{clutter bug}

7 Tips for Beating Clutter Forever

Expert Donna Smallin knows hundreds of ways to get organized, but for long-lasting order at home, these seven simple strategies top her list.

Donna: Most people assume my home is perfectly organized. That's not entirely true. Yes, my house usually looks presentable, because I'm diligent about keeping my kitchen and living areas tidy. And I don't think I could sleep in a messy bedroom, so I never let messes build up there. But just like you, I've got clutter. Why? Because clutter happens. It's a natural byproduct of our busy, productive lives. Luckily, you don't have to stop everything to get organized. You just have to start somewhere. Here's how I do it:

Tip 1: Start with the Easy Stuff
Go through your home room by room in search of trash. Grab a recycling bin and toss outdated coupons, flyers, calendars, old newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. Shred paid utility bills and other statements not needed for tax purposes. Fill bags or boxes with clothing and linens to donate.

Tip 2: Set Small Goals
Say to yourself: Today I'm going to clean out my junk drawer and then I'm going to stop. Or set a timer for 15 minutes and go to it. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish in these mini decluttering sessions. Seeing each project through gives you confidence for the next one.

Tip 3: Give Everything a Home
A big reason why clutter accumulates is because items are homeless. A good home for a frequently used item is one that makes it easy to retrieve and return. Oven mitts, for example, are ideally stored in a waist-height drawer near the stove, but the best home for a roasting pan might be in the garage, freeing up cabinet space for more regularly used items.

Tip 4: Give Yourself Permission to Let Go
If you had only 10 minutes to evacuate your home, what would you grab? Make a decision to surround yourself with only beloved and useful objects and let go of the rest. Have a garage sale, donate, or post items on freecycle.org, an online exchange.

Tip 5: Deal with Clutter Hotspots
You can't hide all clutter, but you can contain it. Look at where it collects and set up attractive ways to deal with it, like a large bowl on the kitchen counter to collect keys, or a big basket by the door for shoes. Discount stores and office supply houses have everything from patterned folders for storing bills to wicker, fabric, and leather boxes to match your decor.

Tip 6: Declutter Daily
It's easier to keep up than to catch up, so establish a daily routine. Grab a laundry basket and make the rounds, tossing in anything to be put away. Also purge periodically. As you sort through off-season clothing, get rid of what you didn't wear. Clean out filing cabinets at year's end.

Tip 7: Be a Good Gatekeeper
Think twice before you bring home something new. Ask yourself: Do I really need this? Where will I put it? Becoming a more conscious consumer goes a long way toward cutting clutter. Also cancel unwanted catalogs and switch to online bill-paying.

Paper Trail I feel like I spend half my time either filing or trashing paper! Can you relate? Try these strategies:

Perform triage on every piece of paper. Ask yourself, Do I need to save this for legal or tax reasons? If so, file it. Could I get this information again easily? If yes, toss it.Take action right away. File bills in a "Bills to Pay" folder. Respond to an invitation, note details on your calendar, then toss the invitation.Tear out articles from magazines and file them in plastic sleeves in a three-ring binder, then recycle the magazine.Use a notebook instead of random sticky notes for lists and contact info. Then you'll always know where to find what you've written.

Donna Smallin's most recent book is The One-Minute Organizer: A to Z Storage Solutions (Storey Publishing).

**I am currently under a mountain of clutter by my desk/in my office. Everywhere seems to be ok but here, well, I need to get moving with my goals of being clutter free in order to achieve ultimate balance, peace and happiness. I procrastinate this chore for as long as I can and then it manifests into a seriously daunting task that gives me pangs of guilt and makes me ill just thinking about where to start with it. Overwhelmed. I am going to try to follow these steps to simplify my life, my space. It all seems so obvious and common sense-like, I know. But to have it in written form is very helpful to me. *deep breath*...here I go!