We see the irresistible Darling Thing. It is on sale and cries out our name. We buy the Darling Thing and take it home with us. Before long, the Darling Thing takes on a life of its own. We are unprepared for the dry cleaning or complicated upkeep. It does not fit the way we anticipated it would. Once the Darling of the Moment, the Thing is falling short of our expectations.
We often see Monsters lurking in clutter. Things that won't work, don't fit, aren't interesting to the owner, and generally have no immediate relevance are part of the Monster community of clutter.
Here are some ways to attack those Monsters:
Make a plan. Decide on some simple rules. Here are examples: "I will keep magazines less than one year old." "Any clothing that doesn't fit me now goes to the church rummage sale."
Address clutter in chunks. Attack parts of a room rather than the whole room at once.
Celebrate success! At Calahan Solutions, Inc. we like to quantify the weight of material we move on for recycling, re-use or trash. We are celebrating losing over a ton of weight in 2008. Read more about it in Calahan Solutions, Inc. founder Stephanie Calahan's blog.
Get help with de-cluttering. Supportive family members and friends are a source of help. People who work with Professional Organizers to de-clutter can learn more about finding organizing techniques and systems that will work with their personal preferences.
What examples of Darlings turned Monsters can you share with us? We would like to hear from you.
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