Things You'll Need:
- Temporary and permanent places for possessions
- Trash bags and boxes
- Paper bags for papers to be recycled
- Shelving and storage boxes
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Step 1
Analyze what’s in each room as you focus on it. Some things belong there but they are not in their correct place. Put them away. Other things don’t belong in that room. Take them to a central staging area.
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Step 2
Sort all the items that are not in their proper place into categories like magazines and newspapers, mail that needs a response, clothes, solicitations you haven’t decided what to do with and toys.
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Step 3
Put all the excess paper into bags for recycling. Take the mail to the place where you will process it. Put clothes in drawers or cupboards or in the laundry. Gather the solicitations into a pile and take them to your desk. Check that toys have all their parts; replace them where they belong.
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Step 4
Get in the habit of doing a quick review of your rooms every day or two. The clutter is easier to manage when it doesn’t accumulate for weeks.
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Step 5
Make sure that your possessions have a place to go. Even when they are not in the place, at least it’s available.
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Step 6
Get rid of as much as you can and be cautious about buying new things. Remember that anything you bring into your space has to go somewhere!
