Clutter:  “a disorderly heap or assemblage; litter; a state or condition of confusion.”   This is the definition from dictionary.com.  How many of us live in a state of confusion where the clutter in our lives isn’t serving a purpose and is causing so much stress that it impacts our health, finances and quality of life?

Dawn McCloskey, founder of Ultra Organized, says that Clutter Awareness Week, which is the third week in March, is a time to improve your surroundings and make changes in your lifestyle. 

Rome wasn’t built in a day as wasn’t the many piles around your home.  Procrastinating about dealing with things immediately is what causes clutter.  Begin by returning things immediately to their appropriate area.  The item may not have a “home” yet, but at least it’s in the general area. 

Start with an easy project so you’ll see immediate results.   If the big goal is to have an organized kitchen, create a list of what that means:  a clean work surface to prepare meals, a tabletop free of paper, a pantry with zones where you know where to get various food products.  Then think about what steps are required to achieve that goal.  If the goal is to have a clean work surface, start by immediately returning ingredients to the pantry/cupboard/refrigerator, washing dishes or loading them in the dishwasher and washing the countertop.  Make it a daily goal not to dump piles of paper on that work surface.  When you have short blocks of time, pull out a drawer, empty the contents and sort through the items to see what is regularly used.  Organizing drawers can be done while talking on the phone and provides immediate results to the bigger goal of having an organized kitchen.

As you go through things, consider whether you really NEED them.  Get rid of half-used products, items you don’t like, or those you never use.  If you’re unsure if you should get rid of an item, ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen if I get rid of this?  Can I easily get it again if I do need it in the future?” 

A lot of items are considered “emotional clutter”: items that have memories but aren’t needed and are taking up valuable real estate in your home.  These could include unused gifts given by loved ones, art or school work from children, things your well-meaning friends and family give you because THEY don’t want it.  Take photographs of these items and get rid of the clutter!  The photos are tangible reminders that take much less space to store. 

McCloskey says that most of her clients have a problem with paper management.  She recommends designating a mail area, near a trash can, where mail can be opened as soon as it’s brought into the house.  Immediately throw away junk mail and file bills in a designated area so when bills are paid, they are all in one place. 

If the job of reducing clutter seems too overwhelming, call in some professional help.  Professional organizers work with you to create a “home for everything.”

Additional suggestions for becoming organized and reducing clutter can be obtained by contacting Dawn McCloskey at 770-844-1049 or dawn@ultraorganized.com. 

Dawn McCloskey is a residential professional organizer and founder of Ultra Organized, LLC in Cumming, Georgia.  The mission of Ultra Organized is to create order from chaos by creating customized solutions in people’s homes.  Ultra Organized helps people get control of clutter in their existing homes or before listing a house with a realtor, and provides unpacking and organizing services to new home owners.  McCloskey is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers.  For more information, call 770-844-1049, email dawn@ultraorganized.com or visit www.ultraorganized.com.