Out of Chaos...

Yesterday I was featured in an article on Black America Web about getting rid of clutter and the tradition of spring cleaning (http://tinyurl.com/djeca5). Those who know me know that I love being organized. Let’s put it this way, I moved into my house Saturday morning Labor Day weekend and I took that Tuesday off. By the time, I left for work on Wednesday morning, every box had been unpacked, broken down and disposed of, pictures had been hung, the refrigerator filled.

Astrologers will say that my organization is due to me being born a Virgo. Others just call it crazy. You might never have the urge to color-coordinate your wardrobe or plan a menu a week in advance, but there are some little and easy things you can do to get a little more organized.

My philosophy: Life is too short to spend time looking for keys and glasses and shuffling through a ton of papers.

• Put things like keys, cell phones and glasses in a convenient and logical place. My front door and garage door are next to each other. I found a Marshalls, a cute little tall table ($19.99) with one drawer. I put it right between the doors. When I walk in the house, the keys go in it. I also keep the Marty’s leash there as well.
• When leaving work, before I pull out of the parking lot, I put my badge from work on the console area just under the radio. Putting my keys in the drawer. These are things that take a few seconds but if you do them consistently can save you a lot of time and even more frustration.
• Don’t wait. Do it now. When you take your clothes off, take 20 seconds to either put it on a hanger or throw it into the hamper. When you finish with the glass or the plate, put it in the dishwasher. When you let these things build up what could have taken seconds is going to take a lot more time and effort.
• If you want to undertake a big project – organizing a closet, tackling a desk full of papers – and the feeling hits you, go with it! That feeling doesn’t come too often so when it does take full advantage of it.
• When you get ready to tackle the closet or other project, you will inevitably come across items you think you might want to get rid of … but you just aren’t sure. You think … “But I might get down to a size 8 again and when I do, I’ll want to wear that dress.” “But, I can’t throw away that hideous painting I got as a housewarming gift. Sure, there is no way in heck I’d ever put it where people could see it, but I can’t throw it away.” “But it cost a lot of money.” “But I’ve had it a long time.” “But it might be a collector’s item one day.”

If you can’t bear to part with it, at least agree to pack it up and put it elsewhere. Get it out of the closet; don’t keep it on your desk. When you are in a less sympathetic mood, go through that old stuff again and you’ll be surprised what you can get rid of.

From a spiritual or metaphysical point of view, getting rid of clutter is a good thing. Feng Shui practitioners believe that clutter holds your vital energy and when you get rid of it that energy is released. This could explain that feeling of relief and burst of energy you feel when you finally eliminate clutter. They also believe that when you get rid of the old, you can make room for the new.
Happy decluttering!