Clutter Busting Coach

…clearing clutter from your mind, body and space

Clutter Busting

Tax Preparation = Easter Egg Hunt?

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Does the date April 15 stress you out? Does locating the paperwork needed to prepare your taxes seem like you’ve gone on an Easter Egg Hunt? Do you put off preparing your taxes because you just don’t want to deal with all the papers?

Which person are you?
1. I have a system set up and can easily locate all the papers and documents I need to prepare my taxes on time.
2. I have a few places where I need to look for my receipts and documents.
3. I know I should have a better system in place so that I don’t stress out at tax time.
4. System…who needs a system? [Read more…] about Tax Preparation = Easter Egg Hunt?

More Paper Clutter Control Techniques

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I could spend days writing about conquering paper pile ups. And I will continue to share bits and pieces in future posts. I did want to share a few more techniques now that you have your incoming mail under control.

In order to stay on top of paper and prevent it from piling up:

  • When handling a piece of paper decide what action needs to be taken and place it in the desginated spot.
  • Do it now. This would support the suggestion of handling paper once. This is not always possible, but if the action needed would take less than five minutes, now may be a good time to handle it.
  • Make time for paperwork. Schedule time in your calendar and keep the appointment with yourself. This includes time for regular paperwork such as bill paying and maintenance such as files.
  • Request electronic documents (investment annual reports) versus hard copies.
  • Don’t be a copycat.

By implementing this techniues you can stay on top of the paper that comes into your life.

Clutter Control: Conquering the Paper Pile Up

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The best defense is a good offense when it comes to handling papers. The key to getting a handle on paper is to deal with it starting at the front (or side) door.

Daily when you get your mail, start by sorting it before you get too far into the house:

  • Pull all the advertisements or junk mail and toss in a trash can you have conveniently located near the door or recycle.
  • Open and sort the rest of the mail at the mail station you created. Sort into: “To Do”, “To Pay”, “To Read” or “To File”. These folders will live in the file system (more on that later) that you have created in the section in the front labeled “Action Files”. Don’t forget to trash or shred the rest including fillers that come with bills and the empty envelopes.
  • Place magazines in a basket or verticle holder and catalogs in their own place.
  • If you don’t have time to sort the mail immediately, place it in a designated area (maybe a basket) and set a time to sort later.
  • Then set time aside on a weekly basis to handle your folders and schedule a regular time to pay bills such as the 1st and 15th of each month or whatever works for your cash flow. [Read more…] about Clutter Control: Conquering the Paper Pile Up

The Hazards of Clutter

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Physical and mental clutter can:
• Burden your mind.
• Make you feel tired.
• Keep you in the past.
• Confuse you.
• Affect how people treat you.
• Make you procrastinate.
• Cause disharmony
• Put your life on hold.

Clutter causes anxiety. It distracts you. And it does cause stress. This can lead to vicious cycle. You may be in the clutter-stress cycle if you are avoiding something, you fear failure, you’ve changed and aren’t ready for it or if you’re holding onto the past or someone.

You need to recognize the root cause as the first step to becoming clutter-free. Do your bills pile up because you don’t want to deal with your finances? Do you have closets that are over stuffed because they contain too many memory joggers and you aren’t ready to deal with the loss of someone?

Identifying the reasons for your clutter is another step toward de-cluttering your life. What is your reason for your clutter?

Why Do We Keep Clutter?

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My last post began by defining clutter, but let’s also look at the dictionary’s definition of clutter:

clut•ter 1. a confused or disordered state or collection; a jumble, 2. a confused noise; a clatter. 3. to fill or spread over in a disorderly manner, 4. to make disorderly or hard to use by filling or covering with objects, 5. to run or move with bustle and confusion.

Clutter is very chaotic. So why do we keep clutter? We keep clutter:
• Just in case.
• For identity.
• For status.
• For security.
• Because of territorialism.
• Because we inherited “clutteritis”.
• Because we use clutter to suppress emotions.

You may even have other reasons for your clutter. The bottom line is that clutter is often used as an excuse. So the real question to ask is:

Where would you be without clutter and what would you be doing if clutter didn’t obstruct you?