And see a reduction in your clutter.

Start with one agreement with yourself to change your behavior around a particular item or situation.
Decide to always put your keys in the same place, every time you come in the door.
Choose to deal with the mail, everyday.
Hang your clothes or put them in the hamper every time you undress.
Only check your email at nine, noon, four and seven.

Make an agreement with yourself and make that one behavior a habit.
Support your choice to be more organized by following through on this one action.

You wouldn’t ignore a commitment to a friend or disregard an obligation at work.
Treat yourself and your decisions with the same integrity.

Act to create an outer world that is congruent with your inner desires.
One choice, one commitment at a time.

As you sort through your ‘stuff’, if you have difficulty deciding what to keep, ask yourself “Would I buy this item now?”

A Yes answer indicates that it is something you currently use and value.
That means you decide does it live in the area you are sorting?
If here, based on importance and need, where is its ‘home’.

If not in this area, where in your house should it live?
If it is important enough to keep, it needs to have a place where you can readily locate it when the need arises.

A No means it no longer has use or value in the life you currently lead.  
True, you spent ‘good money’ on it, there was a time you used it, you wore it once or maybe twice, or it is part of a hobby or activity you used to spend time doing….

That was then, this is now.

Hoping you might use it again, keeping it Justin Case,
rationalizing that it doesn’t take up very much space; all cause clutter and disorganization.

Make space for the life you want to be living,
doing activities that delight you, and
connecting with the people you care about and love.

And if you don’t have a lid that matches-toss it.

Let’s revisit and organize the plastic container cupboard/drawer/shelf.
Come on, it will be fun….(if not fun, at least the results will be satisfying)

Take out everything from the space.  Every container, lid, cap, bottle-whatever you’ve been ‘storing/hiding’ there.
Toss or recycle the misshapen, the grungy, the melted.  
Match lids to bottoms; these are the potential keepers.

Now, let’s get serious about how many you really need and will ever use at any one time.
What do you ever really store or save in this type of container?
They aren’t useful if you never use them….
Or do you ‘store/save’ things only to toss them later when you discover them as a science project in the back of the refrigerator?
(Just because your mom saved cottage cheese containers doesn’t mean you need to)

How many is enough?
How much valuable kitchen real estate do you want to devote to storing things for storing things?
Could you use a Ziplock bag instead?

Keep what you will really use.
Ditch the rest.
(and not just in the kitchen…….)

Your best life:  One choice at a time.

Permission granted  to ask for help.
Help getting a project finished.
Help keeping your house clean, the lawn mowed, the windows washed.
Help learning a new skill, updating your computer, creating an exercise routine.
Help making your life easier.

You don’t have to know it all, do it all, or handle everything.
(There is no prize, except maybe exhaustion, for taking care of everything all by yourself.)

Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness or a waste of money.
Let someone else use their time and talents; give yourself some room and time to concentrate on who and what really matters to you.

Remember how it makes you feel when someone asks you for assistance?
The chance to share what you’ve learned, the opportunity to guide someone else, or being paid to do what you’re good at and love.

Your willingness to ask for help provides an example for others to do the same.

(Oh, and remember to say Thank you)

Don’t put it down.
Put it away.

Hang up your coat; don’t fling it across the chair.
Load the dirty dish into the dishwasher; don’t set it in the sink.
Toss the junk mail into the recycle container; don’t pile it on the desk.
Put the socks into the hamper; don’t let them fall by the side of the bed.

Why pick something up a second time?  Deal with it now.
“I’ll take care of this later” too often turns into never.
Don’t give stuff a chance to become clutter.

Eliminate steps.  Make life as simple as possible.
It’s your choice.

Get a little perspective.
See the bigger picture.
Take a time out from whining and complaining.

You really do have a wonderful life.

Respond with kindness.
Be grateful.
Say Thank you….

No, I don’t mean the excessive and intimate details an acquaintance recently shared with you. 
I’m referring to the Too Much Information that comes into your life every day by your own choices.

Radio, television, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, web pages; all provide a constant stream of sounds, images, data and opinions, all clammorring for your attention.
All stuffing themselves into your head, vying for a reaction; whether you are conscious of them or not.

Wanting to be informed or entertained can quickly turn into Too Much Input. How often do the images leave you feeling helpless, not hopeful or the stories make you angry and frustrated, the postings make you feel like you aren’t smart, clever or creative?  How much of all that ‘communication/connection’ is just mental clutter?

What if  for one week you took a time out?  
Wake up to music instead of the news.
Make dinner without the tv on in the background.
Keep the radio off in car during your commute.
Connect with a friend by a phone call, not checking their Facebook page.

Experience how it is to be in silence.  
See where your mind goes on it’s own.
Be consciously aware of what images, ideas, opinions and inspirations you allow into your life.

Make space.  In every area of your life. 

If  you can’t decide if you want to keep or donate an item, ask yourself “Would I replace this if it were lost or broken?”

Your answer to that simple question often causes the but I spent X amount of money on it, or I might need it, or I received it as a gift, argument to lose its validity.

Letting the item go  opens up space in your house and your life now and  puts it out into the world where someone else could use and value it.

IF someday you need that thing again: Trust that you could buy, borrow, rent, repurpose something you already have or find a suitable replacement.

“The joy of giving is indeed a pleasure, especially when you get rid of something you don’t want.”  Butler & Cavett

Seriously, you don’t need another black tee shirt,  more shoes, or gadgets, or another multi-pack of anything!  Buying ‘stuff’ is what got you to this place of feeling overwhelmed, cluttered and a bit anxious.

Start spending your time with the people you love and care about.
Spend your energy involved in activities that bring you joy, engage your senses, share your talents and gifts, remind you how fun life can be, and connect you to your deepest sense of self.

It isn’t about having more,
it’s about paying more attention to what you have.