health/life
insurance; gasoline and car maintenance; bus, taxi, or train fare if you don’t own
a car; loans and credit card bills; food; personal and work shoes and clothing;
children’s school supplies/tuition; medication and health supplements; pet food
and supplies; recreation; emergencies; savings; and so forth.
TIP 25: Break Negative Spending Habits
Obviously, if we spend more than we can afford to spend, it doesn’t take long to
create a deficit, particularly if we have a lifestyle of living outside of our budget.
Once we create a deficit, managing finances can become very stressful and affect
other areas of our life. We may take out loans or use credit cards to help cover
the overspending. Sometimes this can necessitate taking a second job or cutting
back on important necessities, which can be stressful and put us at risk for health
problems and family problems. It’s not always possible to stick with our budget
and to maintain perfect spending habits. Sometimes things that are beyond our
control happen. But when we can, we should develop and maintain good
spending habits.
Some of the reasons we overspend are:
- We become impatient with saving for a big item that we want, and

go ahead and use cash on hand that is allotted for other things for the
item, or put the purchase on a credit card that incurs interest.
- We buy on impulse, ignoring our budget for such purchases.

TIP 26: Do Not Seek Happiness through Spending
It is true that “things” cannot make one happy, and yet people often spend
thinking that if they just have all the material things they want, they will be
happy. Seeking happiness through spending can be disastrous for our finances,
as well as for relationships, and family dynamics. If you think that buying any
particular item will make you happy, that should send a huge red flag that you
are buying for the wrong reason!
TIP 27: Do Not Cave Into Peer Pressure
Peer pressure can cause us to spend beyond our budget and spend for things that
we don’t really need or even want. Keeping up with the Jones’, so to speak, can
leave our finances in ruin. Have you ever ordered a steak when you took a
prospective client out to lunch, when you really wanted a plain salad, just to
make a good impression? Was the landscaping in your yard just fine until your
neighbor hired a professional landscaper to re-do their yard, and then you felt
compelled to also hire a landscaper? These are all forms of peer pressure
spending.
TIP 28: Be Accountable for Your Spending
Some people manage their budget, spending, and finances without any problem.
Others need accountability in their finances. Some couples do fine with holding
each other accountable in finances, but others say they fight if they try to hold
each other accountable. If that’s the case, it’s best to have a professional third-
party, unbiased person to help you manage your spending.
TIP 29: Don’t be Prone to Nickel and Dime Spending
You may think you are a good manager of money because you rarely make large
purchases, but constant small purchases can also lead to financial problems.
Spending four or five dollars here and another three dollars there can really add
up by the end of the month. The average person doesn’t go out and buy
themselves a $500 or $600 frivolous gift every month, and yet they easily spend
that amount on specialty coffees, dime store trinkets, drinks after work, movie
tickets, snacks at the office, and so forth. At the end of the month, they have
little to nothing to show for it. Using self-control and discipline with small
purchases can build up money in savings toward a special purchase, college
fund, a vacation, new business capital, or other goal.
If you have a habit of spending for little purchases, start writing down everything
you spend money on, as well as the amount spent. After a month of honest
record-keeping, add up what you have spent on frivolous items over the month.
Change your spending accordingly. Try forgoing the small purchases for a
month, and putting the same amount of cash into a jar at home. At the end of the
month, decide if you want to keep spending for the little things, or transfer the
money in the jar to a savings account for a specific purpose or purchase.
PART 11: DECLUTTERING AT THE
WORKPLACE
The average working American spends between 20 and 50 or more hours per
week at the workplace, whether that is in the home-based or company office, at
the manufacturing plant, at the retail store, or running a small service business.
Our jobs and careers can really take a toll on our stress levels, so here are some
ways to manage workplace clutter.
TIP 30: Balance Work and Personal Life
In these difficult economic times, those who are fortunate enough to have a job
may feel the pressure to work more hours and give more time and effort to their
jobs, just to hang on to them. There are times when our jobs do require extra
hours and more effort, but if we adopt this as the norm, we will soon notice that
our life is out of balance and that the majority of our time, effort, mental
alertness, and energy are going to our job. Even in these economic times, we
need to maintain a balance in our life so that we have something to offer our
significant other, children, family, friends, and ourselves.
TIP 31: Navigate Workplace Politics
It’s a rare workplace that does not come with politics that could cause even a
saint to feel frustrated enough to lash out at others. So how do you survive
workplace politics? The best approach is to never get involved in the first place.
Yes, even that can be seen as a political statement and can land you in hot water,
but it’s still the safest route to take. If you do find yourself in the middle of
politics, maintain a highly professional status and shut down your involvement
as quickly as you can. Refuse to take sides with any other party. Refuse to put
down any other party, tease, embarrass or harass anyone. Refuse to badmouth
any co-workers or superiors. Don’t bring up charged topics, and excuse yourself
from the area when such topics are brought up by others. If others put you on the
spot, politely state that you would rather keep your opinions to yourself. When
possible, make light of the situation (without making fun of anyone) and let it
pass.
