Steps to Getting Organized - First, Remove the Clutter

The first step to getting organized is to remove the clutter. It opens up space for the things that really matter. I'm not a typical organizer who believes you should get rid of anything you haven't used in the last year. I also don't believe you should get rid of things you like, want, or use. But I do believe that we all have tons of stuff filling our houses that we don't like, don't want, and know we'll never use. That's the stuff to get rid of. It might include:
*towels you got at your wedding
*a hand me down table you're done with now
*McDonald's toys
*teacup saucers - my mom didn't like it when I got rid or mine, but I don't drink tea and I've had a real tea party since and I didn't miss them at all! I also haven't missed moving them the 6 times we've moved, storing them, or worrying about if they broke!
*accidently bought low fat peanut butter (we don't like it, but I was just buying peanut butter and didn't stop to read the label).

This list could easily go on forever, but to generalize, this is stuff you don't like, don't want, know you'll never use, . . . but . . .

*You keep it because someone you love gave it to you. It's pretty safe to say that the person who gave it to you didn't give it to you for you to think about how much you don't like it every time you see it. They want you to think good thoughts about them. So if you don't like it, don't want it, or know you'll never use it, don't keep it!

*It's still good. Some of us keep things because they are still good - even if we don't like it, don't want it, and know we'll never use it. Don't keep it! If it's still good, it's still good for someone else. Give it away or sell it. It might be just the thing that someone else really wants!

* Broken toys, furniture, etc. These you may really love. I have a broken tricycle in my garage right now and it can't really be fixed. Every time I look at it, I love it, but I also feel sad EVERY TIME I see it. And I spend time feeling sad it's broken. If I got rid of it, I'd stop seeing it and stop having to revisit the sadness that it's broken.

*You spent money on it. Buying the wrong peanut butter, or buying clothes that just don't fit right also fit into the sadness/guilt category. If you keep it because you spent money on it, you keep feeling guilty every time you see it, but if you get rid of it, it's over and done.

There are things you can do to help you feel better about cleaning out your clutter:

* Put wrong food buys in a box ready for the next food collection event - boy scouts, post office, or food drive. It's still good food - just not exactly what you want and as a bonus, you may already be ready for that event.

* Give it away. I had 2 sister missionaries at my house one day and they happened to mention they didn't have an iron. I had 2 irons so I gave one to to them. I've never missed it and have been happy not to have it cluttering up my laundry area.

* Throw it out. If you have stuff without use, throw it out. McDonald's toys, papers, garbage - just throw it out and be done with it.

* Give it to the DI or a thrift store. You can feel good that someone else can use it. Make a place in your house to collect the stuff to give away so when you find something you want to give away, you have a place to put it until you can drop it off.

* Sell it. Have a garage sale or sell it on ebay.

Whatever you decide, don't keep the stuff you don't like, don't want, or won't use. There is NO reason to keep, store, clean, move, pack, haul, and shuffle around stuff we don't even like.