I was shocked (okay, and admittedly a bit vindicated) to discover these facts and figures about Americans and our clutter. (Source: http://www.home-organization-online.com/organizing-facts.html)
According to the National Association of Professional Organizers:
- 80% of what we keep we never use.
- Getting rid of clutter eliminates 40% of housework in an average home.
- The average American burns 55 minutes a day—roughly 12 days a year—looking for things they know they own but can’t find.
- 23% of adults say they pay bills late (and thus incur fees) because they lose them.
- We wear 20% of the clothes we own 80% of the time. The rest just hangs there, just in case.
- 25% of people with 2-car garages don’t park any cars in there and 32% parked only one.
- The average American spends one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items at home and in the office.
Plus, not only is clutter a time sucker, it’s also not great for your mind and well-being. A recent
study at Princeton University Neuroscience Institute found that physical clutter negatively affects
our ability to focus and process information. And the Feng Shui philosophy goes as far as to
profess our home environment DEFINES our positive and negative energy and how we live our
lives. While I’m pretty sure my “Ch’I” is not perfectly aligned, I have found some helpful tips
worth sharing.
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5 great tips on winning the battle against clutter
- Put the junk mail in the trash or recycle bin BEFORE it even enters the house.
- Switch to online bill paying and/or toss your bills immediately after you’ve paid them.
- When in doubt, throw it out! Or at least put it in a box of things to donate. If you don’t reclaim it in a month or two, you probably don’t need it.
- Don’t expect perfection—even just getting rid of that pile of paperwork on the kitchen counter is a success!
- Walk around your house and look at things with the perspective that you will keep ONLY things you need, use and love. Everything else can go.
Mementos, keepsakes and treasures
Speaking of things we love, how can we possibly consider getting rid of treasures like that precious artwork created by your 5-year-old granddaughter or your son’s elementary school report cards? Relax and breathe. I would never suggest cavalierly tossing anything that represents a truly special memory or important person in your life. But there is a solution for organizing all this wonderful stuff.Go digital. Everything will probably be digital in 10 or 20 years from now, anyway.
So, allow yourself to have ONE keepsake box or hope chest of priceless mementos, photos, cards, love letters, artwork and the like. Then, here’s what to do next:
- Scan or take a picture of each cherished item.
- Create organized file folders on your computer and/or a photo storage website, and copy the digitized keepsakes to these folders.
- Build digital scrapbooks on sites like SmileBox.com, if you’re the crafty type.
- Become a member of iLivediLoved and upload favorite photos, precious home movies and special audio recordings to your account.
The last step I mentioned is probably the most important one, and here’s why. Those priceless keepsakes you uploaded to your iLivediLoved account will not only be stored safely and securely online for the rest of your life, they can also be delivered to loved ones when you pass away…and preserved online for future generations. There’s sure to be peace of mind in that.
Oh, and don’t forget to wash the windows and vacuum the dust bunnies lurking behind the sofa.
What can be better than a clean AND organized life?
If you’re not a member yet, join iLivediLoved today. You’ll be glad you did.
