I have to say I am an absolute freak when it comes to clutter and with a three year old, you can imagine how difficult this is for me.   I’m one of those people who love space and hate the thought of filling that space with unnecessary clutter.    I would be happy with a TV, a comfy couch and nothing but open spaces.

But of course, my lifestyle does not allow loads of space, after all as I mentioned I have a three year old and anyone who has a toddler knows space is not an option.

However, I do have one place that is all mine, the one place in my house you will not see a toy lying on the floor.  My office!   This is definitely where the least amount of clutter is.  Now I wasn’t always the de-cluttering- home office queen….nope, I was kind of a hoarder at one time. The dreaded “C” word, didn’t really affect me too much. 

 I would pretty much keep just about anything, old magazines (a great article on page 2, that’s about 4 years old), papers with scribbles on them (those scribbles could eventually mean something one day), piles of pens that didn’t work (because I thought one day they just might).  My resistance to getting rid of non-essential and non-working items came to a halt one day when I actually couldn’t bring myself to go in my office.   I found myself hating the feeling of being in there, cramped and seriously starting to feel mildly claustrophobic.

So the de-clutter queen came to be and I went right to work transforming my cluttered, non-functioning, non-productive workspace into a powerhouse of efficiency (ok maybe not a powerhouse, but it’s much, much better).

It was actually a very simple process and one I’d love to share with you.  All you need is two boxes and the willingness to get rid of “stuff”.   If you have a lot of clutter… then get two BIG boxes.

  Label one “Keep” and the other label “Throw away.” 

Your task is to set aside a few hours, put on some comfy clothes, turn up your favourite tunes and start sorting your clutter into the two boxes. Clutter can include the stack of paperwork, pens, business cards, envelopes, etc.  When you’re done, toss the “Throw away” box without a second thought.  Really, not one thought, just toss it away, if it’s paper for your eyes only, shred it, then recycle it.   

 Then go through the “Keep” box and find a permanent home for each item.

This step might require a trip to the office supply store to pick up a filing cabinet for paperwork you need to keep, a drawer organizer for pens and other supplies, possibly a desktop container to hold paperwork you need to keep within reach, and any other supplies that you find necessary for your needs.

That’s it de-cluttering in a few easy steps….simple!

So?  What are you waiting for –get to it!!!

Happy De-cluttering!