Over the past two weeks, most of the articles have been detailing tools to have on hand when starting to get organized. The first step in getting organized should always be to remove the clutter. You can not organize clutter. Having these tools available makes the decluttering process easier. I thought it would be nice to have a summary list available.
- A calendar and
- A set of notebooks -
For all of the pieces of paper you would throw out, except for that one piece of information you need to keep. Collect the scraps in a pile together, then transfer the information later so you can discard the original paper. - File folders- For the pieces of paper that you need to keep long term.
- A stop watch – to time tasks for the sake of removing future dread and to set a reasonable stopping point.
- A shoe organizer -for one time sorting of all of the little things.
- Baskets – great for sorting, carrying, and for organized display.
- Music -will help with your mood and your speed.
- Baggies. – To keep things sorted when another solution isn’t quickly available.
- Permanent markers.
- Recycle bin.
Honorable Mentions – items I do not always use, but very frequently use when getting decluttered.
Anytime I am removing clutter, these are the things I want to have near by. I am always looking for easy, inexpensive tools and for new ways to use them. What would you suggest I add to this list?
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Maybe this is in line with your “permanent marker” comment – but a label maker has been essential. Putting stuff in shoeboxes and ziploc bags and into bins are great, but it’s the label maker that helps you find the stuff. I’ve done labels that are generic (e.g. toys (age 1-3)) to a detailed list of the contents. Just depends on what you have time and energy for – and what you expect to be looking for in teh future.
For all the sticky notes and for calendaring, I’ve moved online. It’s just much easier because you can get it from everywhere. For my own personal stuff, I use Microsoft outlook. For calendaring and to do list items that involve other people (like my family, my soccer team and daughter’s playgroup), I use http://www.qlubb.com which is great because I can publish it to all of the members (and they can edit it too).
I used to be horribly inefficient but I think I’ve got everything under control (at least for now
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I think to your comment of permanent markers – a good labeler is a good way to mark things for later retrieval. I’ve gone as far as labeling all the contents of a bin or if I’m a bit lazier, just marking the category (like Toys (1-3 years of age) or sports equipment).
On the subject of calendars and to do lists, I’ve gone totally digital. I use MS Outlook for my to-do lists and calendars for my own personal use. When it comes to shared calendars and shared to do lists (like with my family and my sports team) I have been using http://www.qlubb.com because we can all get to the information and we can all edit it on our own time when we get something done.
My biggest weapon against clutter is not to buy it in the first place. Before I buy anything, I really make sure it’s not going to be yet another thing dusty in my closet or donated to the goodwill.