I have my own home business, but I do not have an office. My designated office space is located in our kitchen, which I have turned into a space where I enjoy working. There is a sentimental element with where I work because my “desk” is a table that used to belong to my grandparents, who have passed. But keeping the surface clean enough to work at can be a challenge. I have my painting supplies nearby that sometimes stray onto the table. Food obviously finds its way here. It is tempting to leave mail, receipts and other papers needing my attention on the table when I don’t feel like taking care of it right away. As you can imagine, I have a continual battle keeping my area clean or I can get easily distracted. How can you tackle these kinds of problems that can crop up all over your home? The biggest step you can take is tackling the clutter in your home and not ignoring it. If I let clutter go in my work area, I wouldn’t get much done.

What is clutter? I define clutter as things that can distract or take away from your focus. Clutter can take on different forms. For me, an uncluttered environment equals an uncluttered mind. I do not think as clearly or relax in my home with papers or mail spread all around surfaces like my work area or with odds and ends covering the dining room table that it makes it hard to set up for dinner. You have to fight to keep mail, papers, books, video games, toys, magazines, kids homework, etcetera, from piling up in places.

I was taught years ago, as papers come into your house, to just touch them once. For example, when I get the mail, I bring it in and take care of it right away. It either goes into the garbage or to a family member that it belongs to or if it needs filed, the paper goes into my to be filed drawer. Which reminds me that I need to go file because my to file basket is overflowing.

There is a difference between freeing your home of clutter and worrying about the appearance of what your house looks like to others.

That said, having a place for things and keeping stuff to a minimum makes it much easier to straighten up. Because my family and I have moved six times and have lived in three states, we have been in the habit of donating or giving things away we don’t use or need so we don’t accumulate too much stuff. It isn’t for everyone, but my husband and I actually enjoy garage sales and we put one on every few years. That is a great way to get rid of too many things that you have accumulated and you make a little extra cash that can go towards something you are saving up for.

How did I learn helpful ways to keep the house in some what of a cleaned uncluttered state? My secret? I studied under The Fly Lady! Who is that you ask? She was Marie Kondo before there was a Marie Kondo. Her actual name is Marla Cilley. About 15 (or more) years ago, my sister loaned me her book, Sink Reflections, where I learned her proven system of focusing on certain rooms or zones to clean each week. Check out her website here, if you are interested in learning more. The biggest take away for me was learning how to declutter. It is a lot more work to clean if you have to pick stuff up and move it around and all of your surfaces have stuff on it. I firmly believe anyone can do this! The key is just to start.

She teaches you to eliminate your clutter and establish simple routines for getting your home clean!

-The Fly Lady website

Basic guidelines for uncluttering your home: