ALMetro360

24 AL/ Metro 360 www.almetro360.com INSIDE OUT................................................................................................................... D ECLUTTERING IS A GREAT BUZZ WORD , AND SHIFTING THE THINGS YOU DON ' T NEED CAN REALLY FREE UP YOUR LIFE , NOT JUST YOUR SPACE . N OT ONLY WILL DECLUTTERING BRIGHTEN UP YOUR LIVING SPACE , BUT IT CAN ALSO AFFORD YOU MENTAL CLARITY AND AN EMOTIONAL BOOST . T HE END OF THE YEAR , AS YOU ARE GOING THROUGH AND PUTTING YOUR WAY H OLIDAY DECORATIONS AWAY , AND BEFORE THE START OF THE N EW Y EAR IS THE PERFECT TIME TO GET STARTED . owever, getting started is often the hardest part, which is why you need to get your pri- orities straight and also be willing to play a few games with yourself on the way. First of all, decide what’s important to you. For instance, a working musician would not consider her instru- ments to be “clutter,” and a writer or designer would probably put many books in the category of “working library.” You might also decide that some things have enough sentimental value that you don’t want them to be considered for decluttering. That’s fine — it’s your life and your decision. Once you have taken that decision, you free up the rest of your possessions to be decluttered. You also need to set priorities to get the maximum impact. If you aim to have a completely decluttered home all at once, you’re never going to get there and failure will only demotivate you. Go for the easiest things first. For instance, you might decide to get rid of all the clothes you haven’t worn for a year, or which don’t fit you properly. You might decide to get rid of all the obsolete tech- nology in the house. Out of date reference books and documents are other things you can get rid of easily; last year’s phone book, financial records that are more than ten years old (unless they record the cost of as- sets you still own), or user manuals for machines you’ve thrown out. Throw out things that are broken and can’t be repaired. These are not only easy tasks, but they are un- likely to cause any emotional issues. The old Yellow Pages is unlikely to have any sentimental value, so is easy to toss it. Next, look for duplicates. If you have five teapots, or 26 mugs, chances are you can get rid of some of them and you won't miss them. You may find that when you look, you have seven or eight pencil sharpeners or several half-used tins of boot polish. Those are all ripe for decluttering, and again it should be easy to take a decision to cut down the number of teapots, even if it isn’t to just one. While you are decluttering, you will probably find a number of things you’re not sure about, or that you want to keep but to or- ganize better. Have a few sturdy boxes ready for collecting the things that need “filing” and you’ll be able to find the right place for them later. You might also have a “maybe” box where you can file items that you’re not quite sure whether you want to keep or not. A five-minute decluttering session every so often can help keep the place tidy. Just grab a bin bag and look around for the things — particularly bits of paper — that can go. Hall tables, coffee tables, and desks are all places we tend to put magazines, post-it notes, flyers and other bits of paper, and forget about them. You may also catch yourself putting aside glass jars, plastic bags, odd free samples, and so on “in case they come in useful” — the quick ses- sions should catch these things before they start to clutter the house. Decluttering is not helpful if the clutter returns. So, setting up a good storage system can help stop the clutter coming back. For instance, a cork board for concert flyers and invitations which can be purged at the end of each month will stop you cluttering the house with bits of paper — and it will help remind you that you wanted to attend a certain event, rather than only finding the bit of paper after you’ve missed the chance. Decluttering isn’t just about getting rid of things. And it’s not just about freeing space in your house or apartment. It’s about making your life simpler — and getting your priorities right. n Decluttering — Get Your Priorities Right S TAFF R EPORT H