I had a moment last month. I watched my 3 year old dump out the toy basket. He spread the goodies out on the floor. After little evaluation, he went into his brother’s room and dumped out his toy box. It occurred to me, that he just wanted to see what is at the bottom of the basket. He has no real interest in the toys that are in there. I was left in a daze. Really, did that just happen? Why am I cleaning up toys that he doesn’t even want to play with? At that moment I realized, I spend a large part of the day cleaning up toys that no one has played with.
One of my personal goals this year is to get my house in order. I now know that this is only going to happen when I get rid of the clutter. I have to stop rearranging it, and just make it go away. With all the toys in plain sight I sifted through them. Keep, Donate, Throw Away. I didn’t make a big issue of it. No one even noticed the missing toys. I keep repeating the cycle. At this point I have slowly made several bags of toys, and clothes, and other odd items disappear. Yet, No one has even noticed they are gone. Well, no one except me. I’ve notice I don’t spend nearly as much time picking up toys.
Then I realized that my closets are a lot like Donnie’s toy box. I have things in there that I don’t use. They just hold space in the closet. I look at the stuff. I move it around, but I don’t use it. I used the same proven technique…Keep, Donate, Throw Away. I don’t miss any of it. I am enjoying a little more freedom.
I’m not brave enough to tackle the basement yet. I am working my way up to that one.
I’m not sure how it happens. Clutter can accumulate faster then we see it coming. I feel like I have to be on constant guard. One day off of clutter pattrol, and its obvious. Now every where I look I can find it creeping in. I find clutter on the counter, in the car, in my closets. Now that I recognize it, I realize clutter is not just in our closets and toy boxes, but in our daily lives. Have you checked your calendar for clutter? If you don't love it, use it, or want it.....then consider the possibility, it might be clutter.
One of my personal goals this year is to get my house in order. I now know that this is only going to happen when I get rid of the clutter. I have to stop rearranging it, and just make it go away. With all the toys in plain sight I sifted through them. Keep, Donate, Throw Away. I didn’t make a big issue of it. No one even noticed the missing toys. I keep repeating the cycle. At this point I have slowly made several bags of toys, and clothes, and other odd items disappear. Yet, No one has even noticed they are gone. Well, no one except me. I’ve notice I don’t spend nearly as much time picking up toys.
Then I realized that my closets are a lot like Donnie’s toy box. I have things in there that I don’t use. They just hold space in the closet. I look at the stuff. I move it around, but I don’t use it. I used the same proven technique…Keep, Donate, Throw Away. I don’t miss any of it. I am enjoying a little more freedom.
I’m not brave enough to tackle the basement yet. I am working my way up to that one.
I’m not sure how it happens. Clutter can accumulate faster then we see it coming. I feel like I have to be on constant guard. One day off of clutter pattrol, and its obvious. Now every where I look I can find it creeping in. I find clutter on the counter, in the car, in my closets. Now that I recognize it, I realize clutter is not just in our closets and toy boxes, but in our daily lives. Have you checked your calendar for clutter? If you don't love it, use it, or want it.....then consider the possibility, it might be clutter.