TIP 32: Leave Work at Work
Let your policy be that what happens at work, stays at work. Don’t bring it home
and share it with your spouse, family, friends or others. Don’t bring home office
worries, politics, or attitudes. It’s not fair to you to have work on your mind
twenty-four hours per day.
TIP 33: Keep a Positive Attitude
No matter what is going on in the workplace, try to maintain a positive attitude.
You will create problems for yourself and others if you let your attitude go south.
Developing a bad attitude will cause workplace problems to be magnified, but
won’t solve the problems.
TIP34: Don’t Procrastinate
When you have a job task to do that you don’t want to do, dive in and get it
done. Do it and be free of it! If you procrastinate, you’ll clutter your mind with
the task but won’t be free of it.
TIP 35: Set Boundaries with Co-Workers
Be professionally friendly in the workplace, but not overly friendly, so your
friendliness is not ever mistaken for anything more than it is. Avoid nosing into
co-workers personal life or sharing too much of your personal life. You really do
not know who your co-workers are, unless you’ve worked with them for many
years and personally know their character.
Set boundaries that help avoid any misunderstandings. This is particularly
important when working with those who may be interested in a close
relationship with you for whatever reason. Again, maintain professional
behavior and follow company policy at all times.
TIP 36: Try to Stay Out of the Line of Fire
When possible, try to stay out of the line of fire. Stop and think before you
become involved in certain tasks or with certain people in the workplace. Don’t
involve yourself with those who are known trouble makers and seem to always
be on the edge of being dismissed. Even if you haven’t done anything wrong, it’s
not uncommon to for employees to be found guilty by association.
PART 12: DECLUTTER EXTENDED
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
When extended family relationships are good, life is good and pleasant; when
family relationships are strained or challenging, life can be miserable or
everyone involved. Here are some tips for decluttering extended family
relationships.
TIP 37: Show Respect and Consideration
The old saying goes that we get to choose our friends, but we are stuck with our
family. This is true, but there are many things that we can do to help our family
members become our friends so that we feel less stuck. We might not like our
brother-in-law, but he is a member of our family, and unless we have a really
good reason not to, we need to show him respect and consideration. In doing so,
we will have taken a step toward a better relationship.
TIP 38: Avoid Bringing Up Conversations that
Challenge or Provoke
Most likely, you know family members well enough to know what challenges
them or provokes them. Stay away from those topics and actions. If your Uncle
Tim has an inferiority complex, don’t bring up things that make him feel inferior.
Think before you speak! If your unemployed brother is sensitive about being
unemployed, don’t talk about your promotion, and if someone else brings it up in
his company, change the subject.
TIP 39: Don’t Accuse or Blame Openly
If you feel a family member needs to be called to the carpet, accused or blamed
for doing something that is harmful to the family, confront them in private, not
publicly or at a family gathering. Give them the opportunity to offer an
explanation and to answer your questions or accusation before involving the rest
of the family.
TIP 40: Avoid Strife at Family Get-Togethers
When it’s possible for you to keep the peace, do so, even if it means having to
swallow your pride. Family arguments at gatherings, including holidays, rarely
accomplish anything more than hurt feelings and ruined family time.
If you are hosting the family meal, make sure to pay attention to the seating
arrangements. Don’t seat two feuding family members close to each other. If
Aunt Judy and Aunt Samantha are quarreling about who makes the best pies, be
sure to say something nice about each of their pies. Go out of your way to be the
peacemaker.
TIP 41: Agree to Disagree
One thing that can be counted on in any and every family is that they won’t
agree on everything. Within each family there are various religious ideas,
philosophies, belief systems, lifestyles, opinions, and so forth. The best thing
each family member can do is agree to disagree on some things. Remember, this
only works if each family member actually practices it, rather than just says it.
Agree to disagree and then get on with the joy of spending time with the family!
TIP 42: Consider the Other Point of View
While agreeing to disagree, show other family members that you respect them
and value them enough to hear their point of view and consider it. Don’t tell
them they are wrong and you are right and drop it. Offer to listen to what they
have to say, and don’t argue as they are sharing their point of view. Thank them
for sharing.
TIP 43: Have a Grateful Attitude
Before you meet with other family members for family events or holidays,
prepare your heart with a grateful attitude. Every person has some good qualities
for which you can be thankful. Focus on those good qualities rather than on the
qualities that you don’t care for in the person.
