Clear that Clutter!

I’ve done it again.  Many, many hours have been spent over the last two months clearing out clutter and I’m now gearing up for my second pass! 

Growing up on a farm the impact of my surroundings and the need for light and fresh air came home to me after I attended a London University!  So it’s no surprise that I’ve developed a keen interest in Feng Shui.  In my own language, this is about having a physical environment that works to support me in my life.   This includes being as mindful of the negative power of clutter as I am of the positive elements in my environment.

An interesting point that Karen Kingston makes in her book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, is that the negative effect of clutter can be far more powerful than the positive energy of anything else.  Clutter clearing is contagious, having cleared my office, I moved to my wardrobe including my underwear!   Pareto’s principle of 80:20 suggests that 80% of our time we wear 20% of our clothes.  Having helped many clients over the years, I concur.   Fortunately, I’ve applied what I teach generally but some areas are creeping towards 60:40, most notably my underwear and socks!  Suffice to say I found it liberating only keeping the ones I wear regularly!   Our theory at House of Colour is that you’ll only wear something uncomfortable 3 times before overlooking it in favour of something else when choosing what to wear.  This is especially true of underwear!  So do yourself a favour, be honest - if in doubt, chuck it out! Or at least put it in a bag with today’s date on it – if in 12 months time you haven’t been into the bag, then it’s time to get rid of it… without taking a sneaky look at what’s inside!

My husband’s wardrobe didn’t survive completely unscathed but a cautionary word of advice here from Karen and myself – don’t try clearing other people’s clutter!  After a painful process several years ago, I’ve managed to keep on top of this and learnt how to work with my husband.  I am currently learning how to work with my children!  If you want more tips, read Chapter 14 of her book!

The contagion is spreading; several of my friends have reported that they’re starting to clutter clear as a result of me sharing my experiences!   And there are many charity shops who are able to recycle fabrics as well as clothes and are extremely grateful for anything that doesn’t make it past the EBay apathy!

The process:

1.       Prioritise:

             a.       Identify all the areas that hold clutter
             b.      Grade them on a scale of 1-10 by how much they annoy you
             c.       Grade them on a scale of how big or small they are
              d.      Start with the smallest areas that bug you the most to get the quick win

2.       Have boxes to sort the clutter into:

             a.       Fixing/mending
             b.      Cleaning
             c.    Returning  to their owners
             d.      Charity shop/Ebay .. but make sure it’s done within the week otherwise it becomes  
                      another source of clutter
             e.      Filing – to be deposited in the rightful places around your home – but don’t do it until
                      you’ve finished clearing otherwise you’ll get distracted
             f.       Throwing away

3.       Sorting / Filing:

             a.       When replacing your cleared belongings, file them according to function/purpose/
                      colour so that they are easily found
             b.    Keep all things visible.  Out of sight is out of mind and you’ll forget they exist if they’re
                      hidden in a corner of your wardrobe.
             c.    Lifestyle – recognise how you spend your time and keep your clothes in proportion to
                      this.  10 ball dresses are fine if you go to several each year!

 My confession?   I couldn’t do this on my own – I’ve (nearly) finished the job myself but I needed someone to help me break the backbone in the worst area – my office.   Your consultant is trained to help you clutter clear your wardrobe as a critical part of your Wardrobe Review service.  Consider what help you need….and cut yourself some slack. Clutter clearing is a draining process but it’s well worth the feeling of lightness, clarity and space at the end!