Many of us spend more time during our lives at work then we do with friends, family, and even our spouses.  Work can often be stressful and that stress can build up over the day and follow you into your personal life.  There are multiple factors that contribute to the stress of work:

• Tons of paperwork
• Multiple projects with similar deadlines
• time and resource management
• Boss’s expectations

These are only a few examples, but having all of these existing stress sources makes little room for being disorganized and cluttered.  By developing an effective system to manage and organize all of your responsibilities, deadlines, to dos, and meetings you can spend more time on what is important and less on constantly figuring out what you need to do next.  Not to mention clutter is visible in your peripheral vision and is picked up by your sub-conscious even if you are focusing on work.  The clutter is a constant reminder of everything that you have to get done in the day which can distract you and reduce productivity.

Luckily there are many ways that one can organize and declutter an office in a way that will last.  An important thing to remember about decluttering in an office environment is that computers can get cluttered too.  Below are a few tips that can help you become and stay organized:

• Find a place for everything. It can be easy to let paperwork and other materials stack up over time in your desk.  The same thing can happen on a computer with the files and their organization.  Make sure that you find a descriptive and obvious place to put everything so that you know where to find it.  Immediately when you receive a new task or file, spend a few minutes on detailing what it is and how you are going to handle it.  Then put it away and return to what you were focusing on.  This way you can feel comfortable knowing when and what you have to do so that you can focus on the task at hand without the distraction of clutter and impending deadlines.
• Scan appropriate documents and save them on the computer. Stacks of paperwork and even excessive file cabinets can lead to less space in the room and on the desk.  Many files and paperwork can easily be scanned into a computer and saved for later use.  The physical copy can be disposed of and more space can be opened up.  Be sure that you backup any important documents on web services or a backup hard drive.
• Use calendar services like outlook or google. Without a clear plan of action to execute every task and duty by the appropriate deadlines, it can be stressful and reduce focus on whats important. Spend a little bit of time each week and each morning planning a little bit and using a calendar to stay organized.  This way you can focus and let later tasks come later guild free.  However, make sure that you don’t spend too much time planning in place of actually getting things done.
• Rearrange the room. Decluttering is usually associated with finding the appropriate places for or removing items.  However, essentially decluttering is about opening up more useful space.  Especially if everything that takes up space is essential, rearranging the room can be a great way to open up space without removing important tools.

If you have are very busy or have a huge project that needs to be organized, consider contacting a personal assistant to help with organization.  Contact My Divine Concierge today for more information.

The good news is, getting de-cluttered is not really as daunting of a task as it might seem. There are several attitudes and habits that anyone can adopt to live a less cluttered and stressful life. The hardest part about getting and staying de cluttered is taking that first step. As Dave Mathews says, “To change the world, start with one step, however small, the first step is hardest of all.” And to think, if one step is all it takes to start changing the world then de-cluttering should be cake!

Living the De-Cluttered Life

While there are lots of ways to get de-cluttered, none of them will matter if you don’t develop the right attitudes to STAY de-cluttered. If you dedicate a whole day to cleaning your house and then it gets just as messy over the next week, then you have wasted a lot of time. Below are a few attitudes and habits to consider for staying de-cluttered.

1. Learn to love the de-cluttered environment. Have you ever heard the expression “acquired taste?” While everyone might love the flavor of a clean and tidy house, not many people can stomach the effort that goes into it. Remind yourself occasionally of all the sub-conscious effects that go along with living/working in a cluttered environment. Once you realize that you can be happier and more productive in a clean open space, you will gain motivation to keep it that way.
2. Clean it the first time you notice. It is so easy to procrastinate and just worry about it later. However, things can add up quickly and before you know it the pile of laundry is so large that you are intimidated to get started! Plus, taking a few minutes to clean up after dinner is much better than spending an hour after several days of procrastination.
3. You don’t need everything you want. A huge cause of clutter is people buying and acquiring more stuff then they actually need. Other than the staples and essentials, never buy something on the first impulse. Let the idea steep for a few weeks and see if you still ‘need’ it after that.

After you have adopted the right attitudes to keep your life uncluttered, it is time to get your hands dirty (and often literally). There are several ways to go about it depending on your type of personality. If you like to set a time and get things done all at once, then plan a date to organize and clean and follow through. If you are intimidated by the work required to get started then try small steps and even just 5 minutes a day. Either way, here are a few tips to get started.

• Designate a spot for incoming papers. Paperwork and bills are the most common items that can stack up and drive you crazy. Whether at home or in the office, designate a space to put all incoming bills and papers. Whenever you get paperwork that does not require immediate attention, place them in your designated spot and organize them later.

