A Clean Slate
I love January. The cloak that suffocates us through winter will soon be tossed aside and replaced with the warmth and color of spring. This is a time for goal setting, New Year Resolutions, and undoubtedly the task of ‘getting our house’ in order.
For a select few, this task is looked upon with excitement as it means a fresh start. Purging unwanted items frees us of unnecessary volume that weighs us down both physically and mentally. But, for those that look upon the task with dread and physical repulsion, it can be overwhelming.
Depending on the circumstances, there are many resources that can help a person decide if they should tackle such an endeavor. The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD) is an amazing resource that will guide individuals through the decision-making process as to whether a person should concur with the clutter themselves, with a friend, or with the assistance of a professional organizer.
NSGCD defines Chronic Disorganization as: “having a past history of disorganization in which self-help efforts to change have failed, an undermining of the current quality of life due to disorganization, and the expectation of future disorganization”. If this is you, you may want to reconsider going it alone.
If a person decides to tackle the clutter without professional guidance, you will need to have several large containers available and label them
- Garbage/ Recycling,
- Charity
- Family/Friends
- Household Return.
Start in one room and systematically begin in an area and move clockwise. That means that each cupboard, drawer, or closet gets completed prior to moving another ‘degree’. Once you have completed the purge, clean up and reorganize, that is the correct time to deal with the accumulated bin items. If you have a large volume of sensitive information, I would recommend calling Interior Vault as they provide professional secure paper shredding services where the container is delivered and retrieved after project completion.
A little advice if you are going it alone...give yourself plenty of time to complete a room. There is nothing worse than getting half-way through and leaving the rest ‘for another day’. This will often compound the problem and lead to greater frustration overall for the whole family. Oh, I almost forgot, program your telephone and/or cell phone to take messages while you are hard at work. These seemingly simple interruptions can make the difference between success and failure.