Some people love it, to others it’s something that makes them shudder – I’m talking about the process of de-cluttering.
I’ll tell you where I stand here – I love it. With clothes I work on a ‘one in/one out’ policy (if I buy a new item, something must go to the charity shop). And, when I’m stressed I find myself clearing out kitchen cupboards or sorting out and throwing away things in drawers all around the house. OK, that makes me sound like a mad woman – or a bit obsessive to say the least (and my husband might agree). But I don’t take it to extremes. I just do enough to ensure that there’s not so much clutter in my life that it starts eating up my time as well as the space in my house.
And clutter does eat up time.
If you can’t find the shirt that you want to wear today – you waste time searching for it. If you can’t find that bill you need to pay because it’s under a pile of other correspondence – ditto. If you can’t locate the file you need to refer to before making a phone call it slows you down. And if you can’t find the pizza cutter in your kitchen drawer because there are three zesters, a cookie tin, a pack of birthday cake candles and 6 corkscrews on top of it…
None of this is the end of the world, but it just reinforces the point that keeping things tidy and organised isn’t just about your home or office looking nice – it’s also has an impact on how effectively you manage your time. And let’s be honest, most of us could do with more than 24 hours in a day!
So next time you find yourself hunting for paperwork or trying to find one of your favourite shoes, stand back and make a resolution that on your next free weekend you’ll have a good clear out. Fill the waste paper bin and then dispose of the contents securely if they contain private information. Or take a large black bin-bag and put in any clothes that you’ve not worn for over a year. If you’ve not worn them during this period, are you likely to wear them again? Be honest with yourself!
Not only will you have done yourself a favour, but I’m sure you’ll get an amazing feeling of satisfaction! And, in the long run, more time to spend on the things you enjoy.
Author: Diana Nadin
