Do you remember what it was like when you mom made you clean your room as a child? What did it feel like? For me it was overwhelming. My mom would put everything in a pile in the middle of my room and tell me to clean my room. I never knew what to do.
My name is Carrie Fullerton of Fullerton’s Professional Organizing.
When I grew up I came up with a system to help when I felt overwhelmed with a messy space.
1st Clutter: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impedes movement or reduces effectiveness of a room.
Physical Clutter at home: the actual stuff you’ve got piled in drawers, closets, counters, garage, storage unit and everywhere else. These are normal things we think of — the closets that are overflowing, the garages that can’t hold cars, the storage units Gifts — that you never used or will never use Expensive items– you thought you would use, you no longer use or you should be using. Ex. Treadmill, beauty products, kitchen appliances, cleaning tools, cleaning supplies, …
Hobbies– fixer upper, crafts, sports, unfinished furniture, holiday décor, home décor, old cars, old car parts, old computers, old computer parts, outdated technology Sentimental Clutter— memorabilia, V8 track tapes, cassette tapes, VHS videos, floppy Disks, CD’s, baby items, baby clothes
Things you use but do not have a designated spot for.– New Home office, home school, reading material, your other family members clutter, bargains and freebies.
Simple tips that make a big difference: 1. Use a basket to pick up messy spaces then the space is quickly picked up and you can delegate each family member to put up their items from the basket. 2. Dress in your closet so that you do not leave you clothes all over the bedroom. 3. Get rid of dishes. Keep what you use and quarantine the rest. 4. Dish pan for dirty dishes. 5. Pretty is not necessary but motivating.
What is business clutter? disordered processes that impede or reduce organizational effectiveness, productivity and revenue. Research has shown that cluttered spaces have negative effects on stress and anxiety levels, the ability to focus, eating choices, and even sleep. It also creates a poor first impression of your perceived skills and abilities at the office when someone stops by your desk.
Digital Clutter: is essentially the disorganization of your data, files and digital devices. This mess can appear in many forms — like a crowded inbox, full phone storage or hundreds of files on your desktop. Do you have thousands of unread emails in your inbox? It’s also all the files saved on your computer without file names, so you don’t know what they are and you spend a lot of time looking for the files you want. From the hundreds of pictures stored on your phone to files filling your desktop, we all have digital clutter.
Poverty mindset – Always apologizing for how much you charge. Not knowing your worth. Those voices in your head that tell you that you’re not quite good enough are the worst kind of mental junk. Pay close attention to these thoughts and learn to retrain your brain with positive self-talk.
Decisions – Indecisiveness.
Ideas – Ideas that have not been written down or discussed. Brain dump list. From the list organize it into categories.
To dos – Stop doing tasks you don’t need to be doing, find someone to do them or a system that will simplify them for you. Do you really need to check your email 20 times a day? Do you really need to do your own bookkeeping? Is that the best use of your time?
Meetings – Ask yourself can this meeting be done in an email?
Co-worker or clients – difficult coworker or clients. Unclear instructions for co-workers or clients can cause them to drain your time energy.
Tip:
Declutter while watching TV or 15 minutes a day.
Standard Operating Processes as your business grows not after.
Social Clutter – Calendar Activities and Social Media. To much TV, social media, sports, hobbies, relationships, busyness, trials and tribulations. What activities do you need to keep or let go of? Is it time to say no to a group, study, or class?
Emotional and Mental Clutter – the stuff you’re holding onto in your heart from past hurts, failures and yes, “fun” times. This type of clutter consists of “negative patterns and beliefs you don’t even realize that you’re carrying around” and can include “can’t statements” like “I can’t lose weight” or “I can’t quit my job and own my own business.” This “could be your fears, your to-do list, what’s going on in the news, or anything else that’s filling your head at night. Past relationships and painful memories, I use to be poor just in case items, bargain stash, freebie stash, Past and future identity (who I use to be or who I hope to be in the future) skinny clothes, fat clothes, 1st marriage, worth something some day, when I get rich,
Are you hanging on to something from a previous season of life that you can release?
What negative emotions do you want to surrender? Release the hurts, bad memories, and losses.
Heart and Mind: guilt, shame, fears, lies, bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, anger, resentment, negativity, perfectionism, anxiety, abandonment, impatience, and worry
Tip: Best way to declutter and organize my mind is through prayer. Pray As you begin the process, ask God to do the cleaning. Ask him to show you what he wants you to let go, and what he wants to stay. He may surprise you! What you consider expendable clutter may be an area that he has great plans for you and vice versa.