8 organizing myths and tips for clearing clutter
June 02, 2014
When it comes to lightening your load of "stuff," you need a plan. But with all the advice and products out there targeting the "collectors," it can be hard to weed out the gems from the junk.
Clearing Clutter: 8 organizing myths
1. Lots of colourful bins and containers will help you clear clutter.
If these tools aren’t part of a larger system that allows you to put like with like and find what you need when you need it, then they aren’t helping you get or stay organized. They’re just adding to your clutter.
2. There’s no hope for me… I wasn’t born organized.
Yes, some of us were born with the “organizing gene,” but anyone can become better organized. Determine what is organized enough for you, and get help developing systems that work with your learning style.
3. An organized home looks like the ones in the magazines.
These magazine photographs are professionally staged. While they showcase some great storage ideas, 50 per cent of the stuff in the space has been cleared out. Homes are meant to be lived in. Keeping your home perfectly organized every minute of every day probably means you aren’t “living” there at all.
4. Once I get organized, I’ll be organized for life! Yeah!
Clearing clutter is a journey, not a destination. You have to maintain and tweak your systems regularly in order to stay organized. Organizing is not magic. It is unrealistic to think that a professional can come in for a couple of hours and “fix” what has taken you months (or years!) to create.
5. If I had more space, I could get organized.
While lack of space can be a legitimate issue in some situations, those with the tendency to “collect” will fill up any space, no matter how large. I’ve seen homes with three-car garages and over 2,500 sq. ft. of living space less organized than an 800-ft. apartment.
6. Being messy means you are disorganized.
Organizing is about function, not absence of stuff. Visual, creative types need to have things out where they can see them. Their spaces appear disorganized to others, but they usually know where everything is.
8. Professional organizers live in “ultra organized,” magazine worthy spaces.
While clearing clutter getting your home in order can be a challenge, these 8 steps will bring you closer to your goal.
About Sylvia Daoust
Sylvia Daoust, owner of Niche Small Space reDesign, is one of Calgary’s only professional organizers with expertise in small spaces. She is renowned for simplifying homes and offices with mini-renovations, redesigned rooms and tricky organization projects. Join her blog, nicheredesign.com/blog/ where smart solutions transform challenging spaces every week!