LIFE: Housekeeping: SPRING CLEANING

DECLUTTERING - THE 4 BOX METHOD
Label 4 boxes as follows:

1. TRASH
2. GIVE AWAY/SELL
3. STORAGE
4. PUT AWAY

Every item amongst your clutter will go into one of these boxes
Tips before you start:

• Be generous with your GIVE AWAY/SELL items. Think about the use someone else might get out of the item and be happy it will no longer be taking up valuable space
• STORAGE things you don't need on a regular basis
• PUT AWAY box - Remember the robot maid on The Jetson's? "A place for everything and everything in it's place." Great motto!

Get started:

1. Work room-by-room, sorting items in your 4 boxes. Work with one item at a time and don't set it back down without assigning it to a box.
2. Work on one room at a time, emptying your trash box every time you stop. Go ahead and put up storage. More importantly get the GIVE AWAY/SELL items out of sight before you second-guess your decision to get rid of them. The idea is to free up as much space as possible and this can be very liberating!
3. Continue until you've completed every room.

More tips:

• For items you can't seem to make a decision about, consider putting them away for a while. Once you realize how long you can go without using the item it should be much easier to part with it.
• Get rid of clothes that don't fit you. (Are you really ever going to be that size again? If you think "yes" then just decide to get rid of these clothes now and reward yourself with new clothes when you do reach that size.)
• Don't be a packrat. Don't focus on the idea that you might use these items "some day." Instead, focus on the image of your newly organized and clutter-free space.