• Designate a clutter free zone. When starting out, create a space that is unacceptable under any circumstances to have anything not currently in use. For the kitchen, it might be the space right by the sink. For the office, it might be the area around your monitor or laptop. This way even when things get really messy, you will always have at least one area for refuge. As you develop better habits for staying de-cluttered, you can expand your area of refuge slowly until it expands to the whole house/office.

• Keep your kitchen sink clean. Even if you have a cluttered kitchen, it is important to always have the kitchen sink clean and available for use, especially if you don’t have a dishwasher. When dishes stack up in the sink, it can be even harder to find the motivation to clean when you have to work just to make a space to work!

• Consider storage for objects rarely used. Seasonal clothes, unread magazines, old movies, and many other objects are not used enough to justify the space they take up. Keep only the items in your living space that are used regularly and find a place to store items that may only be used occasionally.

• For LOTS of clutter, plan a weekend to tackle it. Most of the problem of being cluttered stems from not being organized. Time will be wasted if you just clean all at once and not as you go. However, once you have a system in place to stay decluttered, plan a weekend to get the whole house clean and then keep it that way after.

Getting and staying de-cluttered ultimately boils down to your attitude and willingness to make the changes necessary.  However, if you have a really busy lifestyle and have a hard time trying to fit it in, you can always consult with a professional concierge to get your life de-cluttered, organized, and efficient.

Of course, this is also a perfect time to weed out unused stuff if you’re so inclined, but the main idea is to get a sense of what you have and can use before you bring anything else into the house.

Make the old look new. For example, take the time to have that white table cloth professionally pressed and dress it up with some of those red trimmed napkins from your grandmother’s trunk. It will take on a more nostalgic meaning.

You may have a list that you follow every year, but if not, see our suggestions here. They’ll help to get you started on a well-organized and joyous holiday.

• Remember Traditions
  If your family has tradition that you keep, year after year, plan everything you’ll need for them now. Do you share a cookie exchange with friends? Do family members draw names for gift-giving? Do the children in your family prepare a skit or do adults tell family stories? Do whatever you need now to make sure the traditions are passed on. Remind everyone involved of the importance of their participation. Buy invitations and address them, prepare the menus, ask others to contribute what they love, and decide on a theme for the decorations. If you create a checklist, it will be easy to see what’s left for you or others to do.
• Prepare Your Gift List
  If you’re like many, you may have a closet of gifts already put away with friends’ or family members’ names on them. If not, make your gift list now. Collect catalogs if you like to order gifts, go to the local shopping center before the crowds arrive, or collect what you need if you make your own gifts. Make lists so you don’t forget anyone important.
  If you have to send gifts to out-of-town friends or family, plan to do it early. Get those gifts first and send them off.
• Gather Your Supplies
  It won’t take long to get all your holiday supplies together. Make sure you have enough stamps for holiday cards. Check your supply of wrapping paper and ribbon. Collect basic kitchen items that you know you’ll need. Make lists and use them.
• Prepare Your Christmas Cards
  You may not be in the mood to write out your holiday cards or annual letter yet, but you can spend an evening watching TV addressing the envelopes, pasting on return address labels, and adding stamps. Encourage your children to create their own cards to send to grandparents, cousins and friends.
• Do Some Housekeeping
  If you live in colder climates, you’ve probably already gotten your home ready for the winter. But if not, now is the perfect time to face annual chores in and outside of the house. Hose off the front door and garage door, polish silver, clean windows, chandeliers and light fixtures.
• Are Guests Coming?
  Now is a great time to clear out your extra bedroom, since you’ll probably need it sometime this season for out-of-town guests or a sleepover. Put away out-of-season clothing, leaving room in the closet and drawers for your guests’ things. Put away unfinished projects. Finally, add some of the comfortable touches that make a guestroom cozy. Make sure there are plush pillows, a good reading lamp and fun reading material, and an extra blanket.
• Decorate the Outdoors
  You may think it’s too early to put-up holiday lights, but it’s much easier to do it now than in the middle of a snowstorm! Test the lights before you put them up AND after, but don’t turn them on at night until Thanksgiving time.
• Cook, Bake, and Freeze
  This is a great time to prepare cookie dough, yummy soups, cookies, bars, or whole dinners. You won’t eat them all now, but store them away in the freezer. You’ll be ready in a jiffy when you need to put on a quick or provide goodies for a party.
• Plan Holiday Travels
  If you’re planning to be away for the holidays, it’s a good idea to book your holiday travel now. Check your calendar with others in your family and get friends and family to do the same. If you have guests coming to your home, remind them to make their travel plans early.
• Save Time for Fun
  Don’t forget to reserve time in your busy holiday schedule for simple fun. Check out movie offerings or rent a family favorite. Offer to volunteer at a community event or get tickets to see a “Nutcracker” matinee. Why not plan a simple a family “picnic” in front of the fireplace or a get out family photo albums. You’ll be amazed how these simple things will turn into treasured memories.