TIP 44: Limit or Forego the Alcohol
Loose lips sink ships…and start family feuds! If you have a tendency to overdo
it at family gatherings and say more than you should, or say the wrong things,
it’s probably best to severely limit or forego your alcohol intake at the
gatherings. It’s better to miss out on a few drinks than to risk offending or
hurting family members, or making a fool of yourself.
PART 13: LIVING WITHOUT
NEIGHBORHOOD CONFLICT
If one is fortunate enough to own acreage or a large city lot, there is a space
between their house and the neighbors. But for the majority of people, their
house is very close to their neighbors. Unfortunately, this can create conflict!
Below are several tips for how to avoid conflict and clutter with neighbors.
TIP 45: Don’t Blame the Neighbor for Living on Their
Property
A friend once said, “My new neighbors would be okay if they would just stay in
their house and be quiet.” In other words, she was saying that she wanted the
right to live on her property, but she would rather the neighbors not
inconvenience her by enjoying the same right!
Whether you agree with what your neighbor does or not, and whether you like
them or not, does not negate their right to be seen and heard on their own
property.
TIP 46: Choose Your Battles!
If you pick on everything your neighbor does, from letting the water from their
sprinkler get on your flower bed, to their dog barking once or twice when its
master returns home, you will be fighting with your neighbor all of the time.
Your neighbors are human and they live in their space and that will sometimes be
an inconvenience for you.
If you constantly complain, your neighbor will see that you are going to pick on
everything they do, and they will soon stop trying to please you. When the things
that really matter to you are discussed, your neighbor will think you’re just
complaining again and will make no effort toward a solution.
It’s better to decide what you really can’t tolerate and contact your neighbor or
the authorities about only those things, and find your own reasonable solutions
for the little things.
TIP 47: Keep up Neighborhood Standards
Part of being a good neighbor is to do your part in maintaining neighborhood
standards. Follow the homeowner’s association rules and city ordinances
regarding yard/garden upkeep, appearance of outside of home, parking rules, and
land-use rules.
TIP 48: Meet and Know Your Neighbors
Rumors float around neighborhoods. If you make an effort to meet and get to
know your neighbors, you may find that the rumors about them are not true, and
they may find the same thing out about you. This can go a long ways toward
avoiding conflict!
TIP 49: Participate in and Host Neighborhood Events
The sense of community that was prevalent in times past seems to be missing
from modern neighborhoods. That doesn’t mean it can’t be brought back. Plan or
participate in neighborhood block parties, holiday open houses, yard sales, safe
neighborhood watch groups, potlucks and barbecues, and backyard birthday
parties and events for the children.
TIP 50: Take Responsibility for Your Children,
Guests, and Pets
Keep an eye on your pets and keep them properly contained so they don’t run
amok in the neighborhood. Don’t let dogs bark excessively, use the neighbor’s
lawn for a potty ground, or fight with neighbors’ cats or dogs.
Make sure your children and teens are respectful and considerate of neighbors,
and do not create problems or damage for the neighbors. Tell your teenagers not
to give neighbors just cause to fear or worry. If they are out late at night, ask
them to make sure they and their friends are quiet when they come and go. Set
curfews for listening to music outside or talking on the porch.
TIP 51: Be…Neighborly!
Lend a helping hand when your neighbor needs it.
Take casseroles and food when there is a death in the family and family
members are gathered at your neighbor’s home; there is an illness that keeps the
family cook from preparing meals; or when there is a birth and Mommy needs a
break from cooking.
When appropriate and safe to do so, offer to babysit if there is an emergency.
If you hire a service person to come to your home and you know the neighbor
needs the same service, let them know the service person is coming and try to
get the service company to offer a lower rate for the referral.
Check in on elderly neighbors and make sure they are safe during snow storms
or other conditions that could be treacherous for them.
Thanks for reading, don’t forget to post your review of this book on
Amazon!
Copyright©2012: Staci Summers
Published: December 2012
The right of Staci Summers and Badger Web Services to be identified as author
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of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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 Table of Contents
50 Tips for an Uncluttered and Simplified Home
INTRODUCTION
PART 1: GET READY
PART 2: TACKLE THE BATHROOM
PART 3: DECLUTTERING THE KITCHEN IS A PIECE OF CAKE
PART 4: CHILDRENS ROOMS
PART 5: LOVE YOUR LAUNDRY ROOM
PART 6: HOME OFFICE MAKEOVER
50 Tips for an Uncluttered and Simplified Personal Life
INTRODUCTION
PART 7: CLEAR YOUR MIND AND EMOTIONS
PART 8: REVIEW AND RENOVATE RELATIONSHIPS
PART 9: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR TIME
PART 10: DECLUTTER THE MONEY STUFF
PART 11: DECLUTTERING AT THE WORKPLACE
PART 12: DECLUTTER EXTENDED FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
PART 13: LIVING WITHOUT NEIGHBORHOOD CONFLICT