Once clutter creeps in, it can be hard to clear out. We may be able to contain it to specific spaces where we can close the door, but in some cases, it may have already taken over. Understanding the three types of clutter gives you the power to get rid of it.
The first is identifying things that don’t have a home. I love the saying “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Perhaps idealistic, but also ideal.
Americans often have more stuff than they have space, and when items don’t have a specific home, they just float around, creating clutter. Some examples of things that don’t have a home can be mail, purchases to be returned, tech items, and cords. Creating space for your things, even if it’s in bins, helps to corral them and make them easier to find. These systems don’t have to be complicated and can be set up for ease.
The second is deferred decision clutter. This is just mental clutter (things that you can’t, or won’t, decide on) that manifests in physical form. You may have heard of the one-touch rule, simply meaning: touch it once, make the decision, and be done with it. This is the hardest category and creates the most issues for many people.
Examples of deferred decision clutter are papers not yet reviewed, photos, sentimental items, things we may need “someday,” and gifts or other items you feel guilty in getting rid of. These items are often paired with perfectionistic tendencies, a fear of regret, culminating in an overall emotional weight. For these items, I like the 2-minute rule: if it can be solved in 2 minutes or less, just do it, and file the rest for a designated time.
The third is transition clutter and is often the most overlooked. It comes in the form of stuff hauled in from the car after errands, holiday décor that’s yet to be put away, items for an upcoming event or party, or donations that need to leave the house. It’s not permanent; it just gets moved around until the transition. This can be solved by creating some space, a designated bin for items to donate, a shelf or cabinet for event items, and an errand basket for the car.
So now that we understand where clutter comes from and why, how do we keep it to a dull roar?
- Give it a home. If it doesn’t have a home, give it one, or let it go. When you see the same item moving from place to place, ask yourself, “Where does this live?” If you can’t answer it in 3 seconds, stop and assign it a home. If there is no room, ask yourself, what could you let go of to make space for the item you want to keep? This doesn’t happen from laziness; it happens due to a lack of space.
- Don’t make it complicated. Overly detailed systems can contribute to deferred decision clutter. Instead of files that call out warranty paper, house repairs, paint colors, etc., how about one encompassing file titled house papers? Instead of eight small bins of craft or hobby items, have one bin called craft supplies. Clutter multiplies where systems are overly specific.
- Finish the transition. Half-done laundry, donation piles waiting to go, and Christmas décor still not put away are often just part of life. The goal is to follow through with a project once you start and then move on to the next. If you’ve gone through the trouble of organizing a space only to clutter your home with donation bags, you don’t fully reap the reward of that hard work until the clutter is gone. Clutter isn’t always excess; sometimes it’s incomplete transitions.
- Make small decisions immediately. Deferred decision clutter builds quickly and can cause us to postpone the smallest choices. Mail is the biggest offender. Follow the “touch it once” rule. The categories are recycle, respond, file, or toss. Act when the mail arrives, and it will never pile up.
- Keep flat surfaces free of stuff. Flat surfaces are a hot spot for clutter to accumulate. Countertops, dressers, tables and even the floor are easy places for things to be set down and then forgotten. Soon, clutter multiplies. If things to not have a home and land of the flat surfaces of your home, it is time to see if closets and other storage systems can accommodate and adjust properly. If flat surfaces fill fast, it means the system is at capacity, or people are just not utilizing it – put items away, not down. If there is no space, make the room.
- Create a weekly 20-minute reset. Walk through the home with a bag or basket, pick up outof-place items, and review: Does it have a home? Is this a delayed decision? Is this mid-transition? Put it where it belongs and be done.
- Edit before you organize. You cannot organize overstuffed space, jammed closets, or overflowing shelves. You must declutter first. Volume interferes with organization. Keep what you need, use, and love, but remember that everything you own requires effort to manage. Where do you want to spend your time? Managing stuff, or living your life?